Gardening

[Bluechip]

That's it then for this year .... rather parky this AM.

5.2^oC overnight.    Nice day though. Clear blue sky and sunshine.

Tried to do a bit of DIY but the Snottite has gone all stiff in the cartridges. They're now in a bucket of hot water. Did think of a quick squirt through the microwave but decided against it. 

All is not lost. Must be the 'Rum in Coffee' season has come around again.   

Dave

[Jo]

Yes, frozen courgettes this morning  the beetroot will be woody from now onwards 

At least the last few tomatoes are still ripening in the greenhouse. Sadly I lost one grow bag of my sandwich tomatoes to some sort of infection but I seem to have managed to restrain it to only that bag 


I knew there was something else I should have picked up at my supplier yesterday - 40% proof cold cure 

Jo

[Bluechip]

Those toms look nice. What sort are they?

I think I will give those things I grew a miss next year. Too big 

Had a laugh yesterday. I gave Mozz about a dozen leek plants earlier this year. Plonk 'em in your borders as dot plants.
She said they did look quite impressive, and nice blue-green leaves. 
Followed by "Are they proper 'eating leeks' and when are they ripe?"   
"They're ripe any time you dig 'em up" ..... 

Dave

[Jo]

Those toms look nice. What sort are they?

The sort they sell in Waitrose and I kept some seeds from 

The onions are going down well. I am now having to restrict people on how many they can have 


Ripe leeks  that is almost as good as non edible leeks 

Jo

[Stuart]

Jo and Dave

Try this stuff for a cold cure
Glenfarclas 105.  Be careful it’s full cask strength not cut at the distillery about 70% proof

Needs a little water to enjoy but even then it can stop you talking but by ek it’s smooooth

Alas now I cannot drink alcohol due to my meds.

[Bluechip]

Jo and Dave

Try this stuff for a cold cure
Glenfarclas 105.  Be careful it’s full cask strength not cut at the distillery about 70% proof

Aah, but does it work for more serious afflictions like Man-Flu ??

EDIT Ooops .. a cure for cold temperatures ??? Got it wrong ...  AGAIN .....

Dave

(  moment. The last thing I did before I packed in for the day was to do a bit of gloss painting in the garage, on the grounds that it would dry overnight and I wouldn't forget and get it mucked up.  Guess what silly bugger's just been in there and  plonked his paw on it?  )

[Mike Bondarczuk]

Hi all green fingered engineers,

Reading all of your exploits in gardening prompted me to attach the two pics showing my line and only chilli plant which is a "Big Sun Habanero" chilli apparently between 250,000 and 350,000 on the heat scale.

If you like them Jo, I can bring some for you to the Midlands show and they should cure any cold.

Mike

[Steamer5]

Hi Mike,
 Cure the a cold, they're probably what's causing global warming!

Nothing to post here from the garden, the most excitement was emptying the compost bins onto the veg patch in readiness for R to start planting in a week or two. Mind you the new strawberry plants keep wanting to flower, they get picked off, soon they will be allowed to go for it.

Cheers Kerrin

[Jo]

If you like them Jo, I can bring some for you to the Midlands show and they should cure any cold.

  Yes please, I might have to save them for my next volcanic Chilli Con Carne ... that is another good cold cure 

Jo

[Stuart]

Linda has just harvested the last of the chilli’s don’t know the scoville rating is but they are small and very hot , just nice for Chinese meals ( note I am the head cook ) 

As a side note they do freeze well , to use do not let them thaw but chop up when frozen else they go squishy they may be a little less hot but not that much

I use seeds as well 

Hope your trip goes well Jo

Just got in from the vets having had the shingles jab another quid bonus for the vet 

Stuart

[Bluechip]

  

Spring is just around the corner ... Must be, my snowdrops are coming up   

Yours poking through yet Jo ???

Dave

[Jo]

  I had a quick check but not so far 

There are a few little noses here and there  but not snowdrops

Jo

[Jo]

Alas the vegetable year is coming to the end 

My father generously has been helping  by digging out the potatoes that I had interspersed with the now dead courgette plants so no more courgettes with every meal  But it is odd he has dug over a bit 15ft by 6ft and got as many potatoes out of it as I got in an area 6ft by 3ft 

Based on the poor potato return where my father has dug out my potatoes it might be safer if I finish digging them out myself  Its either he is not picking them all up or  he is living up to his other name of the phantom potato thief 


The runners are cleared out and the dreaded beetroot eater has eaten all the tops off my beetroot has moved on to trying out the Asparagus: It seems anything green is fair game as this time of the year

Jo

[Bluechip]

Jo:

The potato yield looks a bit sparse    ... how many plants was that ???
I reckon the ancestor is legging it with about 75% of the crop ... 
That's about one and a bit potato plants worth ... or just one on a good year .. 
They are easy to miss though. When I got mine up I went down the rows a second time and turned up some corkers.
Wondered how I missed them    I probably still left some in there, they'll appear in spring no doubt.



Dave

[Jo]

That was two plants. I was quiet pleased with them being that I ignored them and never fed or watered them. I normally aim to get just enough from each plant for one meal, so I can dig them fresh for the pot and those two went well beyond requirements 

We have decided that growing potatoes as a filler crop between the courgettes is a good idea and will be doing it in future years. Of course where you have grown potatoes you will always get potatoes 

Dad legged it with well over 75% of my potatoes last year

Jo