Re: What are you harvesting today?

by freebird 3rd October 2017, 8:22 pm

Maybe just grow them in Olympic years Ploshkin. Sounds as if they will last you that long!

I can’t do really hot, but did find the Cayenne chillies I have grown before to be barely hot enough. I like the Apache chillies of the last two years.

Managed to harvest a few more runner beans today and a nice crop of autumn raspberries - though I scoffed the lot before they made it back to the house!

by FloBear 3rd October 2017, 9:46 pm

I had a delightful surprise a couple of days ago when I spotted about a dozen tiny alpine strawberries on a plant that I had randomly popped into a space in the front garden. Deelicious!

by Chilli-head 8th October 2017, 8:28 pm

Surprisingly, we are still getting courgettes from the plant on the garden, usually they have been killed by mildew by now.

At the allotment I cleared out the tomatillos, beetroot and carrots. The beetroot and carrots go into plastic tubs with some damp compost for storage. Lots of beetroot this year - dunno what to do with it all !

by Ploshkin 9th October 2017, 1:04 pm

Interesting that you store your carrots in damp compost CH. Does that not make them grow little hairy roots from the surface. I recall getting that the only time I ever lifted and stored carrots. I usually leave mine in the ground and can still be digging them in March.

My early crop in the polytunnel are still going strong. When they were ready to harvest I just stopped watering them - they are in a drainage ring filled with compost, and I pull up a few whenever I need them.

by freebird 11th October 2017, 5:37 pm

Whopping great autumn raspberries, ever bearer strawberries in greenhouse still coming in dribs and drabs, last few apples off the tree. Seven butternut squash still on the plants, five harvested as they had no leaves left. Lots of very small but intensely flavoured tomatoes to pick in the greenhouse and a second flush of peppers after the main harvest - leaving them as long as I can as the weather is still mild.

by Dandelion 11th October 2017, 10:13 pm

I still have a few tomatoes on a Latah plant in the greenhouse. The tomatoes are plentiful but very small. The odd thing is, they have ripened to the point of being a light orange colour, but they have been like this for a fortnight now, and show no signs of actually properly ripening so that they are soft and red. I've tasted one - it's very crunchy, not altogether unpleasant, but not what you would descirbe as a ripe tomato. Maybe it's been a bit cold for the tomato plant in the greenhouse - the weather is supposed to heat up at the weekend, so maybe this will encourage some proper ripening. I've never experienced this complete check in development before. Any ideas?

by Ploshkin 14th October 2017, 6:09 pm

That's rather odd Dandelion. We're probably quite a bit colder than you but I still have tomatoes ripening properly, albeit slowly.

by Dandelion 14th October 2017, 9:24 pm

I may bring some into the house and put them near some bananas, and see if that ripens them. It hasn't been exactly cold in the greenhouse (62 degrees one day last week - I forgot to open the windows before I went to work!)

by Chilli-head 15th October 2017, 8:51 pm

Not a bad haul from the allotment today. Green cabbage, red cabbage, broccoli and a pak choi. Some drying beans of various sorts. A few dwarf French beans still coming. The oeas are now all finished, so I cleared that bed ready for winter.

by FloBear 16th October 2017, 6:07 pm

I picked up some windfall apples - I don't know why I don't pick them off the tree and save the bruises - and one Comice pear which is now standing on the kitchen windowsill for at least a week. The two pears I've had have been a little too hard and not as juicy as Comice should be - but perfectly edible.

by Dandelion 16th October 2017, 9:26 pm

I was keeping a few Spartan and Winter Greening apples on the tree, as they seemed to be reluctant to be picked when I took the rest down a couple of weeks ago. The wind seems to have other ideas though - I don't think there will be many left on the tree next time I look!!

by freebird 24th October 2017, 7:48 pm

Still harvesting autumn raspberries. Picked my first salad leaves out the cloches today. They are very small but with some young kale leaves, were enough for the basis of our salad tonight, along with freshly picked tomatoes - little flavour bombs. Also picked my last two butternut squash. The plants were still looking good, but with colder nights on the way, I thought it was probably time.

by Ploshkin 24th October 2017, 9:00 pm

How are your butternut Freebird?. Mine have been harvested for a few weeks now but are still sitting on the ground in the polytunnel to cure the skins. Had one tonight and it was lovely - I think they get sweeter with storage. I've also got Autumn raspberries, when I can rescue some from the incessant rain, it's the first time they have had a good crop and I much prefer them to summer ones.
Today I brought back a bucket from the polytunnel two thirds full with courgettes, carrots, sweet peppers, chillies, tomatoes (plum, beefsteak and cherry) pak choi and a butternut squash - not bad for nearly November.

by freebird 24th October 2017, 10:05 pm

We have only eaten one, Ploshkin - it was the runt of the crop. Half went into a roasted veg dish and tasted very nice, and half in to a cake recipe. All the rest (11) are in the greenhouse curing the skins. Probably bring them indoors next week when it turns colder.

I have to say though, they are of unknown provenance. The three plants were given to me along with seed by my mum's gardener. Knowing him a little better now, I suspect he probably took seed from a supermarket squash. I hadn't expected to gain much at all, so am happy with 12 ripe fruits though will reserve judgement until the first proper tasting.

by freebird 8th November 2017, 8:46 am

I picked these salad leaves a couple of days ago from the cold frames (sown - mid September, planted out mid Oct). The plate is a large 12" dinner plate.

What are you harvesting today? - Page 36 20171110

by Dandelion 8th November 2017, 11:54 am

Wow! They look lovely!

by Chilli-head 8th November 2017, 12:15 pm

Yes, pretty. I'm down to the winter veg; tail end of the broccoli, celeriac, leeks. Turns out it is Allium leaf miner I have, not leek moth. Still, it will mean I am low on leeks this year. And I'll need the fine gauge mesh next year - the adults are only 3mm long.

The multi-coloured chard is looking really pretty in the garden. I've left it in for decorative purposes, unfortunately it has little culinary worth IMHO.

by Dandelion 8th November 2017, 9:43 pm

Chilli-head wrote: Turns out it is Allium leaf miner I have, not leek moth. Still, it will mean I am low on leeks this year. And I'll need the fine gauge mesh next year - the adults are only 3mm long.

I've often wondered how you tell the difference. Unless I cover my leeks right from the start they get something which makes channels along the leaves and basically messes up the plants. How do you tell which pest it is?

by Chilli-head 8th November 2017, 10:39 pm

I was judging by Google images. From the leaf damage it looked like leek moth, but on lifting them and peeling back the layers, the culprits are more a brown little grub than a small caterpillar. Much more like the pictures of allium leaf miner than leek moth. So not an expert opinion ! Still, no chemical controls for either, so crop rotation and a physical barrier are the best bet.

by Ploshkin 11th November 2017, 4:40 pm

I've picked the last of the tomatoes (sungold as always) and one final courgette from the polytunnel. A couple of days ago I took off all the sweet peppers - about 15, all a good size.
I have 4 courgettes still in storage. From just one plant in the polytunnel (Parthenon) I have not been without a supply of courgettes for about 5 months which I think is pretty good going.
I have some excellent Savoy cabbages in the garden. They are all football sized so last us for ages. They are in one of the beds that had a large amount of muck dug in last year. It's definitely worth the effort.

by Dandelion 11th November 2017, 10:48 pm

Chilli-head wrote:I was judging by Google images. From the leaf damage it looked like leek moth, but on lifting them and peeling back the layers, the culprits are more a brown little grub than a small caterpillar. Much more like the pictures of allium leaf miner than leek moth. So not an expert opinion ! Still, no chemical controls for either, so crop rotation and a physical barrier are the best bet.

I'm taking the enviromesh off the leeks tomorrow, hoping that the colder weather will discourage the miners/moths, and also hopin that the mesh has done its work over the summer, leaving the leeks unmolested!!

by freebird 22nd November 2017, 4:17 pm

Today, a handful of autumn raspberries, and from the greenhouse, a couple of strawberries, chillies, two varieties of tomato - and I didn't pick any today, but my second flush of peppers are turning from green to yellow.

by Chilli-head 22nd November 2017, 4:30 pm

Wow. My sister still has chillies on some of her plants looking quite good. I'm down to a few Mexican types that are looking a bit sad with sooty mould from greenfly I struggled with this year.

It was almost a relief to get the greenhouse cleared this year, with the annoying caterpillar infestation eating chillies, tomatoes and everything, as well as the greenfly. Glad to see you are having better luck FB.

by Ploshkin 22nd November 2017, 5:56 pm

Wow, that's good Freebird. I've now cleared the polytunnel apart from carrots and spinach which should keep me supplied through the winter or until they run out in the case of the carrots. I used my first red cabbage from the garden the other day. I should probably cut the others as I don't think they are winter hardy.

by FloBear 22nd November 2017, 6:06 pm

Used up the last of my shallots yesterday -which were picked ages ago. Apart from some frozen part-cooked apple, I have nothing left. There are still a few odd Autumn Raspberries which the chickens have as a treat.

by Dandelion 23rd November 2017, 4:22 pm

Isn't it weird? - mine won't eat raspberries at all!!

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