Yep, it seems to be shaping up to be an outstanding year for apples...but a late frost has resulted in not a single plum. No cherries or redcurrants either (cos birds) but a great crop of strawberries in my tiered beds. Yet another year without berries on my golden currants. (ribes aureum). I grew these from seed...6 years ago in a bid to avoid the ever-present big bud mites (which my neighbours refuse to deal with)...so no blackcurrants either.
This week in your Kitchen Garden.
- Thread starter Mrs Magpie
- Start date
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
I’ve about three damsons and a couple of cherries on my trees and I’m gutted
Might be last year here and they were the highlight of last year
Boudicca
Seaside Queen
The plum tree I planted 3 years ago had loads of blossom and then lots of tiny plums. I've just checked and there's one left.
I thought they'd been eaten by something but do you think it was the frost?
(I know I keep banging on about this, but, first toms less than a week after first broad beans, which came several weeks after the first strawberries - ffs!)
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Could be , they’d rot and drop off .The plum tree I planted 3 years ago had loads of blossom and then lots of tiny plums. I've just checked and there's one left.
I thought they'd been eaten by something but do you think it was the frost?
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
Choc Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets and Mushroom Habaneros enjoying the morning sun:
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
Rabbit potato!
Or is it a whale?
I think the top one looks like a big hairy arse while the bottom one looks like a kitten if you turn it over
Fairweather
Well-Known Member
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
I figure this is probably the best place to ask -
Anyone know how long to dry fresh garlic bulbs? Was given some freshly dug up yesterday. I've hung them in the leccy cupboard which would seem to be the best place I have for this sort of thing, but for how long?
Anyone know how long to dry fresh garlic bulbs? Was given some freshly dug up yesterday. I've hung them in the leccy cupboard which would seem to be the best place I have for this sort of thing, but for how long?
Couple of weeks to a month
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Or outside if it’s sunny ( haven’t a clue what your weather is like )
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
andysays
Love and solidarity
I do have an outside, but I hung mine on a clothes horse in my front room for a few weeks. Good if you can leave some windows open so there's a bit of air circulation as well.It's boiling but I have no outside
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Leccy cupboard it is thenIt's boiling but I have no outside
Fairweather
Well-Known Member
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
Nice haul!
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
First ripe chillies - 3 Scotch Bonnets and a Mushroom Pepper
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
I don't have any outdoors, but I have been having fun the last few weeks with propogating herb cuttings indoors in my actual kitchen on the windowsill - had a basil cutting grow some decent enough roots that I potted it yesterday and started a new cutting from the original plant off in water (I have very limited space for this sort of thing so can't do a lot at once). I am also trying to propogate some parsley cuttings in water but I have heard it is not one of the best ones to try.
I realise this is all a bit late in the day to get started on this sort of thing, but having been successful with the basil so far I know I can get going with similar in spring next year.
I realise this is all a bit late in the day to get started on this sort of thing, but having been successful with the basil so far I know I can get going with similar in spring next year.
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
Basil sprouting from Frida’s head
Leafster
.
If you buy a pot of parsley from the herb section of the supermarket you can usually split the plants up and grow them on separately. (They won't survive long in the original pot as they are crammed in)
I usually buy a pot early in the year, use some for cooking and then split the remainder up and plant it in the garden for the rest of the year.
andysays
Love and solidarity
Leafster
.
I've not tried basil as I don't use.
I've tried coriander two or three times but I think you need to pot it up as soon as you buy it to get it to grow well.
I really recommend signing up for this (free) website. Blight (nothing to do with soil conditions), takes 48 hours to infect plants...and needs very specific conditions (used to be known as a Smith period but now called something else). Blightwatch will inform you within 24 hours, whether the conditions for phytopthera are prevailing (to do with humidity and temperature levels). This gives us a chance to nip out and spray our tomatoes and potatoes with a copper sulphate mixture. Despite still classed as appropriate for organic gardeners, the proprietry Bordeaux mix has been discontinued, but a home made mix in the ratio 1:1:100 can easily be knocked up with copper sulphate, slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and water. Saves my tomatoes every year...and if I lived in the damper west of the UK, this would be an absolute necessity.
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
first harvest yesterday! 2 courgettes, I yellow courgette, 2 pea pods (that was the entire crop) and a handful of broad beans.
Tasted wonderful.
Tasted wonderful.
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
More ripe chillies
Some weird microclimate shit means blight's already here by the time I get the first email
I really recommend signing up for this (free) website. Blight (nothing to do with soil conditions), takes 48 hours to infect plants...and needs very specific conditions (used to be known as a Smith period but now called something else). Blightwatch will inform you within 24 hours, whether the conditions for phytopthera are prevailing (to do with humidity and temperature levels). This gives us a chance to nip out and spray our tomatoes and potatoes with a copper sulphate mixture. Despite still classed as appropriate for organic gardeners, the proprietry Bordeaux mix has been discontinued, but a home made mix in the ratio 1:1:100 can easily be knocked up with copper sulphate, slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and water. Saves my tomatoes every year...and if I lived in the damper west of the UK, this would be an absolute necessity.
Never get round to spraying in time but blight-resistant varieties mostly cope well enough for me - kestrel spuds have actually been the worst hit this year. Maskotka tomatoes always do really well in the garden even when the leaves are an aphidy dehydrated blight-ridden mess.Getting lots of everything at the moment despite the plot looking like I'm only growing weeds
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Cucumbers are ready and I’m glad I actually got a couple of Damsons this year, was worried I had none.
