This week in your Kitchen Garden.
- Thread starter Mrs Magpie
- Start date
LilMissHissyFit
Disturbed in a pink bra
OOh recipe BB???? purlease!!
My mate who came over yesterday suggested that I put straw underneath my pumpkins but Im not sure if thats the right thing to do? They are resting on the ground at the mo
My mate who came over yesterday suggested that I put straw underneath my pumpkins but Im not sure if thats the right thing to do? They are resting on the ground at the mo
Where is everybody? 
Heavy cropping beans and courgettes.
Pulled up my first carrots for dinner yesterday
so cute and stumpy.
Fruit forming on my chillis.
My first ever cucumbers are at shoulder height and currently have the teeniest fruit growing on them.
Masses of foliage on my various squashes, no sign of fruit yet.
Heavy cropping beans and courgettes.
Pulled up my first carrots for dinner yesterday
so cute and stumpy. Fruit forming on my chillis.
My first ever cucumbers are at shoulder height and currently have the teeniest fruit growing on them.
Masses of foliage on my various squashes, no sign of fruit yet.
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
We're all bloody knackered and sick to the back teeth of FUCKING watering, aren't we?
I've cut up and composted one lot of my courgettes. I let the aphids get out of control and anything it was managing to produce was turning to mush. I'm quite relieved to reduce my crop at the mo, tbf.
Similarly my summer squash hasn't managed to give me much and after a couple of tries I couldn;t be bothered with hand pollinating when the plant is clearly just struggling to survive.
NEXT YEAR - I'll be giving my courgettes/squash/melons much more space (stuck too many plants in each pot) and I'll be on top of the aphid situation a bit earlier!
On a similar theme, my caulis, sprouts and to a degree, psb, have taken a battering from the cabbage butterfly larvae/caterpillars and again, I can't face dealing with them, lol - so I'm going to see what happens with them, but if the buggers shite means I just get no eatable veg, I could stand not to have caulis and sprouts so I won't bother with those next time and will just make sure I put some decent netting up around the psb.
I am currently getting strawbs (actually they're being munched by something else, too), tomatoes (WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!), aubergines and french beans. Getting the odd courgette off the three surviving plants, but they're all crammed into a single growbag and not entirely unaffected by the aphids either, so not anything like as prolific as I know courgettes can be.
I've cut up and composted one lot of my courgettes. I let the aphids get out of control and anything it was managing to produce was turning to mush. I'm quite relieved to reduce my crop at the mo, tbf.
Similarly my summer squash hasn't managed to give me much and after a couple of tries I couldn;t be bothered with hand pollinating when the plant is clearly just struggling to survive.
NEXT YEAR - I'll be giving my courgettes/squash/melons much more space (stuck too many plants in each pot) and I'll be on top of the aphid situation a bit earlier!
On a similar theme, my caulis, sprouts and to a degree, psb, have taken a battering from the cabbage butterfly larvae/caterpillars and again, I can't face dealing with them, lol - so I'm going to see what happens with them, but if the buggers shite means I just get no eatable veg, I could stand not to have caulis and sprouts so I won't bother with those next time and will just make sure I put some decent netting up around the psb.
I am currently getting strawbs (actually they're being munched by something else, too), tomatoes (WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!), aubergines and french beans. Getting the odd courgette off the three surviving plants, but they're all crammed into a single growbag and not entirely unaffected by the aphids either, so not anything like as prolific as I know courgettes can be.
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
Oh! Three winter squash have set and one melon! 
Hoping for more, but will be pleased with those if that's how it has to be.
As penni said earlier - you really do have to do it to learn - and there's so much I'd do differently having done it wrong or at least not quite right this time, but the fact that it means that at the very least, I'm learning has made the stuff that hasn't turned out to be a raging success quite a lot easier to bare, iykwim!
Hoping for more, but will be pleased with those if that's how it has to be. As penni said earlier - you really do have to do it to learn
- and there's so much I'd do differently having done it wrong or at least not quite right this time, but the fact that it means that at the very least, I'm learning has made the stuff that hasn't turned out to be a raging success quite a lot easier to bare, iykwim!
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
....a little off-topic, but Ms T served these up with cold meats the other night and they were so good I asked her where she got the recipe. I'm not usually a major pickle fan. The button mushrooms in it were really delicious. It seems a perfect Kitchen Garden recipe.
Italian Garden Pickles
www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of...ardiniere-pickles-italian-garden-pickles.html
Italian Garden Pickles
www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of...ardiniere-pickles-italian-garden-pickles.html
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
Cut courgettes into batons and fry until starting to brown in plenty of olive oil, add some crushed garlic near the end of cooking. Put in a shallow dish with some white wine vinegar and chopped mint and leave for a good couple of hours for the flavours to develop. Absolutely yum - I'm waiting for some more courgettes to ripen so I can make it again.
We've been away for a week or so and I was expecting loads of produce when we returned (a friend has been watering), but there's not as much as I expected.
A few toms are ripe and runner beans are going mad. Still no cucumbers ready though.
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
Oh! Three winter squash have set and one melon!
As penni said earlier - you really do have to do it to learn
MELONS!
Very
We've just been given a greenhouse by one of our neighbours so melons are definitely on my list for next year.
I've suffered the effects of the cabbage whites too, I don't know if any of the sprouts are going to make it (which will please BoatieBoy!)
Time to prune my cherry for size, the canopy is enormous, Im going to do it over 2 or 3 years.
After months of peace the ginger menace is back- massive fat turd on my new lawn.
Oh and one of my compost bins has fallen over- I cant be arsed lifting it up.
My borough council recently changed our wheelie bins- they brought me two. Im tempted to convert one into a compost bin.
Picked up some horse muck today when we went riding, Should I mix it in, or leave it to rot in its bag as usual?
Oof mucky work.
Mucky work.
After months of peace the ginger menace is back- massive fat turd on my new lawn.
Oh and one of my compost bins has fallen over- I cant be arsed lifting it up.
My borough council recently changed our wheelie bins- they brought me two. Im tempted to convert one into a compost bin.
Picked up some horse muck today when we went riding, Should I mix it in, or leave it to rot in its bag as usual?
Oof mucky work.
Mucky work.
Time to prune my cherry for size, the canopy is enormous, Im going to do it over 2 or 3 years.
After months of peace the ginger menace is back- massive fat turd on my new lawn.
Oh and one of my compost bins has fallen over- I cant be arsed lifting it up.
My borough council recently changed our wheelie bins- they brought me two. Im tempted to convert one into a compost bin.
Picked up some horse muck today when we went riding, Should I mix it in, or leave it to rot in its bag as usual?
Ive had it with mucky work.
After months of peace the ginger menace is back- massive fat turd on my new lawn.
Oh and one of my compost bins has fallen over- I cant be arsed lifting it up.
My borough council recently changed our wheelie bins- they brought me two. Im tempted to convert one into a compost bin.
Picked up some horse muck today when we went riding, Should I mix it in, or leave it to rot in its bag as usual?
Ive had it with mucky work.
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
Yeah - I found the first new lot of shit in amongst the sweetcorn the other day. 
I'd actually finally bought a sonic cat doodah that had reasonably good reviews on Amazon, but when I checked it, the batteries were dead
so I'm still in no position to say whether it actually works or not.
I'd actually finally bought a sonic cat doodah that had reasonably good reviews on Amazon, but when I checked it, the batteries were dead
so I'm still in no position to say whether it actually works or not. During the cherry harvest I took down the CDs tied to low handing branches. They're going back up.
Also Ginger and his mates have worked free one of the entrances I blocked up.
Ive requested the prunings from a friend's nasty thorny hedge, I'll use them to reinforce the gaps in my defensive line. Im going hardcore.
Also Ginger and his mates have worked free one of the entrances I blocked up.
Ive requested the prunings from a friend's nasty thorny hedge, I'll use them to reinforce the gaps in my defensive line. Im going hardcore.
LilMissHissyFit
Disturbed in a pink bra
We have a GINORMOUS pumpkin on the go... harvesting loads of french and runner beans and courgettes- too many courgettes!
Thanks for the recipe BB. Ive been frying mine on the griddlepan with garlic and mixed herbs. Ill give your recipe a try. Im also toying with trying a courgette cake...
Thanks for the recipe BB. Ive been frying mine on the griddlepan with garlic and mixed herbs. Ill give your recipe a try. Im also toying with trying a courgette cake...
fogbat
The Talibum
My butternut squash plants are dying off, rapidly yellowing and drying out. They're well-watered and fed, so I am choosing to assume that this is supposed to happen. They're meant to be a fairly early strain, anyway, and the fruit are looking almost ready to harvest.
After spending a fortune on giant pots, enormous bags of compost and manure, I've ended up with two squashes. Two. I have fewer fruit than plants
After spending a fortune on giant pots, enormous bags of compost and manure, I've ended up with two squashes. Two. I have fewer fruit than plants
My squashes are taking it slowly and are still vibrant green.
While some are tentatively flowering, most of the buds arent even open yet (see one of my squash patches in the first pic below). They are beginning their slow march across the bed.
Second pic is one of my bean towers for which Ive provided an extension frame. They must be over ten feet.
Third and fourth pic are late beetroot and marjoram.
Ive only had to pay out very few pence for items this growing season. The garden more or less sustains itself.
While some are tentatively flowering, most of the buds arent even open yet (see one of my squash patches in the first pic below). They are beginning their slow march across the bed.
Second pic is one of my bean towers for which Ive provided an extension frame. They must be over ten feet.
Third and fourth pic are late beetroot and marjoram.
Ive only had to pay out very few pence for items this growing season. The garden more or less sustains itself.
felixthecat
are we there yet?
I have eaten so many tomatoes I think I may be starting to look like one...............
(and the plants are STILL laden)
(and the plants are STILL laden)
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
Me too - and more tonight, with some more aubergine!
Too much rain here now!
Lots of my tomatoes are splitting - loads of the plants have fallen over and are now being precariously balanced up against walls etc, some of my aubergines are just moulding away....But tbf, at least I don't have to water.
My tomatoes still arent ripening. Ive got beans, carrots, courgettes and apples out the ying yang, but not a single ripe tomato.
But my apples are glorious- and exceptionally sweet. Handily they have ripened in both big and small sizes. So I can stick a couple in my pockets without looking like Im smuggling grenades.
But my apples are glorious- and exceptionally sweet. Handily they have ripened in both big and small sizes. So I can stick a couple in my pockets without looking like Im smuggling grenades.
LilMissHissyFit
Disturbed in a pink bra
My bean canes were literally dripping with french beans, theyd blown down in the wind and I wasnt able to get them up properly but picked LOADS.... half a carrier bag full!!!
felixthecat
are we there yet?
Plums. Lots of plums. Lots and lots of plums.
I've made plum jam, frozen a load. made plum crumble and a nice plum tart for the freezer. Can I dry them to make prunes? Is that possible? Or am I suffering a plum induced psychosis????????
I've made plum jam, frozen a load. made plum crumble and a nice plum tart for the freezer. Can I dry them to make prunes? Is that possible? Or am I suffering a plum induced psychosis????????
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
free spirit
more tea vicar?
grrr, just went slug killing, and noticed that my corgette plants have got some wierd white mould all over their leaves, and also spotted some critters poking out of the top of the sweetcorn, investigated one of them and it looks half eaten or something.
not happy, and hoping that the mould doesn't transfer to the pumpkins and squash... any ideas what to do about it anyone?
not happy, and hoping that the mould doesn't transfer to the pumpkins and squash... any ideas what to do about it anyone?
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
Most likely powdery mildew. very common and usually triggered by stress from lack of water.
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
Me too - and more tonight, with some more aubergine!
Too much rain here now!
But tbf, at least I don't have to water.
Some of our toms are splitting too - is it caused by too much water then?
That would make sense after the weather we've had in the last week.
One of my peppers is turning orange, but all the rest are remaining stubbornly green.
I'm hoping for a bit of indian summer to ripen everything.
Our shallots have been a real winner, we've got a huge harvest and I'm going to get on with some pickling this weekend.
We've also got loads of blackberries in our garden so I'm going to make some blackberry vodka too.
I've noticed that it's going to be a bumper year for sloes, but surely it's too soon to pick them?
I've always thought that you should wait until after the first frost, but they already have the 'bloom' on them and I reckon they'll have gone by the first frost.
I don't want to miss out on making sloe gin this year
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
It can be caused by too much or too little/infrequent watering, I believe (and possibly a couple of other things too), but was definitely the rain in my case (and sounds like it could be in yours, too)....they were all doing fine, then had the long damp period (today is the first day I've had to water for two weeks 
) and the splitting started.
I've just been using those ones for sauces and saving the unsplit ones for eating fresh.
My sweetcorn is not growing anymore (and I'm not sure my winter squash are going to get any bigger either
) so have been eating tiny little cobs.
Am vaguely considering moving the whole veg plot over to the other side of the garden for next year (currently lawn)....
My single melon is also very small (I've not been good about feeding anything for the last couple of months and consequently everything seems to be in miniature), but it has a few cracks in it....it's not coming easily away from it's stem as it's supposed to when it's ripe, so I'm leaving it alone for a bit and hoping the cracky bits won't end up as rotten bits.
) and the splitting started. I've just been using those ones for sauces and saving the unsplit ones for eating fresh.
My sweetcorn is not growing anymore (and I'm not sure my winter squash are going to get any bigger either
) so have been eating tiny little cobs. Am vaguely considering moving the whole veg plot over to the other side of the garden for next year (currently lawn)....
My single melon is also very small (I've not been good about feeding anything for the last couple of months and consequently everything seems to be in miniature), but it has a few cracks in it....it's not coming easily away from it's stem as it's supposed to when it's ripe, so I'm leaving it alone for a bit and hoping the cracky bits won't end up as rotten bits.
