The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Troubled Waters on July 01, 2009, 08:38:38 pm
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I know I'm just like a kid at Christmas but I don't care! ;D Tonight I have 'harvested' a whole seven mange tout (had nine last week), a large handful of broad bean pods and some more lettuce. I have picked at least a handful of strawbs everyday for the last 4 weeks. My runner beans have flowers on them, and my red cabbages are hearting up finally. My turnips (all 4 of them) are coming on a little and I have my first tomato just setting on the vine. we have had a bucket of spuds and i think some more are nearly ready. and also tons of rhubarb and some goosberries earlier in the year.
Ok ok, I know sound like I'm bragging, I'm sorry. it's just I find it so exciting. Right from seeing the seeds germinating, to seeing the plants getting bigger and finally harvesting. How excited am I going to be when we are properly self sufficient in veg and start raising our own animals for meat?!?
I just had to share my excitement, I'm sure hubby thinks I'm mad! ::)
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Well done :)
It always great to get your good come up trumpets :)
Linz
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keep it up, TW! I felt the same today as first time ever I have little white things growing in cauliflowers! The feeling is great and do keep sharing it with us! :&>
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I think this is weird but normal (if that makes any sense I'll be surprised!) Every season and every year I get that excited by my first crops.
I am in freezerprep mode at the moment...(ie I am squeezing impossible amounts into tiniest empty corners of my freezer and thinking I need a new and bigger freezer)
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Well done! It is nice when your hard work pays off!!
We are always behind with crops, being well over 1,000ft above sea level, and our strawberries for example are still green, so will not be enjoying those for a little while longer.
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Don't worry we're all as bad - in fact I'm probably worse, this year I put my dwarf french bean plants in a hanging basket - strange I know but due to lack of growing space it was the only option :-\ , so now I am harvesting them - getting about 6 - 10 beans each harvest (wow) .... the really sad thing is that these beans few then get 'blanched' for 30 seconds in the microwave , cooled and then added to the small bag of beans frozen from the last 'harvest'..... I am proud now to nearly have enough for a serving (2 people.. with hopefully small appetites) I'm so proud of what i've grown.. :)
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Same here ;D! We're living in pea glut just now, can't keep up with cooking them! A nice crop of tatties, digging up only the ones with blighted leaves. Loving every single piece I'm eating! :&>
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We had our first peas last night and they were great. Also had a few cucumbers which taste wonderful and my peppers are turning red. Its so good when the things you planted start to show results ;D
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They can keep all the stuff in the supermarkets - apart from the stuff we cant grow ... of course ;) we'll have that!
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Yes, for now I'm counting the pennies and pounds I'm NOT spending, while I'm walking down the veggie isle ;D ;D ;D :&>
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Just wish the sun would shine a bit more now so my toms will ripen :apple:
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gotta agree. We've got through 20lbs of first earlies, recently dug up 36lbs of Anyas, had 6 courgettes already, same for cucumbers, made roasted tomato sauce for the freezer as well as loads of tattie soup, caulies have already been done as well, just as the cabbage whites are starting on me calebrase & purple sprouting broccoli, strawberry jam done, Hugh's gluteny = 12 jars, broad beans done, some early nante carrots done, paramax round ones also done & far too much basil, coriander, spring onions, mixed salad leaves etc!
Oh and don't ask about the glut of garlic & onions!!! It took me the best part of an afternoon to build a big enough wire drying rack & now me garage hums!
1 chook kealed over whilst broody for no good reason, another just turned broody so new brood pen built. It is so funny watching them puff up - she is now called "broody 2 shoes"....ahem..... ;D
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I've just eaten my first tomato - should have been more patient although I didn't want it to turn bad on the bush. It was a wee bit green and hard still inside. Never mine the chooks liked that bit! Have two packs of broccoli and one of carrots in the freezer - off out to see what else I can glean today.
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my toms are outside :apple:(as dont have greenhouse) so not ripening very fast,
have had lots and lots of lettuce ( would highly recommend mixed salad leaves variety called salad bowl) in fact been giving away to Daz's workmates for about 6 weeks now.
my Strawberries ... well.... there looked to be loads coming on the plants in may, but they turned ripe in june whilst v small so i was really disapointed - - - but now they have all re-flowered and have more fruit on this time.... the strawberries are really big.... so don't know whats going on as its late now to be getting a new crop and they are ripening nicely ( not that i'm complaining ) .. but very strange - anyone know why this has happened .. maybe cos of all the rain :gloomy: that I 'm getting a second crop
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I am too - I think it's just the yo-yo weather we've been having that's done it. The plant's don't know where they're at.
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Glad eveyone else is excited too. A load of my stuff does seem very late but as long as it happens. Aubergines and peppers are only just flowering but got tomatoes getting bigger all over the place, had loads of broad beans and a few mange tout. We had such a good strawberry crop, gonna pot on all the runners and have a huge bed next year. Had the first courgette. Mike's been eatin lettuce as much as poss but can't keep up. It's just like santa visiting every day!
I thought we would do more this year but after a sort of trial last year this is our first proper year and I don't think we have done too bad considering how long hours we work.
Long may the harvesting continue!!! :farmer:
Has anyone grown sweet potatoes? Considering this next year but don't know much about it.
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I have .............................. 1 courgette!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o
Well its a start ???
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my dilema is... do i buy some tomatos tomorrow when shopping, or do I not get any in the hope that my toms will ripen up soon? i'll definately have to get cucumbers as mine wont be ready for a while..... oh what joy ..decisions, decisions.
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Just buy a couple of toms - I was really annoyed when oh went shopping (a rare occurrence indeed) and bought lettuce and cucumbers when I was eagerly waiting to pick my own - I then had to wait to use up what had been bought otherwise it would have gone to waste and I hate throwing food! I'm going to turn green from eating salad soon!!
This year is our first growing year and we started a bit late but have now had runner beans, cucumber, potatoes, lettuce, radishes and carrots. Am very excited as I have a tennis ball sized melon growing as well as other stuff which isn't quite as exciting! No flowers on broccoli or cauli yet which is a bit disappointing as they are the only veg I actually like.
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I have .............................. 1 courgette!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o
Well its a start ???
LOL! You have one more than me! :-[
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hiya all just 'picked' two big cabbages as they are the smallest in the bed and i think the other need the space, Double washed, blanched , and put in a bag for the freezer now (I think they might have been the cabbage from the 1st show that CSSA :)
Linz
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I'm going for winning the 'smallest cabbage' class lol
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lol i have no idea why mine went mad, I had a bad start as a lot got really sunburnt so got some more and put them in the same place, now they are fighting for positions lol.
I may need to transplant them in to a different area
Linz
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I think I would have won the smallest cauli competition :D
lots of rocket, "weeded" about a quarter of one bed, which will make 5 jars of pesto! :&>
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I have a pepper plant in the conservatory with eensy weensy teeny peppers on it - can you get mini peppers? They are different colours too - one red, one almost black, one yellow and a green - all on the same plant. Any thoughts on this folks?
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I have a pepper plant in the conservatory with eensy weensy teeny peppers on it - can you get mini peppers? They are different colours too - one red, one almost black, one yellow and a green - all on the same plant. Any thoughts on this folks?
Are they sweet peppers or chilies? I had some chilies once (rainbow chilies) which were only small (maybe about 15-20mm long) and were all different colours on one plant as you've described. They were nice chilies - not too hot!
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Ah, that's maybe what they are! I got the plant from my friend next door along with another one and she said one was a pepper and the other a chilli! Had forgotten that might try tasting them soon.
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I'm so excited too. This year I have gone from dabbling in a bit of veg in previous years to taking it a bit more serious in a need to save some money. We have enjoyed a variety of salad vegetables and carrots, runner beans etc to date but usually only one item per day (still not to be sniffed at I know). But today, I'm sooo happy, we had a nice bit of beef (sorry to any veggies out there) with Carrots, runner beans and Potatoes all out of the garden. Oh and they taste so fabulous compared to supermarket ones. Yum!! :yum: I felt a real sense of achievement as I carried my bucket of veg up the the house today!!!
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Well I know a couple of weeks ago i said I had one courgette - I had my eyes closed or some affliction!!! I have millions, well counted 28 last night - hence the begging for recipes. Didn't think what I would do with them if they actually grew :dunce: They aren't the best veg to grow in abundance if you can't freeze them! Never mind, we are eating them everyday - fried, baked, boiled - haven't tried mashed ;D
Do you think if I say the same about the peas (not even a flower yet) I might get a surprise and find loads next week?
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if you have the right sort of courgette , you could grow some on to marrows....ie really big courgettes. Some types have been created to produce courgettes , but some are really just cut as baby marrows . If you grow them on to be marrows they store in a shed for ages , through most of the winter. They are really lovely cooked as stuffed marrow . I use mince , but you could use whatever you want . Plenty of salt and pepper and they are to die for .....You can also serve it diced with a roast if you like . I know as a kid I grew loads , stored them in the garden shed and we had them right through the winter , 2 or 3 a week . Good for a family of 9.
cheers
Russ
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I had a large flower on my squash plant yesterday but it has shrunk and is now closed. There are a few more ready to come out - what should I do? Am I supposed to pollinate them? How do I know if they are male or female flowers or does it matter?
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you need to pollinated them.
Male looks like a long stem with a flower on the end
female looks like a big lump behind the flower .
It best to take the male flower and stick it inside the female flower or you can take a paint brush and tickle the middle of the male flower and then tickle the middle of the female flower.
Linz
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/gourds/msg0611545713356.html might be of uses to you
Linz
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ooh you are rude Linz..!!! ::) ::) ;D
cheers
Russ
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lol, this was the best way to explain the process for me.
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I pickled my surplus courgettes in previous years like sweet cucumber pickle, lovely! I also do a Nigella recipe, a pie with filo pastry, will try to find it on line.
Our peas are just finishing, most of the ones left will be dried for next years seed. :&>
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you need to pollinated them
I think I'm too late they only seem to last less than 24 hours and i don't always notice they are open - I think 2 have flowered and closed already.
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never done that, Linz! Always had a good crop up to now. 2 out of 4 plants have male flowers only, :(
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OK back to the courgettes!! I can't keep up with them - having them every meal time. Unfortunately I now have them the size of marrows as am not picking them all. My question is - are they marrows or just very large courgettes. The largest so far is 17inches and 5inches across. Will be down in the recipe section asking what I can do with them!
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Split in half, scoop out middles, mix with onions, mince, carrots, fill up with mix, put in oven for an hour to roast. Yummy!
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I'm going to try that. My in-laws do similar with rice instead of mince if they are feeling veggie.
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Haven't done it in a long while, but my kids and first husband used to love it!
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Had my first ever self grown tomato the other day! was so sweet it was almost like strawberries! Have some yellow hanging basket ones ripening but the ones in the raised beds (sub-artic plenty, so supposed to be fine outside) have all keeled over and dying. The toms are rotting on the vines without ripening. Any ideas? My mums didi this too. The ones in the green house are romping away tho!
Also Red Duke of York spuds, runner beans, still mange tout and courgettes. Flowers and baby fruit on aubergines, peppers, chillis and cucumbers. These all went in a bit late as had probs with the green house but hoping to at least get a few of each before the weather gets colder. No such prob next year tho!!!
Red cabbages, beetroot, onions, lettuce and sprouts coming along nicely.
Me carrots and sweetcorn have been a no go tho!!! :( Well we live and learn.
:cucumber: :spud: :pepper:
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well done, TW! It's just been bad weather for some things. First time ever I have carrot fly, thousands of cabbage whites managed to escape my specless eyes when I covered them, so broccoli and cabbages have been eaten by others...Next year I'll put my glasses on!
Every year is different, so more luck then with stuff which failed this year, lol. I kept my toms under wee poly tunnels (strapped to the canes), as oputdoors was never worth trying here and they escaped the rot so far. :&>
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The toms are rotting on the vines without ripening
Make green tomato chutney - bound to be a recipe on 'net. (Might have one here if you can't find it - Katy Stewart's book I think) Delish!