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Calling SMB veg growers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 5265
  • Start date Start date

Stubbs ftm said:
Will need to make space in my raised beds, ah well very much trial and error with them
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Everything is trial and error in the garden imo mate.
You ask 3 people the same question about a plant, you will probably get 3 different answers. And the funniest thing is, they will actually all probably be right from their experience.😅
What works for one of us, might not work for someone else.
That's what makes it great when what you do, actually works.

The ultimate trial and error marra.

Great fun.
😁
 
Georgewhitt said:
Everything is trial and error in the garden imo mate.
You ask 3 people the same question about a plant, you will probably get 3 different answers. And the funniest thing is, they will actually all probably be right from their experience.😅
What works for one of us, might not work for someone else.
That's what makes it great when what you do, actually works.

The ultimate trial and error marra.

Great fun.
😁
Click to expand...
3 survived the transfer to raised beds out of the 5 I had. One of them keeled over and snapped as I was trying to lift it out. Didn't realise the buggers were a bit spikey either
 
Started to harvest most stuff.

Loads of tomatoes and snap peas. So many I have loads away.
Lots of jalapeños, plant is still thriving so it’s staying to course.
Herbs are doing great, but will need to come inside soon.
Weed is coming along nicely, the smell is worse than I imagined. I cannot bring it inside so I’m hoping the heat lasts a few more weeks yet
 
Does anyone know when the best time to pick cooking apples is?

I always had in my mind blackberry week but they are starting to fall now.

Not sure on the variety, I didn't plant the tree.
 
Wild Card said:
Does anyone know when the best time to pick cooking apples is?

I always had in my mind blackberry week but they are starting to fall now.

Not sure on the variety, I didn't plant the tree.
Click to expand...
If they are falling, they are ready marra.
Bramleys are normally October, but there are lots of cooking varieties, and it has been a strange year weather wise.
I'm a bit ahead of you, being in Devon, and had our first Apple and Blackberry Crumble last weekend. Just been chomping blackberries about 20 mins ago when I took the dog up to the woods for his walk.😁
 
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Wild Card said:
Does anyone know when the best time to pick cooking apples is?

I always had in my mind blackberry week but they are starting to fall now.

Not sure on the variety, I didn't plant the tree.
Click to expand...
My apple crop is rubbish this year, hardly any at all. Last year was a bumper harvest, ended up giving loads away. The local food bank took a few bags full.
 
tonyfromalnwick said:
My apple crop is rubbish this year, hardly any at all. Last year was a bumper harvest, ended up giving loads away. The local food bank took a few bags full.
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Never thought of a local food bank.

I had loads last year as well. This year is ok. Didn't have many initially with the dry weather, then once the rain came it seemed to produce quite a few.
Georgewhitt said:
If they are falling, they are ready marra.
Bramleys are normally October, but there are lots of cooking varieties, and it has been a strange year weather wise.
I'm a bit ahead of you, being in Devon, and had our first Apple and Blackberry Crumble last weekend. Just been chomping blackberries about 20 mins ago when I took the dog up to the woods for his walk.😁
Click to expand...

Sounds lovely that.

I have taken it out of my garden because I didnt like all the runners but the previous owner must have planted marrion(sp) berries. They were lovely. Like a giant uber sweet blackberry. Miss the fruits now, you never seem to see them anywhere. Cant understand why.
 
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Wild Card said:
Never thought of a local food bank.

I had loads last year as well. This year is ok. Didn't have many initially with the dry weather, then once the rain came it seemed to produce quite a few.


Sounds lovely that.

I have taken it out of my garden because I didnt like all the runners but the previous owner must have planted marrion(sp) berries. They were lovely. Like a giant uber sweet blackberry. Miss the fruits now, you never seem to see them anywhere. Cant understand why.
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Seen them in a little greengrocers last year. Never tried one though.

I take blackberries out of my garden as soon as the bassas show themselves. Horrible invasive bloody plants. But I'm out in the sticks, so they are wild in all the hedgerows. Just walked over the lane last weekend and filled 2 hoofing great tupperware things. Mrs cooked them with apple, and now frozen for pies and crumbles right through the winter.
Proper job.
 
I've had some good carrots this year. I've had years of crap carrots, give it another go and these are really good.

By contrast, my sweetcorn which was fantastic last year, is a bit pathetic this year. Good crop of salad potatoes and I should think about bringing in my main crop. Usually the greenary is dying back on potatoes by now, but it is still looking good. Tomatoes just starting to ripen and had a couple of bowls of them. Been eating cucumbers and salad stuff for a while, and had my first (possibly only) aubergine last night.
 
Wild Card said:
Does anyone know when the best time to pick cooking apples is?

I always had in my mind blackberry week but they are starting to fall now.

Not sure on the variety, I didn't plant the tree.
Click to expand...
Pick the fallen ones up quickly as when they rot they’ll attract wasps. Wasps plus fermenting apples equals pissed up angry wasp.
DaveH said:
I've had some good carrots this year. I've had years of crap carrots, give it another go and these are really good.

By contrast, my sweetcorn which was fantastic last year, is a bit pathetic this year. Good crop of salad potatoes and I should think about bringing in my main crop. Usually the greenary is dying back on potatoes by now, but it is still looking good. Tomatoes just starting to ripen and had a couple of bowls of them. Been eating cucumbers and salad stuff for a while, and had my first (possibly only) aubergine last night.
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It’s been a belting year for root crops here. Beetroot galore. Planted double what I’d done last year as they were all very small, but now I have buckets of cricket ball sized beets.
 
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MackemBob said:
Pick the fallen ones up quickly as when they rot they’ll attract wasps. Wasps plus fermenting apples equals pissed up angry wasp.

It’s been a belting year for root crops here. Beetroot galore. Planted double what I’d done last year as they were all very small, but now I have buckets of cricket ball sized beets.
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I didn't do beetroot this year. My friend showed me his crop a few days ago and it was impressive. I'm the only one who eats it. My dad loves it so I used to give him a couple.

That reminds me, beetroot was the source of one of my best ever ways of annoying my wife. I had done the last harvest after it died back, boiled it up and was peeling loads for pickling. After a while it looked like I had slaughtered something on the kitchen bench. I wrapped a bit of peeled skin around my finger with the red juicy bit on the outside covered the bottom of it in kitchen roll, which quickly went red, and went into the living room looking worried holding my finger. I then showed her, and said in a soft shaky voice, "I was using the really sharp knife and look", peeling back the beetroot skin, "I got some of the skin stuck to my finger".

She first of all looked like she was going to pass out, then I think it is the only time in the 25 years we have been together that she has ever slapped me really hard and was the first time she swore (and really swore) in front of the kids. Ah, happy days
 
Indoor crops(GH) done really well. Cues, Toms, Chilli,Aubergine, all good.
Outdoor, corn done well, Courgettes, Salad Leaves all ok but had better. Leeks look alright, if a bit small. Still time though. Onions crap. May get to use them whole in casseroles and the like, but really small. Beet started brilliantly but stalled, and really not good tbh. Putting it down to the weather, but any advice more than welcome. Stiill eating garlic I harvested in spring, so I will definitely do that again this winter.

Pretty mixed bag really. Onions and beet the main disappointment.
 
safcforever said:
Started to harvest most stuff.

Loads of tomatoes and snap peas. So many I have loads away.
Lots of jalapeños, plant is still thriving so it’s staying to course.
Herbs are doing great, but will need to come inside soon.
Weed is coming along nicely, the smell is worse than I imagined. I cannot bring it inside so I’m hoping the heat lasts a few more weeks yet
Click to expand...
What height are your weed plants?Two of my friends in Toronto are growing auto’s on their balconies alongside their tomato plants.
 
Georgewhitt said:
If they are falling, they are ready marra.
Bramleys are normally October, but there are lots of cooking varieties, and it has been a strange year weather wise.
I'm a bit ahead of you, being in Devon, and had our first Apple and Blackberry Crumble last weekend. Just been chomping blackberries about 20 mins ago when I took the dog up to the woods for his walk.😁
Click to expand...
Blackberries are out up here if you know where, just bought the ingredients to make a blackberry red wine vinegar salad dressing
 
Runner beans have been brilliant, but french beans have been rubbish. Cucumbers have been good but nearly finished now and have been picking tomatoes for over a month. Salad potatoes were good, and never grow mains because of blight. Biggest disappointment has been the onions, usually get them the same size as grapefruits but this year more like tennis balls. Mind i have noticed that the onions in the shops have all been a bit pathetic this year.
 
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