Itchy Fingers Continued

Can't stand it any longer, it's that Rich's fault plus a bit of a milder day with no rain!

I've sown some "Shirley" and "Brandywine" tomatoes, as well as "Jumbo" sweet peppers. Please bear in mind that I have the facilities to put these into a heated greenhouse when the time comes. Currently they are resident in my bedroom in propagators. (Plastic bags).

One confession - I forgot which were which after I sowed them, I dare say that at some stage of development, it'll be obvious - even if it's not until they fruit!

I've 5 more varieties of tomato to sow, but they will be staggered later on with a view to some going into the unheated greenhouse and some outside.

Update on the caulis - 19 of the 20 "Clapton" have germinated and 16 of the 20 "Nautilus" so far. If I get no more I'll be reasonably happy with 35 out of 40.

.......... and the first leek!

Impressed??????

Itchy Fingers Update

Well, things have actually popped up. Here's the Clapton Caulis.....

Blimey!

Went down to the plot to do some harvesting. Still far too wet to dig. Now half way down the row of parsnips and I've been quite pleased with what's gone before, but came across this 'little' one.

4lbs 5 ozs, 16" long, 17" circumference. (That's the parsnip, not the daughter).

Won't win shows, but it'll look good on the dinner plates. (That's the parsnip, not the daughter)!

Beetroot - Gone!

Took them down - turned my back and they'd gone. £12.10 left in their place. From a few pickles & jams, that's over £66 to the renovation fund since November.

There were a few disappointed customers, so I've got to raid the plot again, but I think scuba gear may be necessary! I think that's about 30 jars of pickled beetroot sold so far - someone must like the stuff!

Beetroot!

More precisely, beetroot pickle. I can't stand beetroot, but a lot of people I know do.

So, being the generous, warm hearted, person I am, (did I mention modest), I only grow it for others. Towards the end of last year as I'd got about 3 x 32' rows of stuff I don't like, I thought I'd try to get rid of some as pickle, using the people at church coffee morning as guinea pigs.

I chose a complicated recipe - boil it, cool it, skin it, slice it, throw picking vinegar on it. End result was somebody bought it!

Even more amazing was the follow up request for more, so I did a raid on the soggy plot, pulled up a carrier bag of the stuff and here's the result. I hope to dispose of it safely tomorrow.

The Experiment (3)

Was asked on the forums this morning how the carrots were going, so here's an excuse to put a photo in the boring text.

Slow at the moment is the answer, but at least they look healthy and are surviving! Here's to the warmer weather.

My pre-ordered seed spuds are ready for collection, so hopefully in the couple of days we'll collect all 288 of them!

Itchy Fingers (2)!

Thought I'd try a few leeks earlier than I normally do. Mine go in about March usually, using the world renowned cat litter trays. (Well they're renowned on http://www.allotment.org.uk anyway!).

Someone not errr unconnected with that site was kind enough to send me some seeds, one of which was a packet of Carlton F1 Leeks. There's not too many in the packet, (44 as it turned out to be), which is ideal, so I've popped them in a small seed tray.

As it's still quite cold, I've go against my usual principles of germinating this type of seed indoors and I'll pop them in one of our cooler rooms until they show themselves, then it's the greenhouse for them!

Next time I make an entry I'll try & put a photo up, otherwise this is going to get a bit dull with just text, but as last time, I don't see the point of a picture of a seed tray with nothing in it.

So you'll have to bear with me, as I'm hopefully keeping this up as a diary for my own benefit, something I've never managed to do before!

Early Sowings

Itchy fingers time!

Trying an early start with some cauliflower in an attempt to get a head start before the club root.

Sowed 20 of each "Nautilus F1" and "Clapton F1", the latter supposedly being club root resistant. Whilst at it came across the tail end of a packet of "Greyhound" cabbage, so in they went as well.

Also discovered in the tin the other day a couple of packets of "Hi Keeper F1" winter onions that I'd totally forgotten about. It says they're OK for spring sowing - so nothing ventured & all that..... in they went as well.

Couldn't get any "Ambo" spuds from my local source this year, (my most successful spuds last year), so I've been rummaging through the sack to find some small ones to use as my own seed to make a row.

As I didn't get many small ones, I've had to sacrifice some of the medium sized spuds, but hopefully it'll be worth it.

No photo this time, seed trays with just compost in and dormant seed spuds are not very photogenic!