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Post by tod2 on Oct 11, 2020 13:05:01 GMT
No signs of rain which allowed time to photograph " The Big Potato Reveal" It is nigh on 4 months when Mr.Tod planted a single chitted potato in each of three buckets. Heres how it went for our first ever harvest. The victims: The chosen two executors and their inquisitive dog:: The result - Yield from three potatoes .
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Post by tod2 on Oct 11, 2020 15:19:44 GMT
Other exciting reveals were the discovery of baby tomatoes just forming on the vine. We have no idea if they will all ripen at once or go on to produce fruit as they grow taller. And now the spinach Cabbages doing well. Peppers Just enough for a meal.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 11, 2020 22:41:11 GMT
Good grief, Tod ~ I have seen seed catalogs that didn't feature such gorgeous produce!
Your little farmer models are pretty gorgeous, too.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 12, 2020 12:03:00 GMT
Looking very good indeed tod!
Cleared my veg plot this morning. All that is left is Swiss Chard which has done well.
In containers I still have a few carrots and spring onions.
Another summer gone...,,
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Post by tod2 on Oct 12, 2020 16:51:10 GMT
Mick, are you telling me absolutely NOTHING grows veg wise in winter? Here the cabbages like cool whether so no more planting from now until March/April. I am talking about those odd unrecognisable things called Greenhouses!! Nobody to my limited knowledge has one in South Africa.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 12, 2020 17:23:44 GMT
No, not saying that, just that my little plot has run it’s course for this year. Parsnips would be fine for winter but I can’t grow them as it’s too stony, can’t grow leeks as the crop was decimated 2 years running by leek moth, nobody likes cabbages. Could have done sprouting broccoli but no space when it should have been ppanted.
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 13, 2020 15:36:52 GMT
And of course there is nothing worse than growing vegetables that you don't personally like (or else you are the only one who likes them and nobody else in the family does).
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Post by tod2 on Oct 14, 2020 12:27:04 GMT
I get it Mick - you are in retirement from the garden until next year! Nobody likes cabbages? I can hear the Germans and the Chinese groaning in agony...
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Post by mossie on Oct 14, 2020 12:52:48 GMT
And I like cabbage in moderation, so there.
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Post by tod2 on Oct 20, 2020 14:26:06 GMT
We have been harvesting lettuces but today I needed salad ingredients to go with my dinner plans so my husband went foraging and came back with our very first bell peppers, first onion, some carrots and and another lettuce. I remember asking MickCactus whether I should try and store the onions like they do in UK, but he advised me to eat it right away. Thats what we will do!
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 20, 2020 14:38:06 GMT
Talk about picture perfect!
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 20, 2020 14:45:57 GMT
I have always loved cabbage, including in sauerkraut form and even as Korean kimchi, of which I have a selection of tins.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 20, 2020 15:19:49 GMT
Those veg are stunning tod!
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 26, 2020 12:31:07 GMT
I'm checking out seeds for next year, particularly carrots as we need far more. I've come across an old French variety called Dreadnought which us supposed to be about 5/6 inches long but 3 to 4 inches across and can weigh up to 1lb! I shall definitely be trying this one!
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 26, 2020 16:55:27 GMT
This could be you!
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 26, 2020 17:21:18 GMT
Who on earth would want enormous carrots unless they were to feed livestock? The bigger they are, the cheaper they are. My Chinese supermarket has two carrot bins and the small ones cost about double the price of the big ones per kilo.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 26, 2020 18:02:50 GMT
I wonder what they taste like? They look awful.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Oct 26, 2020 19:55:11 GMT
I've already got my carrot seed (2 varieties) from D T Browns online. Along with tomato seeds (Ailsa Craig and Moneymaker)...trying a different cucumber (long one this time), kale (that will be fine next winter) etc got free parsnip seeds too, i don't think that they'd be any good in containers tho altho swedes did surprisingly well this year.
Iv ordered seed potatoes but they won't be delivered until next February...I thought that I'd order early because they sold out early this spring because everybody was growing veg during lockdown!
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 26, 2020 20:20:14 GMT
I was looking at D T Brown today. They have a very good choice.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 26, 2020 20:59:01 GMT
I wonder what they taste like? They look awful. There are a bunch of youtube videos about giant vegetables, the competitions, etc. The sizes attained with normal vegetables are incredible, but too freakish to eat. I do wonder about the carrots in the video I posted. If a person started with the seeds you describe & provided perfect, pampered conditions, theoretically the carrots could double in size and still be edible.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 26, 2020 21:27:36 GMT
What potatoes did you get Cheery? I might get Charlotte.
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Post by tod2 on Oct 28, 2020 11:40:37 GMT
This is what happens when you're mostly at home during the day…..You start growing vegetables in the old raised beds you've had for 35 years or more but always left it to the gardener Then when they are looking wonderful you find more space along the fence line. That's full now so you start growing veg in containers….theyre all over the bloody place but that's not enough. So you move onto your son's garden where you have recently built a wall to form a terrace and put in even more vegetables. Thats full now so you move to the edge of the wall next to your own house. Never mind that there is a half finished brick raised bed next to your lemon tree….. Calling Ground Control…Come in please!!
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 28, 2020 12:50:46 GMT
Yes it’s very addictive and there’s something primitive in the desire to produce your own food and feed your family.
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Post by bjd on Oct 28, 2020 15:17:32 GMT
I'd start worrying when you take out the lawn and plant potatoes.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 28, 2020 15:19:17 GMT
That's what I did.
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 28, 2020 15:29:43 GMT
Tod, you must consider becoming vegetarians unless you can move some livestock onto the premises.
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Post by onlyMark on Oct 28, 2020 16:13:49 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 28, 2020 16:45:12 GMT
Tod, you must consider becoming vegetarians unless you can move some livestock onto the premises. You may be joking, but access to really good produce is a way to segue into vegetarianism without even noticing that you're doing so.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 28, 2020 17:07:57 GMT
When we went to Greece 2 years ago in an all inclusive the excellent food was buffet and we found ourselves having more and more vegetarian dishes and less and less meat because they were so good.
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Post by tod2 on Oct 29, 2020 9:46:17 GMT
Kerouac, I would class ourselves as semi-vegetarian as we eat veg with all our meals in one form or another. I could never do without meat as I love the taste of a thick med-rare steak too much!
We are all mostly war babies, which means there was no time to be fussy at the dinner table and refuse to eat what was put in front of us. Boy, can some children of today's world learn a thing or two about being hungry and ready to eat food no matter what is is. It makes me wonder how come most kids hate vegetables. Is it the parents fault for not introducing vegetables with every main meal? Even if you are too lazy to peel a potato or carrot, the stores are full of beautiful frozen choices. Even fresh veg comes all ready to cook. Couldn't be easier.
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