September is with us again and the warm/damp weather we’ve been having is encouraging disease in the greenhouses. Last year it was Bacterial Canker this year I seem to be having Botrytis (also known as Grey Mould). Its something I get every year but this year it seems even worse than usual. Its caused by…… Continue reading Tomato Problems – Botrytis
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Harvest – Beginning of September 2021
So, two weeks ago when I made my last harvest post we had harvested 4kg of tomatoes. What a difference a fortnight makes. We’ve now picked 20kg of tomatoes, had a significant number of bowls of tomato soup, made tomato sauce and chopped up tomatoes for the freezer and given a reasonable quantity away. Looking…… Continue reading Harvest – Beginning of September 2021
Tomato – Beams Yellow Pear
Yellow – Pear shaped Cherry tomato on Indeterminate Plants From the 2019 Seed Swap, grown in 2021. A Yellow, pear shaped large cherry tomato, not much like anything we’ve grown before. Its a bit large to use as a salad tomato but its a good flavour and, being a slightly unusual shape, is fun to…… Continue reading Tomato – Beams Yellow Pear
Recipe – Tasty Cucumber Pickle
For the first time in many years we have a glut of cucumbers. This isn’t because we have particularly more than usual (although the plants are doing well) but because my better half is unable to eat salads at the moment and I can’t get through the cucumbers. So we had to look for something…… Continue reading Recipe – Tasty Cucumber Pickle
Harvest – Mid August 2021
The year progresses and (at last) we’re getting tomatoes with the total (as of today) at just about 4kg. What’s interesting is how it varies from year to year. 2020 and 2018 by now had around 15kg but 2019 was only 1.5kg (that’s all I’ve got weekly totals for). In a week or so, I’ll…… Continue reading Harvest – Mid August 2021
Perhaps Tomatoes? – August 2021
With any luck we’re just beginning to see the start of the season with a small quantity (350g) just beginning to ripen. The season is well behind last year (by now we’d picked around 8kg) but not far off what we picked by this time in 2019 so the season is obviously not with us.…… Continue reading Perhaps Tomatoes? – August 2021
Recipe – Courgette Pakoras
Throughout August if your courgettes are doing well, you’ll be actively looking for recipes to use them up. This is a simple lunchtime snack which uses a few easily. FryingFlippedout of the ovenCourgette & Onion Pakoras Ingredients 125g Gram Flour1/4 tsp Chilli Powder3/4 tsp curry powder1/4 tsp garlic powder1/4 tsp ground ginger1/4 tsp ground corriander1/4…… Continue reading Recipe – Courgette Pakoras
Recipe: Basil Pesto
Basil is one of those herbs which I grow more in hope than expectation. Sometimes it does well, others it’s not worth the space. 2021 is proving to be a good year with plenty of tasty plants. That introduces the problem of what to do with excess. Mixing it with salad leaves is good but…… Continue reading Recipe: Basil Pesto
At Last! – Tomatoes starting to Ripen & other things
Minibel (outside)Sandpoint (in greenhouse)Oleron YellowFirst harvest!!First Fruit showing colour About two weeks later than normal, our tomatoes are beginning to show signs of ripening. Although we normally get a few tomatoes starting around 11th July, this year they seem late. I think its a combination of not growing the cultivars that are reliably early (Bloody…… Continue reading At Last! – Tomatoes starting to Ripen & other things
Watering Tomatoes – How to get it Right
Correctly watering your tomatoes through their life can make a big difference to the overall crop. One thing to remember is the old adage “more plants are killed by overwatering than underwatering”. So, what is “overwatering” and how do you prevent yourself doing it? Watering Seeds & Seedlings If we start at the beginning, tomatoes…… Continue reading Watering Tomatoes – How to get it Right