Over the years I’ve been growing tomatoes, I have learned more and more about them and have a better understanding about how they behave so I thought I would write what I know about the three different growth habits of tomatoes and how to grow them. There are three different types of tomato plants: Determinate;…… Continue reading Tomatoes: Determinate, Indeterminate, Semi-Determinate, Cordon or Bush: Pruning & Harvesting
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Should you grow Multiple Stems on Indeterminate Tomatoes?
There are essentially three different types of tomatoes, Indeterminate, Semi-Determinate and Determinate. They are defined by their growth habits. In this article we are going to consider growing Indeterminate tomatoes on a non-commercial scale. Indeterminate tomatoes are usually grown in the UK as cordons. A single stem is trained vertically upwards, either up a cane or…… Continue reading Should you grow Multiple Stems on Indeterminate Tomatoes?
Creating a Headless Raspberry Pi System from an Apple Mac
I’ve a few Raspberry Pis which I run Headless (without their own screen and keyboard) from my Apple Mac using a combination of Finder, VNC and SSH to run the applications. I recently decided to upgrade one of them (a Pi3) to Stretch to see if it was any better (and to play with the…… Continue reading Creating a Headless Raspberry Pi System from an Apple Mac
Recipe: Hungarian Goulash
This recipe is an old one that we’ve been cooking for 30 years or more and the recipe book is falling apart. Like many recipes, we use it for guidance, rather than following it slavishly (like rules, recipes are meant for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men). The recipe says stewing…… Continue reading Recipe: Hungarian Goulash
Recipe: Pork Vindaloo
This recipe is an old one that we’ve been cooking for 30 years or more and the recipe book is falling apart. Like many recipes, we use it for guidance, rather than following it slavishly (like rules, recipes are meant for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men). The Turmeric and Tomato…… Continue reading Recipe: Pork Vindaloo
Recipe: Gluten Free Pork Pie
Having decided to be wheat free, pastry is one of the things I find most difficult to be without. Worst of all, I love pork pies and a gluten / wheat free pork pie is one thing I haven’t found anywhere. So, we decided to make one using a combination of a number of recipes.…… Continue reading Recipe: Gluten Free Pork Pie
Recipe: Aubergine Rogan Josh
A simple to make supper which tastes (a lot) better than it looks. Its good to eat when aubergines are cheap and fresh in the supermarkets (we can’t grow large enough aubergines) and uses frozen chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Ingredients in italics we’ve grown ourselves (maybe from the freezer). Ingredients (for two) 2 Aubergines cut into…… Continue reading Recipe: Aubergine Rogan Josh
What Tomatoes to Grow in 2018?
I’m a member of an internet tomato seed swap. The simple idea is that a number of you collect your own seed, bag them up and send them to somebody who (very kindly) gathers them al up and sends them back out to all the members. Thus, for a bit of effort, you get a…… Continue reading What Tomatoes to Grow in 2018?
Recipe: Butternut Squash & Potato Corn Chowder
This is a simple to make rich soup, reheats in the microwave well and freezes. Ingredients in italics we’ve grown ourselves (maybe from the freezer). Ingredients Butter & Oil 3 Onions finely chopped 750g Potatoes cut onto small chunks 750g Butternut Squash 600g Sweetcorn blitzed to make creamed corn 600ml Chicken Stock Options: Worcestershire sauce to taste Creme Fraiche Method…… Continue reading Recipe: Butternut Squash & Potato Corn Chowder
Can a Waterbutt of water affect the temperature in a Polytunnel?
I’ve seen a number of discussions as to whether putting a waterbutt filled with water in the polytunnel would help to avoid frosts and (possibly) encourage earlier growth by raising the average temperature in the polytunnel. Whilst there was a general opinion that it would help, I had a feeling that any improvement would be…… Continue reading Can a Waterbutt of water affect the temperature in a Polytunnel?