Interesting video @Skylarks - thanks for posting. I was wondering about making an electric fence... hmmm food for thought. I watched GW last night, and Arit showed that copper works against slugs too. Fingers crossed we'll have a better harvest next year!
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I have picked a couple of strawberries when they start to smell sweet on the plant and before the birds nick them, but when I put them in the fridge for storage they start to shrivel? One was horrid and sour, and the other was ok but partially rotten. Are we supposed to pick and eat immediately? Would picking and putting into a bowl of water for storage help? I never usually buy strawbs to eat so I thought growing them would encourage me to eat some fruit cos apparently they are supposed to be the best thing ever, according to monty... (and probably a lot of other gardeners who appear to be doing something better than I am)
@gondor strawberries just like tomatoes seem to be doing better just sitting on a table away from sun. Fridge dehydrates them fast. But if you have to keep them in a fridge after all, airtight glass container with paper towel on a bottom would help! I just keep mine in a bowl covered with another bowl by coffee maker also, same as tomatoes they keep ripening in warm room, too so maybe a bit before they smell is good time to pick. And definitely keep the “hats” on (I don’t know the actual name for it haha… the green leafy bit on top) till you eat them.
And don’t wash up until you actually plan to eat them! This seems to make them keep better. I think they start bleeding juice right after good wash.
(now that I read all this that’s actually a lot of steps haha… but I guess it can be shortened to “pick earlier and keep them unwashed until you actually eat them” )
I often pick them before they're ripe to prevent the slugs having them. Just put them on a sunny window sill. They'll ripen quickly there. I picked one two days ago. It's nice and red now. No need for any fancy attention
Meant to say - looking much better now @Pete.8. They'll appreciate that extra light and air. A layer of compost added to the soil would also benefit them as the soil might be a bit depleted.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Good idea @Fairygirl I was admiring my home made compost the other day. It looks wonderful, but I suspect it's full of weed seeds. I'll give them a mulch later and look forward to a mass of weeds in a couple of weeks 😁
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I know, but it's taken a lot of time and effort to make, and I've got almost 1 cubic metre! so I've got to use it. It looks great, just full of weed seeds. Hopefully I'll be able to get rid of the weeds before the strawbs get going - then I compost the weeds and the cycle re-starts
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
The weeds are difficult to erase completely aren't they? They're just competition for the plants you want as well. I never put any in my compost bin that are real offenders. I pulled out a couple of small willowherbs that had come in from outside the other day, and left them on the back steps to put in the council bin. The flowers are still trying to open. God loves a trier
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
I watched GW last night, and Arit showed that copper works against slugs too.
Fingers crossed we'll have a better harvest next year!
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
There were a few at the back that weren't as big, so I've left them.
I'll pot up some runners after lunch
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I just keep mine in a bowl covered with another bowl by coffee maker
also, same as tomatoes they keep ripening in warm room, too so maybe a bit before they smell is good time to pick. And definitely keep the “hats” on (I don’t know the actual name for it haha… the green leafy bit on top) till you eat them.
(now that I read all this that’s actually a lot of steps haha… but I guess it can be shortened to “pick earlier and keep them unwashed until you actually eat them”
I picked one two days ago. It's nice and red now. No need for any fancy attention
Meant to say - looking much better now @Pete.8. They'll appreciate that extra light and air. A layer of compost added to the soil would also benefit them as the soil might be a bit depleted.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It looks wonderful, but I suspect it's full of weed seeds.
I'll give them a mulch later and look forward to a mass of weeds in a couple of weeks 😁
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Maybe some bought in stuff would be better!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It looks great, just full of weed seeds. Hopefully I'll be able to get rid of the weeds before the strawbs get going - then I compost the weeds and the cycle re-starts
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
They're just competition for the plants you want as well. I never put any in my compost bin that are real offenders. I pulled out a couple of small willowherbs that had come in from outside the other day, and left them on the back steps to put in the council bin. The flowers are still trying to open. God loves a trier
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...