Getting them in the right spot is the most important I think. A sunny, sheltered spot is good with fertile soil and water well for the first year if it's dry. Then the other helpful bit I found was learning when to harvest your own variety and when it is ripe. Generally they are harvested before they are ripe and then depending on the variety, either ripe when soft or over ripe when soft! Mine are the latter, so it's a bit of an art to know when to eat them - I generally rely on instinct/guesswork - which sometime works!! Hope they do well for you :-)
Squash, they just didn't grow. I put them in the ground and they sulked for weeks, a few leaves and no flowers.
Brussels, grew but slugs ate the sprouts.
Fruit trees were also disappointing although this was only their 2nd yr and I think I over pruned them. Two produced apples but only enough for a couple of pies.
Mini pop did well. Every seed germinated, 40 plants 6 ft high each with 3 to 4 cobs. Currants, strawberries, rubarb, pea's and beans all produced gluts.
Sounds like you had some really good crops. I guess fruit trees probably won't start producing fully for another couple of years. My brussels are growing at the moment - hope the slugs stay away!!
Have you tried crispy kale, cooked in the oven for a few minutes, it's a healthier alternative to crisps, nice seasoned with either sea salt or paprika. Children love them...
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Knee Deep - good luck next year with the pears - they can be a tricky crop to grow. Hope you enjoy the blog :-)
Last edited: 01 November 2016 18:58:09
Dogwooddays , pears hope they aren't to tricky , planted 2 on allotment, any tips ?
Getting them in the right spot is the most important I think. A sunny, sheltered spot is good with fertile soil and water well for the first year if it's dry. Then the other helpful bit I found was learning when to harvest your own variety and when it is ripe. Generally they are harvested before they are ripe and then depending on the variety, either ripe when soft or over ripe when soft! Mine are the latter, so it's a bit of an art to know when to eat them - I generally rely on instinct/guesswork - which sometime works!! Hope they do well for you :-)
My worst three...
Squash, they just didn't grow. I put them in the ground and they sulked for weeks, a few leaves and no flowers.
Brussels, grew but slugs ate the sprouts.
Fruit trees were also disappointing although this was only their 2nd yr and I think I over pruned them. Two produced apples but only enough for a couple of pies.
Mini pop did well. Every seed germinated, 40 plants 6 ft high each with 3 to 4 cobs. Currants, strawberries, rubarb, pea's and beans all produced gluts.
Sounds like you had some really good crops. I guess fruit trees probably won't start producing fully for another couple of years. My brussels are growing at the moment - hope the slugs stay away!!
I've still kale and chard to pick over winter. Leek's and broccoli haven't grown sufficiently to pick now,but may put on some growth in the spring.
Hope so - my kale has just put on a growth spurt, so we'll be eating lots of kale for tea
Have you tried crispy kale, cooked in the oven for a few minutes, it's a healthier alternative to crisps, nice seasoned with either sea salt or paprika. Children love them...
I've heard the same, but edible seaweed looks different although the taste and texture's the same when dried in the oven.
An uncle used to harvest it from Morecambe Bay, I'm given to understand this particular seaweed could only be picked at certain times of the year.
A great idea Zoomer44 - thanks. I'll try it tonight