Whilst my runner beans are over and plants put in the compost heap about 3 weeks ago I picked off the last few ripe tomato's, leaving about 40 just turning to ripen on the plant or could bring in doors, and about 40 +green that about now I would add apple to and turn into chutney. TOOK OFF ALL THE LEAVES REMOVED THE NON BEARING SIDE SHOOTS and last week removed another large handful of shoots and about a dozen half ripe toms, today, a week later I have flowers new shoots and at least a dozen pea sized toms on the trusses that I had been removing toms from ! IF only I had a green house …. 3 plants at least seem to found a new lease of life from ground up, with flowers and a total of 7 trusses! MAYBE I WILL TRANSPORT THEM INTO MY OFFICE as the XYL will not allow them in the conservatory. Variety /s are SHIRLY, ( MOST OF THEM ) GARDENERS DELIGHT, and possibly RED ALERT
Same here still taking Toms of the plants,crazy weather and cucumbers this year I had to throw approx 30 away and they were fantastic this year.
Completely the same for me, loads of red and green toms left, making relish and chutney same as jgf2, loads of runner beans frozen for the winter, also had a load of luck with chilli's and red & green peppers, good job it's the wife that's the gardener, I just do the humping and a purely servile role.
we had a couple of red hot peppers given us … one not so bountiful as the smaller ones was about 3" long and as thin as a pencil the other was about the size of a finger nail quite a few on the plant and hot! I actually said my friend had given them to my xyl ...lol ...she then had to keep them in the conservatory, with reluctance! of course they do not like a lot of water, and her neglect with my occasional cup ful of water ensured they did quite well ……………. we must have about 7 or 8 kilos of runner beans frozen down, 3 of gooseberries and 1 of blackcurrants, beetroot were "c***" about 2 kilos of mostly <2" diameter or a bit less, 1 beet of about 12oz and a dozen or so of about 3" carrots total failure 50 about the size of the top of the small finger, but non the less very tasty as "snacks" [raw] apples this year about 200 lovely eaters and tree is less than 3m high! keep them on the blue mushroom trays in the dark …….
For some quite inexplicable reason I woke up to morning fog today and to be honest I never knew that fog smells like skunk. Perhaps it's just me.
I'm still picking ripe Tomatoes from the greenhouse and also Chillies In the patio tubs I still have Dahlias, Marigolds, Lobelia and Busy Lizzies in full bloom and more buds coming.. My Apples were a total disaster this year. I got under 10 when we usually get 150 plus. Plums (oooer !) were also a very poor crop. Neither tree had any blossoms so I guess that's why? It's not unusual to still be picking Toms from the greenhouse at this time of year, but I've never known Bedding Plants carry on so late.
The Met Office are also predicting a very long hard Winter, and those of us who believe old wives tales might point out that Holly trees are already full of berries which is supposed to back this up by providing extra food for birds. But then again, these are the people that can't forecast the weather correctly in Bristol (or anywhere) for the next hour, so I have little faith in their forecast !
Strangely enough angelic I haven't detected the exotic odour of real skunk since we left the prairies many years ago. Perhaps the residue was from my last night's activity in the garage and if you remember I have been smoking the stuff for over 25 years, which I have been told isn't a requirement for being a Bristol City supporter, but it sure helps. Have a nice day one and all.