Monthly Archives: February 2016

tomatoes, Uncategorized

Sowing tomatoes 2016

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We’re running a little behind scheduled! Looking back at this point last year, it would appear that I behind where I should be. The chillies are definitely smaller, and I am only getting around to sowing tomatoes. That was the job for today! There are quite a few jiffy pellets sown, more than usual. If they don’t end up on the plot, I am sure that they will go to happy homes. All being well, I will put these into the open ground of the plot, rather than in the poly tunnel. Last year all of the tomato plants were in there, and the subsequent yield was far lower than expected.

IMG_7434

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The range that we have sown today is as follows:

  • Aisla Craig
  • Marmande
  • Tigerella
  • Yellow Stuffer
  • Money maker
  • Black Cherry
  • Latah

I was ably assisted by mum, who requested that we have the staple of red, round tomatoes. She kindly put all the seeds into the jiffy pellets after I had labelled them. You can’t see her on the video, but I assure you that she was standing there waving her hands at me to make the video longer! May be next time!

 

Uncategorized

Chilli Duo: Aji limo and Hungarian Hot Wax

Gallery

Current chillies are only just sending out true leaves; I must be at least 4 weeks behind schedule.

horticultural 'obbit

The Woolly Green Blog mentioned ten vegetables to sow this month. I happen to have sown the chilli pepper that was mentioned.

The Aji limo was from sea spring seeds, whilst the Hungarian Hot Wax is from seed parade.

Can’t remember the exact date these were sown, but it was early January. Of the seeds sown, these are probably the tallest, alongside the cayenne chilli pepper seedlings. I’ve not sown these successfully before, and I’m curious as to how these are going to develop. The Aji limo is a Habanero, with the Hungarian hot wax being allegedly suited to the cooler Blighty climate. The latter is also meant to be quite mild in comparison to the Aji Limo.  Both look very pretty as plants, looking at the information that is available about them.

They will all require potting up, in fact some of the cayennes are leaning a…

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Uncategorized

leggy but still lovely tomatoes

Gallery

Throw back to this time last year; appears tomato sowing is definitely a bit behind schedule

horticultural 'obbit

Just like the chillies, the tomato babies are growing slowly but surely. The first batch are somewhat leggy, and would most likely benefit from being potted up. This is a plan in the coming week at least. Shall be keeping an eye on them,and rotating as some have started to bend with the solar phillic tendency. Some of varieties have started to send out proper leaves, whereas others are somewhat delayed, I would rather that they did take their time at this stage, I don’t want them grow too quickly and then keel over should we have a cold snap. They are largely kept warm, but not too warm so as to be in heat all the time.

We have:

  • marmade
  • yellow stuffer
  • true blackbrandywine
  • cream sausage
  • money maker
  • cherokee purple.

Haven’t got around to sowing any additional varieties, and I’m not sure that I want to sow any more…

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chillies, Experimental Chillies and be;;s, Uncategorized

Chillies 2016: Phase two potting up

As well as cooking, the second batch of chillies have been potted up having waited for a good week or so.

Prairie Fire
Potted up chillies

 

These are still very delicate looking, and all being well will start to bulk up in the coming weeks.

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Will be keep an eye on these, there is no plans to sow any more. There are over twenty small pots now sat on the window sill; so that will mean a rather busy poly tunnel if all of the plants stay in there.

Horticultural Obbit Channel, Mama H recipes, Squashes, Uncategorized

Cooking Honey Bear squash: Indian Style!

Today, after much deliberation; Mum announced ‘Punam, I have sacrificed your pumpkin!”

The pumpkin in question was actually a squash, and it is called a honey bear squash. Having been sacrificed, we then had to cook the thing. So we did.

This is the link for the first part, a quick dash through the recipe.

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It actually didn’t take too long to tenderise the squash and mum even added some frozen home grown fenugreek.

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There is an alternative link here for when it had cooked through.

 

 

ebook, paperback, petal'spottedpreserve, writing

#Plantpottales: The Global Gardening paperback!

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It would be amazing to get support other gardeners as we approach the new growing season here in the Northern Hemisphere. My own experiences have been documented both here on the blog and in the book.

‘Playing with Plant Pots: Tales from the allotment’ charts all of my discoveries, the positives and the pitfalls of growing my own fruit and vegetables on the allotment.

You can find the book in both paper back and in ebook forms. The links to the UK amazon and kindle sites are on the right hand side of the blog.

A reminder though, of where you might find the book:

 

The link for Barnes & Noble can be accessed here

Another thing that is really important to me, is supporting independent book stores Sadly, there isn’t one here in Birmingham, England! Or at least not one I can find anyway. I am determined to find one. That said, I am working with Serendipity Books and More in the US. At the moment, they are the only store in the USA that physically stocks and sells copies of the book plus some of the Petal’s Potted Preserve Merchandise.

So if you are in the US, would like to support not one by two small independent business and are trying to develop green fingers, why not check out the store without walls as developed by Serendipity Books and More.

 

serenditpy

Serendipity books and more: Plant Pot tales

Soft fruit, Taking stock, Uncategorized

Plot reccy: Valentine’s Week 2016

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Had to wander down to the plot today to see what was still standing or not given the stormy weather that we have been experiencing. I also had some raspberry canes to plant.

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daffodil!
masses of strawberries
There is garlic beneath there somewhere
a bit bleak, yes…

The clay is very heavy and sticky, making any meaningful work really very difficult. I had a quick check of the trees that were recently planted. Some of these have started to send out buds, which is quite promising. There was even some buds on the one remaining raspberry cane. This was heartening as the raspberries were today being replaced with another cohort.

Sprawling across two beds are masses and masses of strawberry runners. I am not sure of the exact variety, but they really have tried to make a break for it and escape their bed. The heritage garlic is a little under water and this is always my worry when planting it into open grown. However, I am told that it is fairly robust, so hopefully it will be okay.

chillies, Experimental Chillies and be;;s, Uncategorized

Potting up 2016 chillies: Phase one

Potted up chillies
emergent phase two chilli babies

Upon the window sill the chillies were getting a bit leggy. To stop them keeling over I have potted them up into small pots. I have done this using normal multipurpose compost. It is still a little cold and these are somewhat pampered chillies.

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You can find the you tube links to the videos here and here

The seedlings that we have at the moment are:

  • Devil’s rib
  • Jalapeño
  • Hungarian Hot Wax
  • Orange scotch bonnet and habanero

I have potted thee seedlings right up their pair of seed leaves. Hopefully this will act to anchor them in position. There are still some seeds that are waiting to crack in the heated propagater and three more babies have been retrieved to be potted up at a later point.