Category Archives: chillies

chillies, success, The Big Sunflower Project 2013

Triffid Tomatoes and Sunflowers

Another lovely day, so off to the plot I went. Managed to do a bit of newspapering and black plastic-ing, before the newspaper ran out.  Dandelion leaves were also chopped down. I realise that it is better to dig them out, or attack with weedkiller. This may well happen, in the not so distant future.  Further to the previous crop, in the efforts to tidy up; a few more bulbs of garlic were forked out.

There was also some trussing up of tomatoes to be done:

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Who would have thought, that after the tomato tantrums of earlier this year; they would actually take off. The one variety that I am aware of is Ukrainian Purple that was kindly given to me. There are quite a few flowers forming, indicating that some form of crop will occur. I can confess that I haven’t taken off any side shoots. Which is why, the raised beds resemble something of a jungle. There is a mixture, therefore, of bush and vine tomatoes.  Nestled around the edges, are smaller let spread out varieties.

Something else that has somewhat taken flight, are the sunflowers.

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I must confess, that I couldn’t tell you whether they are little ones or big ones. Yet, these seem pretty huge to me! I had been expecting them to be about ankle height. These are now very hobbit sized, and at a various positions on the plot and enjoying the sunshine.

Jack be little is one of the many squashes dotted around. Below is a image of a flower thrown up  by Jack. I will be keeping a close eye on the other squashes such as sweet dumpling, patty pan and yellow scallop. Whilst they have started to form huge great big habits, there are not many flowers of either female or male persuasion.

. jack_flower  Jack has sent out a singular vine, attached to which is one very small jack be little pumpkin. All very newly formed in the last few days. Jack’s colleague Hooligan, resides on the other side of the plot, and is very diminutive in comparison. Much smaller sprawl and much smaller leaves. A reflection perhaps of early child trauma as it did have to be moved when first planted out. The one squash that still resides in open ground is the cobnut, and this is only just starting to get bigger.

Ghost rider

bruno_babies_2013 These are very, very tiny, and were easily missed. Previously, we have seen up to five babies form. All bar one being taken off. It will be interesting to see how these develop over the coming months. The leaves are certainly getting bigger and the vine is starting to sprawl out over the side of the raised bed.

Purple Rainbow Chilli

PRC

A few of the berries are starting to expand. I’m not quite sure as to how big they actually get, or how potent they might be. In the wendy house, the chillies and bells continue to be fed and watered. It is sad that to say that some of them have been a bit scorched by the sun. The Purple Beauty in particular. However, there are a few walnut sized sweet peppers being formed, and a singular, solitary thin chilli that may well be a cayenne or a long thai.

Yours in anticipation,

 

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, Squashes, success, Taking stock, The Big Sunflower Project 2013

Summer Sortee of the Sukh Shanti garden

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That’s Peace and Happiness, before you have to go translate it…

 

 

To the untrained eye, this looks a mess. However, if you were to ask me nicely; I could tell you what most things are and where. The gallery above, is a walking tour if you like of the half plot. I will try and get some specific bed pictures up. I appreciate that it looks like a great big green mess in the gallery. Today is the first day of the Summer holidays for me, so an opportunity to see what I need to do. It goes without saying, that weeds are a problem. This time last year, we had a deluge; and the weeds were well up to ankle height. As well as that, I didn’t have so filled raised beds. They are there now, and they contain crops.

Two more raised beds have, thanks to Pops, been constructed. I had scavenged last week, bags of garden waste. Sat on the plot for best part of a week, these were emptied today in the beds. I know that these are upside down, before you point it out! The pots are on the spikes, so that hopefully no one gets hurt. It is safe to say, that having raised beds has been a boon. Whilst the clay is fabulous, full of nutrients; the position of the plot means that the whole thing gets flooded. This brings pools of water, slugs and other things that eat crops. With the battle against the weeds. The areas of open ground where there are no raised beds, have been choked by weeds. The plan is to now pull up the weeds, cover with newspaper, and perhaps even black plastic on top of that. I have been avoiding that, thinking that raised beds are enough. At least the black plastic can be planted through, the newspaper and pulled up weeds can help the clay composition.

This is going to be one of the big battles. To be clear of as many weeds as possible, and cover the ground. With the beautiful weather that we have had, the clay is like concrete. There is now way a magic fork or spade is going to slice through it. It is just as bad, when it is winter.

As I sit here, the weather lady has just delivered her forecast. For the moment at least, the nice weather will remain. A bit of harvesting was done to today. A small amount of Florence Fennel. A crop, that I had forgotten that I sown. So was very surprised to the see the dill hovering amongst the leaves of the Astia Courgette right next to it. The Florence Fennel was sautéed with the Kestrel potatoes. Lovely looking first second earlies, with pink smudges that look like little faces.

In the wendy house, you will see the vast array of chillies and bells. We have in there a huge number. We have just to name a few, Nigels outdoor chilli, lemon drop, frauzauber, spanish mammoth red, early jalapeño, purple beauty and long red marconi to name a few. Those are the ones that were at least labelled. I think a few of them, have thrown a bit of a tantrum in the wendy, having moved from the classroom. They were perhaps not used to the different temperatures. As mentioned previously, we are having nice weather. A few of the chillies, have been a little burned, and perhaps are sulking because of that too. They are watered and fed regularly. I am still not convinced of treating them in a mean fashion. The resplendent purple rainbow chillis remain in the kitchen at home. There were seven of these altogether, only one of these is in the wendy.

Triffids rise again, on the plot. Not only are there squashes, but also sweetcorn and sunflowers. I had though that the sunburst sunflowers, were relatively small. Yet these are nearly as big as me. No quite giant, but bigger than I had expected. Very leafy, and yet to form any flowers. I do believe that the squashes may take over the universe. I have long expected and anticipated the leaves getting as big as dinner plates. In my experience, that is a good thing. That is happening, yes. Now, we are on flower and fruit watch. Already, we have had a few striato di napoli and astia already, in addition to two beautiful tennis ball sized summer ball. I have never sown a yellow courgette, so this was a lovely crop. Mama H and I are still at odds over the bush baby marrow. Resting on a brick, it is as big as it should be. Mama H wants me to wait for various dishes to have been eated, before I harvest it. If it explodes, it’s not my fault, all right.

 

Tomorrow is another day, and for the moment; it is summer.

 

Yours in anticipation,

 

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, success

Chocka blocka chillies

I like my chillies and bells, I really do. Whilst Nigel, purple rainbow chilli and purple beauty sit quite contently in the windows of my classroom as the top set; bottom and middle set chillies reside in my battered and holey Wendy.

There were of course Aunty VVG’s three adoptees. That would frauzauber, lemon drop and lipstick. These 3 were more than middle set but not as huge as the top set; but these were fairly robust as early sowings. They are flowering now. Lipstick and frauzauber are very similar. Two neat habited creatures not too tall. Lemon drop is also small, but is a very leafy madam with branches stretched out. At the end of which are these rather dainty, petite looking buds. Daintier still, compared to the purple rainbow chillie. Lemon drop has more leaves in comparison.

Not many of the chillies are labelled; so it will be a case of match the description or image should they fruit. There are a few flowering ones, a great achievement; considering how developmentally delayed some of them were. I guess traditionalists would say that you would need a conventional, traditional greenhouse. But I do think that the Wendy is doing a fine job. There is definite progress being made. My mistake is that unlike the classroom crop, I don’t tend to water as much and I perhaps should now, when making my after work visit. Yes, regular feeding could be seen to make them more leafier. But that will help the fruits and that is the name of the game. Not quite sure if they like the big flower buckets either.

Over the last few days, more and more blooms have appeared and also opened in the classroom. The purple rainbow chilli, is as spindly as ever. Yet, has these very pretty white and purple flowers. Nigel, has easily half a dozen baby yellow blooms. I think one opened to day. I rather think of Nigel as a grumpy moustachioed old man sat in my classroom. The blooms go up, whilst the ones on the purple rainbow go down.

The triffids would the two sweet peppers. Measured to be approximately 60 centimetres tall. They have yet to get bigger. The lovely lady who cleans my classroom took pity on them one day, said they looked a bit depressed and droopy; so felt compelled to water them. There is something of a fascination amongst the ladies who used to clean my room about the greenery in there. It will be interesting to see if they crop, we only have a few weeks left of term. Don’t really want to leave them over the summer.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, classroom experimentation, success

Chilli challenge continues

You’ll have to wander over to the FB page for what the latest look is.

But to report ongoing progress; the classroom chillies are getting on much better the those which sit in the Wendy house. On the window sills we have purple rainbow chilli, Nigel’s outdoor chilli as well as purple beauty and Spanish mammoth sweet peppers. The two sweet peppers seem to get taller with each passing day-about 9 inches high at the moment- and could get bigger. The purple rainbow chilli and Nigel’s are some what smaller; but they are all in the process of flowering. They really are remarkable compared to the ones in Wendy house, in terms of height in particular. The Wendy house residents are also in large black buckets and don’t seem to be getting any taller. Even though, at least three of the varieties have set flowers. I might take a closer look at these over the weekend, to further investigate. These are still technically under cover.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, classroom experimentation, Planting out, success

Chockablocka chillies and bells

The classroom cache:

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Is a Spanish pepper mammoth from Thomas Etty.

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Purple Beauty from http://www.realseeds.co.uk/.

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Purple rainbow Chillies from http://www.realseeds.co.uk/

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Nigel’s outdoor chilli, saved by a grape; but can be found at http://www.realseeds.co.uk/.

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The other batch, have been reported yet again. There are further assorted varieties here. Such as frauzauber, lipstick, lemon drop, sweet mini red, early jalepenos, cayenne, that I can remember at the least. I remembered that I had the Morrisons buckets in Dads shed. And since I don’t want to keep reporting. A fair few of these had roots creeping out anyway, so that was a job done today.

The Wendy house was a balmy 42 degree today, so i am hoping that this will help them.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, classroom experimentation

Update: 2013 chillies and bells

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Beyond the Wendy house, there are the classroom chillies. Unlike the lipstick that has sent out a single flower whilst in the Wendy, these are still trying to get past their 3rd and 4th leaves. There are a couple that have gone past that, but that is where they are currently.

I will have to remind myself, as to how the flukey 2009 chilles and bells came about. It has been that long since I have manager to grow any.

These plants are now staying in these pots. I don’t plan to repot them after. Yes, some of the pots contain more than one chillie. I have observed success with chillies and bells being in cramped quarters, so I am keeping that. Previously, I have watered from when they were very small; with tomato food. This has resulted in lots of foliage. Foliage that would be useful right now! Generally, the advice is to water when flowering. Well, we have a long way to go.

I quite like them; as to whether they fruit!

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, success

We’re still waiting

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They are still waiting, in the Wendy. A Wendy that is driving me mad, with its nearly broken flap zip. We have scarlet emperor and painted lady runners. I have sown a second batch of scarlet, along side enorma. I have to say, that one or two; enorma are failing. Alongside, we have sunflowers

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Frauzauber, lipstick and lemon drop sat patiently. Lipstick has one single flower. Fed and watered tonight.

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In there some where is a Sunderland kale. As well as some cauliflowers. Bits of chard and spinach in there.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, classroom experimentation

Chilli Challenge

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The chillies above are from http://www.realseeds.co.uk/ and aren’t doing too badly.

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The whole gang of chillies and bells

chillies

Aunt VVG’s adoptees

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Frauzauber, Lipstick and lemon drop.

You will have observed my chilli and pepper crisis. Namely, that they failed at one stage to germinate or keeled over.

Whilst I managed to nurture a few; grapevine Aunty VVG has kindly donated a few to keep me from losing my sanity; under the proviso that I keep her appraised of how they are going. I shall endeavour to do my best.

Sat on a sunny, warm window sill, they have been adopted and shall be observed carefully. I have no idea about any of this cohort; though I have heard of lemon drop but never sown it myself.

I know what you are thinking. Why does a girl need so many chillies and peppers?

Well, why not?

They are all going to end up in Mama H’s kitchen. If they manage to crop. Chillies-for my part-are hard to get growing. The one crop that was produced, could have been a sheer fluke.

I shall do my best to look after them.

Yours on anticipation

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, classroom experimentation, Preparation, Taking stock

Pottering with pots

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It is meant to Spring. Yet, we have the white stuff again.

With the Easter break, I had anticipated transplanting beans and planting potatoes. That will not be happening due to the inclement weather. A third and final sowing of chillis and peppers has been made. But this will a window sill venture, as I am now fed up a little of the heated propogater. There were however ten baby seedlings that have survived from the first sowing. Covered and sat on a sunny warm window sill, it will be interesting to see if anything germinates. There are eleven different varieties. Nigel’s outdoor chilli-seeds were kindly donated by a GYO magazine grape-as well as interestingly named mammoth sweet peppers. One that I am trying again, is sweet mini red peppers. I have never had any success with those at all. There are quite a few rainbow chillies actually. One variety that is a brightly coloured variety, another one is purple rainbow variety

All in all, 57 seeds were sown into small yogurt pots with a hole in the bottom. I have sown three to a pot, which yes is quite a few. My defence is that in the past, I have had nice crops from chillies in cramped conditions. Less so, with sparsely grown ones.

Tomatos don’t half whiff. They really do. It’s an altogether distinctive smell. They are still sat there, occasionally going a bit purple. But mostly growing quite happily. I couldn’t tell you the varieties, I didn’t label them. Having pricked them out of a module tray, I wasn’t sure they’d work. Seem to be okay for the moment.

Leeks are getting further wiry, not yet pencil thick. But looking reasonably well. They do tend to keel over a little though, when dehydrated.

Will remain pottering.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit