Garlic planting: Provence Wight

October 26, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit 3 Comments

It is that time of year again, where I look at overwintering allieums. That’s garlic, onions and shallots. This year, there are no over wintering onions and shallots. These crops are simply not successful enough for me. With the heavy clay, tendency to flood, these tend to be written off. However, garlic is something of a staple. It grows well, and is always used. It is sad, when we run out of home made garlic.

This year, I have taken the decision to plant garlic into raised beds. Mainly as I have more success in raised beds, in comparison to the ones in open ground. This is across varieties, and I have sown many different varieties over the years. This year, I have gone with provence wight as it has performed the best when planted previously. At this stage, I have planted about four bulbs worth. This has filled one raised bed of 2m x 1. Far fewer than I haver planted, which is a little sad. I am looking into perhaps sinking more, being more scrooge like. Plus, mama H will bend my ear about how much room I am going to dedicate to garlic. Thing is, I can sow it around the edges of raised beds, and then plant things in the middle.The allotment wouldn’t be the same without garlic being planted.

Hobbit homebrew

Decanting Day Part one: Potent pink

October 25, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit 1 Comment

Setting up the stuff

Filtration with muslin cloth. Caution: Vapours inhaled

three bottles proud

and the batch has a name

Remember that first batch of home brew, the one with blackberries in Dark Rum. Well, since I couldn’t wait for three more weeks and I had a couple of bottles to recycle. Today was decant day. I cannot remember exactly what I might have put in there. There was the staple dark rum, sugar and blackberries. Might have put some cinnamon and cassia bark in there.

The bottles were cleaned and washed. The muslin scalded with boiled water, jam funnel thing located.

And then we decanted. The blackberries hadn’t broken down as much as I liked, so armed with a masher I went about breaking them up in the jar. This did make the jar liquid a bit cloudy. Otherwise, the liquid is a beautiful claret colour. Very rich, very deep. Fairly potent, you cannot escape the potent vapours.

Small amounts were poured into a pint glass and then passed though the funnel. The funnel was lined with a scalded piece of muslin. I got fed up of watching it drip, though that is probably the best way to get the liquid beautifully clear. So I took it in hand, and squished the muslin to aid the process. The cloudiness from mashing was significantly reduced actually.

You’re all wanting to know what it tasted like?

Pops tried a bit-i couldn’t get it all into the smallest bottle, so a dribble was left. Pulled a face, shrugged a shoulder, waved hand, That means okay, I think. I tried another dribble. It really was a dribble, after the vapours, I wasn’t going to have a cocktail.You get the alcohol, and then you get spiced blackberries. Might need more fruit, the next time I might make it.

Preparation

Leaf mold: That time of year again

October 22, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit 1 Comment

It is that time of year again, as the allotment starts to wind down and we think of next year. Whilst the plot needs a tidy up, the falling leaves present us with the opportunity to stock up on the leaves that are falling. Here is the start of this years leaf mold collection. Additional leaves are being put into the raised beds to raise the levels.

In a bit of pickle

Star Trek chilli jam: orange alert

October 21, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit 3 Comments

Since we have had only one red chilli this year, we might as well jam it. Together with an orange sweet pepper and six orange hot chillies we have orange alert hot chilli jam. Just a small batch.

Incidentally, those jars were baby food jars in their previous life.

Ghost rider

Bruno babies 2014

October 18, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit 3 Comments

This years Bruno is awaiting sacrifice. However the seeds of Bruno previous have been donated to ‘New shoots’ in Leeds, Gardening Leave in Ayrshire and Aston University allotments.

Gardening leave supports Veterans through Horticultural therapy. Aston university is my Alma Mater, and have this year started an on campus allotment.

Ghost rider

Baby of Bruno on the Mersey: Never walks alone

October 18, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit 3 Comments

My thanks to @Redlegend68 for the above image.

As you may be aware, a few years ago I grew a ghostrider pumpkin that we called Bruno. When Bruno was harvested in 2011, I saved the seeds and sent them the length and breadth of Britain. Some of the progeny went to Liverpool, and have turned into some beautiful whopping specimens. Two of the above were donate to a harvest festival.

My own bruno is waiting on the window sill, and the seeds of bruno 2014 will then be saved. Once more, they will hopefully go to good homes.

Superhots 2014

chillies…taking their time, I tell you

October 18, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit 1 Comment

It’s been a wet and windy week in blighty, the nights are drawing in and the temperatures are dropping. With work, I’ve not been able to pop down to the plot during the week. I wandered down today in the vain hope that some of the superhots might have started to fruit, There is has been nothing in terms of habaneros yet, which is disappointing. What I do have, is quite a lot of foliage and white flowers dotted around. The number of flowers is certainly greater than during the summer, and to be frank, I have been ignoring the chilli plants.

What I have done, is walked into the poly, and done the shake shake. Shaken the plants from side, in the same way a breeze might. Hoping that this may help the self pollination. There are not many insects around, and touching the flowers risks them falling off. Even the serrano chilli plant is full of flowers now, Though these are slightly rusty looking, which doesn’t bode well.

Checked the aubergines, with their lilac floo’ers. There are quite a few now, so you never know if we are going to have more of those.

Did the hokey cokey with the hot thai chilli plant, and thought why is there a bit of red ribbon down there. It was not a red ribbon, it was a ripe fruit. There were exclamations of oh em gee. And it’s hot, as i had a rather itchy palm just from holding it.

cabbages and brassicas

Final cauli collection

October 12, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit 5 Comments

These are the last caulis to be collected for this year. These were grown in raised beds, with lime added on planting, beneath a cover of debris netting. Most of them have been okay. Half, though, were blown and eaten by pestilence. I forget not what variety these were, but I do remember them being an F1 variety.

Some of the flower heads have been quite big with nice healthy looking curds. Others have been small. I guess putting them in 3×3 formation might need looking at. Using netting certainly helps. Without netting, it’s highly unlikely you would get a crop. I would also place stock in using plugs. My seedlings never survive the slugs.

magic square project

Magic square project: National Knitting week

October 7, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit

Apparently it’s National knitting week. So here is the slightly updated magic square blanket. A little behind with it, but still plodding along. I know that that squares are all different sizes! Such is the charm of this project. Have also put more beads into it.

grapevine

Baby grapes?

October 7, 2014 horticultural 'Obbit 2 Comments

The grapevines have really developed this summer, and are creeping in every direction. Think I need to build the cane supports upwards as the vines are getting taller.

In something of a surprise, I’ve spotted what looks like a bunch of baby grapes. Odd, as grapes are usually ripening about now. Rather than forming baby bunches. Will be a nice surprise if they are baby grapes.

horticultural 'obbit

Garlic planting: Provence Wight

Decanting Day Part one: Potent pink

Leaf mold: That time of year again

Star Trek chilli jam: orange alert

Bruno babies 2014

Baby of Bruno on the Mersey: Never walks alone

chillies…taking their time, I tell you

Final cauli collection

Magic square project: National Knitting week

Baby grapes?

'obbitry of the horticultural kind

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'obbitry of the horticultural kind