chillies, classroom experimentation, success

Chilli challenge continues

June 14, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

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

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Glimmers of hope

June 13, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit 1 Comment

Could have collared by the fashion police, wandering down in my Smart navy school suit and red wellingtons.

I am pleased to announce the posh roses, some of them, have buds. And at least three roses are forming.

My grapevine, is looking beautiful. As tiny as she is, I think the one that you see is a red one. She had been presumed dead. So very, very happy to see her get going.

Broadies look a bit bent over; has been a very miserable, wet and windy day today. They are, however, starting to flower. That was reason for the visit today, to see if the Wendy was still there. And it was. Home to the chillies and bells, frauzauber has some rather nice yellow tinged floo’ers. Lipstick does too, so we shall see!

Whilst the garlic is sending up scrapes, shallots show no sign of wanting to budge. Will be keeping an eye on them. Pickle, perhaps.

The difference a spot of rain makes. Potatoes are going crazy. Didn’t think they got that tall.

Out of 9, I have seen 3 cucumber plants. Have started to grow a little. But still not very big.

Some of Ma’s mustard has bolted, is sending out floo’ers that will be yellow.

All is not bad ^_^

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

success

All sorts of scrapes

June 12, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

Dammit can’t upload pics…

Garlic might need taking up soon; came home this morning with garlic scrapes. Crop is on its ways to bolting. So these have been snapped off.

And they reek! Very, very potent.

Ma has rummaged for more radishes. We are leaving the leaves for pops this time.

In other news, first early potatoes are flowering. These are orla potatoes I think. Mama already had designs on the leaves. Pathra. Stuffed potatoes leaves.

We’ll see!

Astia courgette has a baby, as does striato di Napoli.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural hobbit

success

Radish me

June 9, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

Finally!

We have radishes. They are not big, apart from the one and only one seen at the top. This was primarily an exercise in thinning. The radishes are struggling in their broadcast sown state. So I furtled for anything that could be taken home and eaten.

I composted the leaves, and getting home; dad asked why I didn’t keep them. They’d be good for Salad. Didn’t look so good to me!

Pops ate the big red thing, and declared it better than the shop ones. I discovered that I don’t like them.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

success

Allez Alliums

June 8, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

I know that there is a least one overwintering onion on the plot. Saw one today. Suggesting that some did it fact survive. There were a few varieties, both red and white, that were planted. In spring, subsequent onions were planted.

With that, there is garlic and shallots. This year, is much better than last year for shallots. In that they are there. They exists. There are about a dozen clumps in various places. Definitely more successful than last summer.

Then there is the garlic. I did sink a lot more than the autumn before last( but again, weather is a compromising variable. It is getting rather tall, a little wind burned; but looking good. Showing no signs yet of wanting to come up. There are both soft and hard necked varieties planted.

Red onions do feature heavily on the plot. Having previously sunk red electric onions, I am intrigued as to what will come up. Red electric were very small. A red onion trait, I think.

At least the Vampires will be kept away.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

Mama H recipes, Planting out, success

Sunny Saturday

June 8, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

I was awoken by mama h this morning, she was in full bounce. Whilst I would be having a short lie in; she was going down to the plot to harvest fenugreek for dad’s dinner.

So it had to be cooked, didn’t it.

We had also gone to the shop around the corner, as mama h wanted a second watering can-the kenny-for the plot. As then it would be quicker to water things with two of us. Whilst we were there, we picked up some bedding plants.

On the left are some red, white and salmon pink geraniums. In the middle Are marigolds, with Indian pinks on the right. There is a part Bollywood theme going on here, I think.

There was some shuffling in the Wendy house. Was about 30 degrees in there today, not the 40 as seen during the week. I have decided to carry out an experiment.

I used to grow chillies like this many years ago, when I actually as some success with them. The black pots are very heavy, space in the Wendy at premium. So these are sat outside, near the raspberries. Each pot is effectively a a small greenhouse/cloche with bag over it.

Still have a bag of 75pence experimental wilkos bag of onions to sink.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural hobbit.

chillies, classroom experimentation, Planting out, success

Chockablocka chillies and bells

June 6, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

The classroom cache:

Is a Spanish pepper mammoth from Thomas Etty.

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

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

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

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

classroom experimentation, success

Chillies and bells relocation

June 4, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit 3 Comments

I had a change of heart. Some of the chillies and bells have now been moved to the Wendy house with its wonky flap. I perhaps should have moved them before, as we are currently enjoying warm weather. There are further five pots still in the classroom; this is a combination of the middle and bottom set chillies. The top set are looking quite good, and will be moved into the Wendy in due course. There are thunderstorms forecast for next week.

A number of the plants have flower buds forming, so there could be hope yet!

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

classroom experimentation

Cabbages, caulis and chilies in the Classroom

June 3, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit 1 Comment

Having left them over the Whitsun holiday, the classroom brassicas were potted up. I’m very bad at pricking out and separating. There are both cabbages and cauliflowers in there, and there were hundreds of seeds over zealously sown. Many of which were quite leggy; so those that were fairly strong looking were those that were potted up.

Chillies and peppers:

Top set

Middle set

Bottom set:

Quite a varied outlook with the chillies and bells. Some, the earlier sown ones perhaps, are very strong looking. Approximately 10 cms tall, and looking leafy with a few possible flowers. The middle group, is getting there, with the bottom set still looking very diminutive. They too were left alone over the holiday, having been watered. They certainly have flourished over the holiday, with the added bonus of good weather.

The potential here, comes from the flowers that exist. These are tiny, and will be monitored over the coming weeks. Of course, there are the three in the 4TB. So this makes for an interesting experiment; the second group have exposure to the outside whereas the classroom ones don’t. These have also started to flower earlier and are exposed to more sun light.

And there is sunlight. For that we must be thankful!

The chillies and bells will be fed weekly, as the flowers and foliage develop. The tiniest of the flowers is a rather bruise coloured purple. No surprise as the chilli is purple. Nigel is also flowering, so all is very positive!

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

Planting out, success

Casting a clout

May 31, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

The fleece is off! Not quite June, by 24 hours, but let’s go!

Mama H and I took a walk down, bits and pieces tucked under our arms. All of the squashes were uncovered as were the cucumbers, sweetcorn and the one tomato that was down there. Mama H huffed and puffed at me; taking off the fleece there. Whilst I was planting out broadband and dwarf French beans, Pops came by. As you do. With two big bags of grass clippings. These were then tucked around the potato foliage. Looking a big ugly, if I might add. Pops pottered around too. Surveying, it’s a Dad thing. I haven’t put the leeks out yet.

Avalon and sweet dumpling have taken a hit. Big leaves eaten. There are smaller, leaves starting to come through. The sweetcorn is 3×3 with yellow scallop and patty pans dotted in between. Looking a bit windburned actually. This years ghost rider has rallied, it looked a bit ropey last week. Womble-wonder which courgette that is-is looking a bit on the petite size; whilst Astia looks all right. Baby marrow is similar.

Cucumbers didn’t look too bad. A couple of crispy leaves. Four of the second sized tomatoes were planted out.

Planted out some Cherokee trail of tears. With the runner beans looking a bit scruffy; not sure if they will actually survive.

Cauliflowers and kale didn’t look too bad in their beds. Having raised beds is certainly making a difference. I’m not quite sure what Mama H is going to do with all her fenugreek and spinach. It does all look very green.

There was a moment of hilariousness. Mama H picked up a big fat black slug, and launched it; screaming at the top of her lungs that I had a big fat slug. It didn’t land far. I then picked it up after and I’m afraid to say; it was euthanised by being slung against a wooden fence. Don’t think it felt a thing.

Not a bad start, eh?

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

horticultural 'obbit

Chilli challenge continues

Glimmers of hope

All sorts of scrapes

Radish me

Allez Alliums

Sunny Saturday

Chockablocka chillies and bells

Chillies and bells relocation

Cabbages, caulis and chilies in the Classroom

Casting a clout

'obbitry of the horticultural kind

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'obbitry of the horticultural kind