Tag Archives: pumpkin

chillies, Experimental Chillies and be;;s

Chillies 2015: Progress so far

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A couple of weeks ago, I set about sowing chillies seeds. You can see the one post here

Positioned in front of a warm window, there have been daily checks as to what might have germinated. Remember, this is unheated propogator. To date, I have had more success germinating this way, rather than using a heated propogator.

I had bought some more fresh cayenne seeds, and these have germinated. The older ones are clearly not viable, as the early experiment hasn’t come through. I intend to sow a couple more fresh ones, that is the unopened pot in the picture above, Was always something of a risk, using older seeds. The second sowings are coming through. Most have cracked through their seed cases. I am just waiting on the orange and chocolate habaneros. Might actually resow those too, but they are probably just taking their time. The danger is, that these are going to become leggy and gangly as they reach for the sunlight. Going to wait a few days, to see if there is few more germinators before I take the lid off. There is a cold snap due, and I don’t them to get a fright and keel over.

Ghost rider, Squashes, success

Bruno 2014: It’s all over

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Here we have it, Bruno has finally met his maker. Yesterday morning, I got up and and with Ma’s help sacrificed Bruno. Bruno the Ghostrider has been sat in the kitchen since mid summer. From green to turning orange, has just been biding his time. Time then arrived for me to actually do something with him.

This is by far the biggest pumpkin that I have grown. Topped the scale at over 6lb’s. I had planned to soup the whole thing. However, there was no way I was going to be able to roast all of that, unless I split the amounts and hogged the oven. The plan fell as thus. Some of it would be curried, the remainder would be souped.

The curried pumpkin:

Sautee some onion, ginger, cumin and carom seeds in oil til the onions are transparent. I added some fresh tomatoes as well. Add squash, add garam masala, turmeric, salt, powdered coriander, chopped chillies and cumin if you wish. Coat all the squash. The pumpkin is quite fibrous, so add some water. Cover, and cook through so that the pumpkin softens. Then, remove lid and cook away some of the water. Can leave some if you want to have a sauce.

Bruno was also souped. I used a handful of homegrown mussleberg leeks for the base, as well as a small onion, ginger and garlic. Bruno in chunks, was roasted in a tin, a gas mark 7 for 40 minutes. In the oil, i had put cumin, chilli flakes, carom seeds,dried homegrown rosemary and a couple of sweet peppers. Once roasted, this was all added into the pan with the base. I then added garam masala, turmeric, a little paprika, lots of salt. I used a lot of salt, as I have previously found that this soup doesn’t otherwise taste of anything. As well as three small red chillies. Only as I didn’t put lots of chilli flakes in the roasting tin. The whole thing was then simmered til the squash was softened and squishy. Once softened and squishy, this was blitzed with a blender. I did have to return to hob to season though. Additional garam masala was added, and salt. You will of course have to taste to test. The seeds incidently, will be saved, dried, and saved for growers next year.

Ghost rider

Weigh in: Baby Bruno bruiser #2

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Both of the ghost riders have now been harvested. The second is bigger, heavier and off the kitchen weighing scales at 6lb. The heaviest we have ever had!

success

Oh, jack, sweetie

These were seeds given by Grown your own magazine:

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These fruit have grown, moving from green to this lovely puce, grey colour. Am anticipating the mottled green stage. I have never grown this before and to be honest they have been very straight forward. To have one fruit would have been interesting, to have three is lovely!

These are another small pumpkin, jack be little:

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These have some time yet before harvesting.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

success

Pinched and pulled

“I found a mooli!”

“Have you? Lovely.”

Well, mother, it’s a white icicle radish. But if you insist.

Mum pulled out a few sparkler radishes as well for herself and pops. Both of whom, have now decked that they don’t like the leaves. So these were composted.

The one key coup today.

Chard and spinach.

That was she wanted today. And no messing.

Mum harvested a fair bit of what looks like perpetual spinach and may have been Vulcan chard. The premise was to make it into pakoras-that’s onion bhajis, folks. But we really shouldn’t be eating more fried food.

And what was I doing whilst she cut that stuff down? Watering squashes. Striato di Napoli has a couple of babies, there may be a little jack baby, and baby bush marrow. Please to report that leaves are filling out nicely. Must keep feeding them.

Yours in anticipation

Horticultural Hobbit

Planting out, success

Casting a clout

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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

classroom experimentation, Preparation

Waiting in the wings

The burgeoning windowsills.

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Lots and lots of squashes, sweetcorn, very very very small tomatos, cucumbers that are increasingly more triffid like. Yes, I know that is a lot of squashes. They all require lots of room, lots of feeding. They might find themselves donated to a loving home. Hoping that more sweet corn will germinate. All of four, will not make for a suitable block.

Chillies are there too, I think the one that is the most rampant the moment is purple Beauty from Real seed Catalogue. There is also an early jalepeno from them, as well as Nigel’s outdoor chilli that they used to do. The seed sown was from a lovely Grape. In that squash box, there is a striato de Napoli courgette also from them. There are a couple of seeds, from another heritage seed collection Thomas Etty For the first time ever, sweet mini red has germinated. There are few patio varieties and other purple ones in the mix.

Painted lady and scarlet emperor runners have been sown. They had only just started to germinate. They do not make for pretty babies.

There are also baby sunflowers for the Big Sunflower project 2013.

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Everything is waiting for the threat of frost to pass. It is going to a long four weeks!

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

success

Seeds: the next generation

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Image courtesy of @meandmylottie-joy topping

Not last year, the one before; through sheer fluke. I managed to cultivate a ghost rider pumpkin. Ma had picked it up on a visit to the local garden cafe, and it became a baby. The one fruit cam off, a 5lb beauty.

Now ghost riders are a carving pumpkins, they are not known for their edible qualities. That didn’t stop Ma and pops eating him over two days having curried him.

When Ma had sacrificed him, I asked that she kept the seeds for me. These were washed and dried and popped into my seed stashers. Then, with the help of the Grow your own grapevine forum, some of the seeds were donated to good homes. Some were fellow allotmenteers, as well as school groups.

What you see above, is a beautiful fruit, a product of our Bruno the first. This was grown up north of Blighty, way way up north. Made me feel very warm and fuzzy! Sadly, many other babies succumbed to the poor weather last year. Making the one above a true Titan.

I do have some mystery social science pumpkin seeds. Salvaged from a colleague who had the pumpkin for her tea. I couldn’t tell you what it was called.

Will have to find out!

Seed saving is incredibly important, I am very thankful to those lovely grapes who have donated their seeds to me. Is a message worth passing on

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit