I am waaaay behind on where I want to be with my sowing schedule, but there was a frost last night and the local council has tweeted that the gritters will be out tonight so I'm still a bit wary about doing too much if the weather is against me. It is difficult though when the sun is shining like it has been most of today.
So, I did a little bit more sowing, and everything is in the greenhouse so fingers crossed.
I opened up my brand new seed packets of baby brassicas: matsuri (broccoli), ruby perfection (cabbage) and fremont (cauliflower). The idea behind these is that they will take up less room than the varieties I have previously grown. I also sowed calabrese, evesham special sprouts and dwarf green curled kale.
Courgettes were also started off today, 12 in all, a mixture of black beauty, gold rush, all green bush, tondo di toscana and zucchini. Now, I am not expecting all 12 to flourish on my plot. I don't have the room to grow that many plants to maturity, plus as much as I love them there is no way this household could cope with the number of courgettes that this many plants would produce. If they do all germinate (which is unlikely) friends and family lookout as you may find homeless plants appearing on your doorsteps.
I finished off today with a couple of butternut squash, a couple of hunter squash and a couple of outdoor wonder melons. I have never managed to produce a single melon and every year I try one variety or another, so I'm hoping that this will be the year for me.
Showing posts with label Broccoli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Broccoli. Show all posts
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Monday, 2 January 2012
New Year, New Plan
So, 2012... year of the London Olympics and time for a new sowing schedule. This year I will be expanding my beetroot selection to include chioggia & burpees golden and also a new lettuce, webb's wonderful.
I have also come to the conclusion that I do not have enough space to grow as many brassicas as I would like, so this year I am trying some smaller varieties; cauliflower (fremont), broccoli (matsuri) and cabbage (caraflex).
Back in October I sowed some broad beans for the first time; this was shortly after they'd poked through the compost
after a couple more weeks
and today
I have never been a fan of broad beans, so this is another of my "if I grow it, I might like it" experiments.
Other than those few changes, everything else I intend to grow remains the same.
This year I am also going to weigh and price up everything that I harvest, just to see what value can be attached to it. I won't include things that were grown for last season, like these last few potatoes that I uncovered today
or the remaining leeks and parsnips that I still have in the ground. In a week or two I will start sowing... bring on the new season.
I have also come to the conclusion that I do not have enough space to grow as many brassicas as I would like, so this year I am trying some smaller varieties; cauliflower (fremont), broccoli (matsuri) and cabbage (caraflex).
Back in October I sowed some broad beans for the first time; this was shortly after they'd poked through the compost
after a couple more weeks
and today
I have never been a fan of broad beans, so this is another of my "if I grow it, I might like it" experiments.
Other than those few changes, everything else I intend to grow remains the same.
This year I am also going to weigh and price up everything that I harvest, just to see what value can be attached to it. I won't include things that were grown for last season, like these last few potatoes that I uncovered today
or the remaining leeks and parsnips that I still have in the ground. In a week or two I will start sowing... bring on the new season.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Summer Sowing
Once again my good intentions to sow successionally have fallen by the wayside, so today I attempted to rectify that by sowing a selection of lettuce (reine de glaces, little gem, romaine ballon and romana bougival), chicory, wild rocket, spring onions, chinese cabbage, calabrese and autumn king carrots. I'm about a month behind with the carrots so will just have to wait and see if anything comes up. It would be fantastic to have some to pull up on Christmas day.
On that subject, the potatoes for Christmas are coming along nicely; the plants are now peeking over the top of their sacks and looking very healthy
I gave them one last topping up with compost so they should be okay outside for a while yet.
Today's harvest made for a very pretty trug so I thought I'd share a picture of that too
I have decided that the peppers are actually sweet banana... I saw some similar plants in the garden centre today and they look exactly the same, plus the description that they ripen to orange then red was exactly what mine have done.
Similarly, I think that the orange chilli peppers are cheyenne because I saw them in the garden centre too... mystery solved.
On that subject, the potatoes for Christmas are coming along nicely; the plants are now peeking over the top of their sacks and looking very healthy
I gave them one last topping up with compost so they should be okay outside for a while yet.
Today's harvest made for a very pretty trug so I thought I'd share a picture of that too
I have decided that the peppers are actually sweet banana... I saw some similar plants in the garden centre today and they look exactly the same, plus the description that they ripen to orange then red was exactly what mine have done.
Similarly, I think that the orange chilli peppers are cheyenne because I saw them in the garden centre too... mystery solved.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Early (and unexpected) Harvests
Way back in October I planted out a selection of brassicas... I thought I might be able to use them for spring greens if nothing else. The only one to turn into anything was calabrese.
The florets were a bit spindly and cooked almost within seconds, but the flavour was still great. I won't be repeating this intentionally but it was interesting to see it survive a freezing cold winter and manage to "head up"... the remaining plants are still in the ground, one has bolted and the others are large and leafy, but too tough for greens. I'll probably need to pull them up soon as I'll need the space.
In November I sowed the last of a packet of peas with the intention of using them for shoots... well, I just left them in the greenhouse and forgot about them. Last month I noticed a couple of flowers on them so planted them out. Today they were looking a bit worse for wear and as I was pulling them out for the compost heap I noticed a few pods, so shelled them
Even though it's only about a tablespoon, they have turned out better than the ones I tried to grow last year... maybe I should consider overwintering some later in the year.
In November I sowed the last of a packet of peas with the intention of using them for shoots... well, I just left them in the greenhouse and forgot about them. Last month I noticed a couple of flowers on them so planted them out. Today they were looking a bit worse for wear and as I was pulling them out for the compost heap I noticed a few pods, so shelled them
Even though it's only about a tablespoon, they have turned out better than the ones I tried to grow last year... maybe I should consider overwintering some later in the year.
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Autumn Planting
I finally got round to planting out the brassicas that have been in the potting shed for far too long... each weekend I have been looking at them and thinking that they really need to be put in the ground.
I'm not even sure that they are all suitable for over wintering or using as spring greens, but have no other choice now than to put them in and see what happens, so the collection of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower now resides in one of the raised beds.
They are covered with nets for the time being... I'm not sure if cabbage whites are still around? The fleece is on standby for when the temperature really drops.
I'm not even sure that they are all suitable for over wintering or using as spring greens, but have no other choice now than to put them in and see what happens, so the collection of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower now resides in one of the raised beds.
They are covered with nets for the time being... I'm not sure if cabbage whites are still around? The fleece is on standby for when the temperature really drops.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Today's Pickings
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Baby Sweetcorn... I think that's the last of it for this year
Calabrese... a couple of the buds had opened; I picked them off and am hoping it's still edible
Courgette... a big one!
Tomatoes
Baby Sweetcorn... I think that's the last of it for this year
Calabrese... a couple of the buds had opened; I picked them off and am hoping it's still edible
Courgette... a big one!
Saturday, 7 August 2010
It's been a while...
... since broccoli featured in my postings, well I harvested the first calabrese this morning
I admit it's not the best looking specimen and it'a a bit small... I think it's been nibbled and I have been struggling to cope with the community of cabbage whites that seem to have set up home my garden.
I've removed all traces of caterpillar and I'm sure it will still taste lovely in a stir fry with the rest of today's harvest
I admit it's not the best looking specimen and it'a a bit small... I think it's been nibbled and I have been struggling to cope with the community of cabbage whites that seem to have set up home my garden.
I've removed all traces of caterpillar and I'm sure it will still taste lovely in a stir fry with the rest of today's harvest
Monday, 3 May 2010
Bank Holiday Weekend Part Two
I was hoping there would be more than two parts to my Bank Holiday Weekend gardening activities, but the bad weather has continued; yesterday it rained more or less constantly, and when it did let up there was a very cold wind blowing round the garden. Today has been better; there is still a chill in the air but the sun has come out every now and again. Nevertheless, over the course of the weekend I have been able to do a few more bits and pieces.
The jack o' lanterns have been planted out into reusable growbags.
I'll probably put squash in between them, once they are ready to go out.
I've planted out my beetroot (boltardy) plugs into a wicker planter and sowed some more undercover, and have continued sowing like there's no tomorrow; broccoli (psb & raab), cauliflower (all year round), pak choi (red choi), fennel (di firenze), chicory (radicchio palla rosso precoce), turnip (purple top milan) are all in small pots in the potting shed.
Outdoors sowings consist of a row of swede (best of all) in a raised bed with some previously planted out brassicas, and four types of radish (cherry belle, prinz rotin, french breakfast and hilds blauer herbst und winter) in a bulb crate.
The final batch of potatoes (rooster) have also been planted into potato sacks.
In the greenhouse I potted on the okra plants.
And finally, I purchased some sweet pepper (bellboy) and chilli pepper (apache) plants from the garden centre. I still haven't given up on the idea of germinating my own from seed even though my last (and was going to be final) attempt in the heated propagator only produced one chilli shake, and time is running out if they are going to have a long enough season to fruit and ripen. Might just give it one more go?!
The jack o' lanterns have been planted out into reusable growbags.
I'll probably put squash in between them, once they are ready to go out.
I've planted out my beetroot (boltardy) plugs into a wicker planter and sowed some more undercover, and have continued sowing like there's no tomorrow; broccoli (psb & raab), cauliflower (all year round), pak choi (red choi), fennel (di firenze), chicory (radicchio palla rosso precoce), turnip (purple top milan) are all in small pots in the potting shed.
Outdoors sowings consist of a row of swede (best of all) in a raised bed with some previously planted out brassicas, and four types of radish (cherry belle, prinz rotin, french breakfast and hilds blauer herbst und winter) in a bulb crate.
The final batch of potatoes (rooster) have also been planted into potato sacks.
In the greenhouse I potted on the okra plants.
And finally, I purchased some sweet pepper (bellboy) and chilli pepper (apache) plants from the garden centre. I still haven't given up on the idea of germinating my own from seed even though my last (and was going to be final) attempt in the heated propagator only produced one chilli shake, and time is running out if they are going to have a long enough season to fruit and ripen. Might just give it one more go?!
Sunday, 25 April 2010
Succession Sowing
I am trying to get into the habit of succession sowing this year; this weekend I have sown another row each of white gem parsnips, chantenay red cored carrots and mammoth snowstar leeks in the raised beds along with a large tub of white gem parsnips.
I also added to the brassicas by sowing some more kale and purple sprouting broccoli as I'm hoping they will provide fresh veg throughout the winter and into spring when there is not a great deal around - essential if I'm going to achieve self-sufficiency.
On the subject of brassicas, I planted out another batch into the raised beds; mainly cabbages, golden acre primo, offenham flower of spring and kalibos, along with some kale and purple sprouting broccoli.
My plug plant enterprise has had a 50% success rate so far; the beetroot has germinated very well, but not one single turnip has come up. I'll give the beetroot another week before planting out though, hopefully that should be okay; they are still a lot smaller than the plugs sold in the garden centre and I need to strike a balance between them being strong enough, but not so advanced that the roots are damaged by transplanting.
I also added to the brassicas by sowing some more kale and purple sprouting broccoli as I'm hoping they will provide fresh veg throughout the winter and into spring when there is not a great deal around - essential if I'm going to achieve self-sufficiency.
On the subject of brassicas, I planted out another batch into the raised beds; mainly cabbages, golden acre primo, offenham flower of spring and kalibos, along with some kale and purple sprouting broccoli.
My plug plant enterprise has had a 50% success rate so far; the beetroot has germinated very well, but not one single turnip has come up. I'll give the beetroot another week before planting out though, hopefully that should be okay; they are still a lot smaller than the plugs sold in the garden centre and I need to strike a balance between them being strong enough, but not so advanced that the roots are damaged by transplanting.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Making the most of the spring sunshine
I have been making the most of the recent good weather and luckily had a few a few days away from work so have been able to spend a lot of time in the garden.
Yesterday I planted out a row each of peas and mange tout into the raised bed. My cunning trick to stop the slugs and snails was to scatter vermiculite around them. I'm sure they won't like crawling over that to get the goodies and it seems to have worked last night anyway.
I was also pleased to see that 6 of the minipop seeds have germinated in the greenhouse.
First thing this morning I continued with planting out...
... brassicas; evesham special, raab and all year round are now located in the raised bed, protected by cabbage collars for the root fly and a net for the butterfly... the last thing I want is them laying their eggs all over the plants.
... and onions; kamal and sweet spanish have now been planted in the bed with the shallots and leeks (that have yet to make an appearance). Talking of onions, the pickling kind; barletta and purplette have germinated in their separate bulb crate.
... so I decided to sow another batch of those in the greenhouse, but the herbs could be doing better, so I direct sowed the following in various containers outdoors; rosemary, chives, sage, mint, thyme, parsley, basil, dill, chervil and coriander.
Heading lettuces are also growing well:
I was tempted to plant them out too because quite a few of the roots are already showing through the bottom of the pots. I managed to stop myself, but did sow 3 Romana Bougival seeds, which is a new variety for me.
I think I managed to cover all the vegetable groups so all in all a very productive couple of days.
Yesterday I planted out a row each of peas and mange tout into the raised bed. My cunning trick to stop the slugs and snails was to scatter vermiculite around them. I'm sure they won't like crawling over that to get the goodies and it seems to have worked last night anyway.
I was also pleased to see that 6 of the minipop seeds have germinated in the greenhouse.
First thing this morning I continued with planting out...
... brassicas; evesham special, raab and all year round are now located in the raised bed, protected by cabbage collars for the root fly and a net for the butterfly... the last thing I want is them laying their eggs all over the plants.
... and onions; kamal and sweet spanish have now been planted in the bed with the shallots and leeks (that have yet to make an appearance). Talking of onions, the pickling kind; barletta and purplette have germinated in their separate bulb crate.
I also did a fair bit of sowing today, undercover:
- Brussels Sprout (Red Delicious) x 5
- Brussels Sprout (Evesham Special) x 2
- Broccoli (Green Heading Calabrese) x 3
- Broccoli (Early Purple Sprouting) x 1
- Cauliflower (Autumn Giant) x 2
- Cabbage (Savoy) x 2
- French Beans (Cherokee Trail of Tears) x 8
- French Beans (Cherokee Trail of Tears) x 8 that I saved myself a couple of years ago
- Peas (Golden Sweet Yellow Mangetout) x 8
- Chard (White Silver 2) x 1 row in the raised bed
- Lambs Lettuce in a trough
- Spring Onion (Ishikura) x 1 row in a bulb crate
- Spring Onion (White Lisbon) x 1 row in a bulb crate
and planted the first batch of main crop potatoes (Rooster) into potato bags.
Elsewhere, the pea shoots are coming along nicely:
Elsewhere, the pea shoots are coming along nicely:
... so I decided to sow another batch of those in the greenhouse, but the herbs could be doing better, so I direct sowed the following in various containers outdoors; rosemary, chives, sage, mint, thyme, parsley, basil, dill, chervil and coriander.
Heading lettuces are also growing well:
I was tempted to plant them out too because quite a few of the roots are already showing through the bottom of the pots. I managed to stop myself, but did sow 3 Romana Bougival seeds, which is a new variety for me.
I think I managed to cover all the vegetable groups so all in all a very productive couple of days.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Spring progress
The clocks have sprung forward, so I think it is an opportune time to write about the progress of some plants that I haven't mentioned recently.
I am really pleased with how my brassicas are coming along. This is the first sowing; cauliflower, raab and brussels sprouts:
even the slug-munched raab (bottom left) is making a comeback!
This is the second; kale, various cabbages and purple sprouting broccoli:
Lettuce is also coming on nicely; as well as the cut and come again varieties I also have reine de glace, little gem and lollo rossa seedlings under cover:
Outdoors I spotted a couple of beetroot seedlings from my first sowing and some spinach beet, so progress is definitely being made and the soil must be warming up now.
I also started off some sweetcorn yesterday... I'm trying a babycorn variety this year; Minipop - so I placed 9 seeds into individual pots in one of the propagators.
I am really pleased with how my brassicas are coming along. This is the first sowing; cauliflower, raab and brussels sprouts:
even the slug-munched raab (bottom left) is making a comeback!
This is the second; kale, various cabbages and purple sprouting broccoli:
Outdoors I spotted a couple of beetroot seedlings from my first sowing and some spinach beet, so progress is definitely being made and the soil must be warming up now.
I also started off some sweetcorn yesterday... I'm trying a babycorn variety this year; Minipop - so I placed 9 seeds into individual pots in one of the propagators.
Monday, 15 March 2010
A few seedlings and a bit more sowing
Yesterday was very busy outdoors, and the weather didn't disappoint so I was a very happy gardener. I started off by doing a bit of tidying up and a check on my seedlings; garlic, rocket and brassicas are coming on quite nicely now:
Only two of my herb pots have germinated; coriander and dill:
I can't work out why things are taking so much longer than previous years. I usually have pepper and tomato seedlings by now, but my first sowings have so far yielded 2 gardeners delight, a red cherry and no peppers :-(...
... at least there is still time to sow some more if needed - I'll check if there is any more movement by the weekend and make a decision then.
In terms of new sowings, the greenhouse now contains:
Whilst my mange tout has always been a great cropper, I have not had success with harvesting regular peas in the past... I either pick them too early when they are very tiny even though the pods look fat, or let them go too long and they turn yellow, maybe I just need to pay a bit more attention to them.
On my way back inside I noticed a bit of green action on the raspberry canes:
Couldn't help but smile at the thought of picking them in the autumn... they are always delicious.
I can't work out why things are taking so much longer than previous years. I usually have pepper and tomato seedlings by now, but my first sowings have so far yielded 2 gardeners delight, a red cherry and no peppers :-(...
... at least there is still time to sow some more if needed - I'll check if there is any more movement by the weekend and make a decision then.
In terms of new sowings, the greenhouse now contains:
- Peas (Feltham First) x 8
- Peas (Golden Sweet Yellow Mangetout) x 8
- Lettuce (Reine De Glaces) x 3
- Lettuce (Little Gem) x 3
- Lettuce (Lollo Rossa) x 3
- Tomato (Garden Pearl) x 4
- Tomato (Costoluto Fiorentino) x 4
- Leeks (Autumn Mammoth 2 - Snowstar) 1 row in the raised bed
- Mizuna & Mixed Lettuce scattered together in a bulb crate
- Spring Onion (Ishikura) 1 row in a bulb crate
- Spring Onion (White Lisbon) 1 row in a bulb crate
- Pickling Onions (Barletta) 3 rows in a bulb crate
- Pickling Onions (Purplette) 3 rows in a bulb crate
Whilst my mange tout has always been a great cropper, I have not had success with harvesting regular peas in the past... I either pick them too early when they are very tiny even though the pods look fat, or let them go too long and they turn yellow, maybe I just need to pay a bit more attention to them.
On my way back inside I noticed a bit of green action on the raspberry canes:
Couldn't help but smile at the thought of picking them in the autumn... they are always delicious.
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Delayed posting...
... hmmm, this does not bode well for when the season is really in full swing, I'm already getting behind with blogging what I have been up to - must do better!
Anyway, what I should have posted about a week ago is that I continued my indoor sowing with:
There is so much to do this month, but I do enjoy it when it gets busy... and it is totally worth it once it comes to harvesting time.
Anyway, what I should have posted about a week ago is that I continued my indoor sowing with:
- Okra (Clemsons Spineless) x 5
- Cucumber (Miniature White) x 5
- Gherkin (Cornichon de Paris) x 5
- Courgette (All Green Bush) x 2
- Tomato (Sub Arctic Plenty) x 5
- Mint
- Thyme
- Cabbage (Kalibos) x 2
- Cabbage (Offenham 2 - Flower of Spring) x 2
- Cabbage (Golden Acre / Primo) x 2
- Broccoli (Early Purple Sprouting) x 2
- Kale (Dwarf Green Curled) x 2
- Spinach Beet
- Turnip (Purple Top Milan)
- Beetroot (Boltardy)
There is so much to do this month, but I do enjoy it when it gets busy... and it is totally worth it once it comes to harvesting time.
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Slowly, but surely...
A couple of days sunshine - what a difference compared to the weekend! - and the seedlings are starting to push their heads up through the compost.
A trip outside today revealed a sprinkling of rocket, along with a small contingent of evesham special sprouts, broccoli raab and all year round cauliflower.
I also spread out my seed potatoes (Charlotte) to chit, so come Easter they should be ready for planting.
Let's hope the sun is here to stay.
A trip outside today revealed a sprinkling of rocket, along with a small contingent of evesham special sprouts, broccoli raab and all year round cauliflower.
I also spread out my seed potatoes (Charlotte) to chit, so come Easter they should be ready for planting.
Let's hope the sun is here to stay.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
More Winter Sowing
I did a bit more sowing today, all undercover in the potting shed:
California Wonder and Chilli Shake were new for me last year and did very well. The reason I have sown so many shake plants is because you never know what you're gonna get (sounds like a line from a film!)... but you really don't. I think I had 5 different types last year (see my past successes - chillies post) from a very mild large green type to a teeny tiny blow your head off orange type... that's all part of the fun.
Marketmore was also new for me last year and did okay, although not as well as my mini-whites.
Cape Gooseberry is new for me this year, and if I'm honest I think I'm being a bit ambitious, but if you don't try you'll never know. I love eating them, mainly when I go out for meals and it's used as garnish on desserts so I'll be very pleased and impressed if I manage to grow my own.
I attempted both Evesham Special and Raab last year but that was during the brassica failure that I have mentioned too many times on this blog already, so I won't say any more about that.
I've not tried sage before, and this is part of my grand masterplan for Christmas... home-made (and grown) sage & onion stuffing.
I'm still a bit wary about direct sowing outside with this unpredicatable weather, so I'm leaving shallots, onions, radish, carrots and maybe a few early parsnips till the end of the month.
- Tomato (Urbikany) x 5
- Sweet Pepper (Kaibi Round) x 1
- Sweet Pepper (Orange Bell) x 5
- Sweet Pepper (California Wonder) x 5
- Chilli Pepper (Cayenne) x 5
- Chilli Pepper (Chilli Shake) x 10
- Cucumber (Marketmore) x 5
- Cape Gooseberry (Golden Berry) x 5
- Brussels Sprout (Evesham Special) x 5
- Broccoli (Raab) x 5
- Sage
California Wonder and Chilli Shake were new for me last year and did very well. The reason I have sown so many shake plants is because you never know what you're gonna get (sounds like a line from a film!)... but you really don't. I think I had 5 different types last year (see my past successes - chillies post) from a very mild large green type to a teeny tiny blow your head off orange type... that's all part of the fun.
Marketmore was also new for me last year and did okay, although not as well as my mini-whites.
Cape Gooseberry is new for me this year, and if I'm honest I think I'm being a bit ambitious, but if you don't try you'll never know. I love eating them, mainly when I go out for meals and it's used as garnish on desserts so I'll be very pleased and impressed if I manage to grow my own.
I attempted both Evesham Special and Raab last year but that was during the brassica failure that I have mentioned too many times on this blog already, so I won't say any more about that.
I've not tried sage before, and this is part of my grand masterplan for Christmas... home-made (and grown) sage & onion stuffing.
I'm still a bit wary about direct sowing outside with this unpredicatable weather, so I'm leaving shallots, onions, radish, carrots and maybe a few early parsnips till the end of the month.
Friday, 27 November 2009
Past Successes - Broccoli
This was another early success and produced extremely well during my first growing year. For some reason the whole brassica family were really poor this year, but I'm hopeful for future years.
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