I bought a gooseberry bush last year and I am sure that it was a red variety, but I have since lost the label. I have never had any fruit from it, however I have been closely watching the berries develop and they don't seem to be going very red.
This is what they look like today
I squeezed a couple and they are just starting to give... as I want to turn them into jam I don't want them too ripe. I deliberated, probably for far too long about whether or not to pick them and decided to leave it another week... hopefully I made the right choice.
I did manage to germinate 3 okra plants and one black beauty aubergine.
The aubergine is growing pretty well... maybe this will be the year that I actually get past the flower stage and get some fruit. Third time lucky perhaps.
The okra on the other hand don't seem to be doing much... they look healthy enough, but they are not getting any bigger. I think they were a bit bit water logged, so I dried them out but that doesn't appear to have made much difference. I guess I will just leave them to it and as long as they stay alive, will continue to water them and see if they do anything.
I have devised a plan with regards to my capsicums. In the sweet variety I have:
- 2 orange bell oregon
- 2 red bell ozarowska
- 2 red romano diablo
- 3 bell boy
some of which have already set fruit, but all purchased from the garden centre as small plants. I am a little bit disappointed that I had to resort to shop bought as I like to grow from seed.
In the chilli variety I have 3 apache, also purchased from the garden centre as small plants; these have also set fruit
and 1 chilli shake, which is the only pepper I successfully germinated this year out of numerous sowings
So, my plan is to hopefully save seed for sowing next year... then I won't feel so bad about having to buy plants in the first place and the amount of seed that came to nothing.
I think we'll be enjoying courgettes with every meal for a while... my one goldrush plant is doing exceptionally well.
And the tondo di toscana plants are producing nicely too
I'm not complaining... it's so easy to incorporate them into everything.
The first batch of potatoes went in around 11 weeks ago, so although they are going strong and flowers have started to appear it will be at least another 5 weeks before the charlottes are ready.
