Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetables

The Not So Small New Potatoes.

2016-07-01T15:34:00.003+01:00

Yesterday [30 th June 2016] I decided to investigate and take a look at what stage my potatoes were at.
Not surprisingly the main crop ones were only just showing signs of flowers developing. However, the earlier ones had changed in appearance and were looking like they were at the stage when I usually think about harvesting some of them. The green tops were beginning to /or had died back on the ones I had planted first. So, I went to the shed got out the tools and test dug up one of the plants. Even though I had seen no sign of flowers on these two rows, the potatoes that came up were definitely ready to use, they were a good size and healthy looking potatoes. So in a year when the weather has been unusual and difficult to predict the potatoes seem to have not only survived but thrived. Just in case the slugs that are flourishing in the wet weather decide to eat my potatoes before I can, I dug up as many potatoes as I could carry to take home.

Good start to July home grown new potatoes are now on the menu.

Potato Update.

2016-06-26T10:30:00.002+01:00

If you are concerned when to harvest potatoes, just gently dig up a few near the surface. You can use a hand tool or your hand ( on lighter soils) to unearth some of them. Even if you discover potatoes that are so small you do not want to dig out anymore until later, you can take the small ones you have unearthed home and fry them up rather than waste them.

.The weather this year is so bizarre here that I will be harvesting mine a few at a time and using them as and when I need them. I think this year 2016 you can throw the previous years rule book out of the shed window or keep it by for next year.

I think if left in for too long in the ground the damp and warm weather may encourage an outbreak of blight. If this happens in past years I have followed advice from other allotment owners to remove the leaves and stems ( all above ground growth). You will by then have seen signs of blight on discoloured foliage and sometimes also a sort of hazy look to the underside of leaves. Do not compost the removed foliage. If green tops are removed promptly it can be successful to leave the potatoes in the ground for a time after this but obviously without leaves they will not reach their full size potential.

2016-06-22T09:53:00.004+01:00

I just wanted to say thank you for reading my grow your own fruit and vegetable blog/journal.
Know this can be a curious mix of helpful facts and my thoughts on having an allotment.

I hope that my readers can dip in and find the bits that interest them most.

Anyway thank you and happy growing and reading.

My Early New Potatoes, Slow to Flower this Year.

2016-06-22T09:40:00.003+01:00

The weather this year means things on the plot are not happeninas they were a few years ago. When this happens you just have to take a best educated guess as to how to look after your crops.

New Potatoes.

I have noticed on mine and several other plots that the first early seed potatoes are not yet in flower but the seed potatoes planted later are forming flowers. This made me decide to have a think about why this might be. Could it be that we got colder weather later than in previous years, just after planting the first early seed potatoes. By the time the later varieties went into the ground the soil might have warmed up, but the first early seed potatoes might have needed time to get over that cold spell? Not even a theory really just a guess.

Anyway, this week I took a chance and gently dug out a few small but edible new potatoes from the start of the first row planted. Despite being smal they still made a tasty addition to my meal that evening. I plan to continue to do this and hope that the warmer weather speeds things up for the potatoes over the next week or so.

One thing I need to keep in mind is to check the foliage as it is warm and damp weather conditions that can encourage blight.

Why I have an Allotment.

2016-06-22T09:26:00.002+01:00

For reasons that are not as simple as it might seem.

My allotment plot is not perfect but for now it is mine.

Sometimes it takes a friend asking you a question for you to find an answer to another question that you have never thought off or asked yourself .

Recently, I found answers to a question I had never really asked myself about the allotment, why do I keep it on when at times it can be a battle with the elements and hard work?

The friends question was " Why do n't you give up the allotment?" I answered in the way we often answer questions, by giving the easiest and simplest answer " Because even though it is hard work at times, I enjoy doing it and I like being there."

When I had the time, I thought about the question and the answer I had given. This led to me asking myself - "What is it about the allotment that makes me enjoy my time there and why is the work and effort worthwhile to me? And also why do I keep it, even at times when battling to keep the plot in some reasonable order against a list of often uncontrollable things like the weather, the weeds,the slugs and snails and the ever hungry pigeons? Especially when they seem like they are in a battle of conspiracy to defeat you?"

I was surprised to discover that as well as the obvious answer that I enjoy it, there are another two, the first is to do with the time and effort invested in the plot over the years. The other reason is more complicated and is linked to why I took an allotment plot in the first place.

There was a time when no one else seemed to want an allotment locally, especially this particular one with its tangle of weeds and brambles.

I think secretly I may have seen myself as its guardian. There was at that time a threat to under used allotment sites which where at risk of being taken over and being used for housing. This was probably at the back of my mind when I read that plots were available within walking distance of my home.

It was after taking a walk to the site and looking through the gate on a damp day, that something happened that made me put my name down for a plot. Later, when shown a supposedly cleared and ready to go plot it was my straggly unloved plot with the ancient and not too healthy plum tree that I ask for. Is there a name for this wanting to rescue a piece of land that does not and never will really belong to you ? I doubt it, but together over the years have proved that we are an odd combination both of us determined in our own ways, rewarding each other in ways too difficult to describe. Basically I attempt to nurture the plot and in return it nurtures me with fruit and vegetables.

I know that I cannot give it up and if I ever have to, it will be with much regret.

The Weeds We Battle With On The Allotment.

2016-06-13T07:43:00.000+01:00

Two Types of Weed That We Know Are Difficult to Remove.

I have seen allotment plots that look neat and tidy but then if they are left unattended for a week or two suddenly reveal that just under the surface and waiting for the chance to invade are bindweed and horsetail (which I know lots of people call marestail but it is a different plant and horsetail likes the dry sandy soil of my allotment).

Comparing these two weeds to brambles which look like a big challenge, but with brambles once dug out any remaining 'straggler' that pop up can be dug out.

Getting rid of bindweed is a big challenge and once horestail appears it is extremely difficult if not impossible to eradicate.

I have both of these weeds in the soil on my plot, worse in some places than others. The more cultivated areas have less but they still appear sometimes. Despite this I manage to grow my own fruit and vegetables and tackling the weeds is a nuisance and chore but that is almost inevitable with some types of weeds.

I think the problem of having pernicious weeds is more about the time spent on battling weeds when you would rather be doing something more productive on the allotment.

It is almost impossible to remove the roots of horsetail as they go so deep and break as you attempt to remove them. This is also one of the weeds that because of its lack of 'proper leaves' and the type of foliage they have is at times resistant to the weedkiller you can buy .

With bindweed you can trace the root back and remove as much as possible ( and they can be surprisingly long) . If you leave any root behind the bindweed will regrow from that piece. Sometimes you get the whole bindweed root out but you can never be sure, just keep on removing as much root as possible ( think that is all you can do if you are anti-weedkiller). I have to confess that although I try to grow to organic and to begin with it was against my gardening principles, around the shed and some other areas where there is no fruit or vegetables growing I have with reluctance and with great care reached for the red spray bottle and zapped the leaves or used the one that comes in a 'solid' gel stick. So the weeds win on two fronts, they appear every year and they made me change/temporarily abandon my good intentions.

New Potatoes Soon.

2016-06-11T06:52:00.002+01:00

Looking closely at my rows of first early potatoes as I gently removed the weeds that were growing close to them ( having early carefully cut down any emerging weeds in between the rows with a hoe); I can just see the start of the potato flowers starting to grow. Hopefully the warm weather will remain to encourage the development of the potatoes. The anticipation of eating own grown new potatoes got a step closer to reality with yesterdays allotment visit.

Making My Own Bread with Organic Spelt Flour.

2016-06-11T06:04:00.003+01:00

Baking Healthy Bread.

In a odd way, making your own bread is in some ways similar to growing your own food. You learn by experience and often that can be a case of building up knowledge by series of trial and error attempts, until you get a good result more often. Hopefully when making bread there are not as many 'wild cards' and uncontrollable variants and conditions as there are with growing fruit and vegetables.

I make my bread with spelt flour, so when I am baking I have to adapt and make adjustments to the basic formula/recipe, but the way I make it does not vary greatly. In the beginning, I tried different recipes and techniques, now though I know what works best for me and the loaves I am baking. This saves time as I can just measure out the same quantities of the ingredients without looking at a recipe. I can also go to do other tasks while the mix has to be left to prove instead of standing in the kitchen (like some anxious mother hen watching over its chicks).

About Spelt.
Spelt is a type of wheat that some people find it easier to digest than the more modern wheat varieties.
Spelt does contain gluten so is not suitable for anyone on a diet that needs to exclude foods that contain gluten.

For me the difference between eating shop bought bread and my own home baked spelt bread is immense, the taste and texture is far superior and for me it has the added benefit of not causing the digestion problems that most of the shop bought breads cause.

How I Got to Make a Good Loaf of Bread with Spelt Flour.

Getting to the stage where I could make a good quality home baked spelt loaf was a journey of learning by attempting to improve each loaf I made. The first loaves where edible but had things about them that made me make adaptions to the recipe or baking technique. I thought about what was not right, each time I tasted the loaf of bread I had made. My early baking attempts included not enough salt, not enough sugar/honey, not leaving it in the oven for long enough, incorrect oven temperature and not leaving it to prove for long enough.

Now, after following various different spelt loaf recipes I have found the one that works best for me.

I arrived at this by knowing my early attempts needed improvements and then I started by reading chapters of bread making books, talking to people who had made bread. I also and made minor adjustments to the ingredients, cooking times/temperatures and adjusting the methods used to mix, knead, prove and bake a loaf.

I do not always buy the same brand of spelt flour but I do prefer to use the organic flour if I can get it. Making my own spelt bread is not a money saving option, it costs more than buying a loaf of bread form the supermarket. Quality rather than quantity is what makes baking my own bread worth the time spent and cost of the ingredients I use.

Update on My Lack of Recent Postings.

2016-06-09T11:59:00.002+01:00

I have just started writing again after a big gap.

The allotment still is important to me and I am still busy working on it. I have now finally started to plan ideas that will make it (hopefully) less work so I will have more time to write and enjoy the results (instead of being occupied and concerned about the perennial weed battle) . I have a plot that likes to grow bindweed, mares-tail and couch grass as soon as I look away.

I will try to update and post photos ( of the results from the plot and include good, the bad and the ugly) as often as possible. You know how sometimes there is a back log of jobs that need doing at both home and the allotment, well that is how it has been for sometime.

Now off to see - if the pigeons have attacked any of my young pea plants overnight.

Potatoes Planted 2016 Season

2016-06-09T11:47:00.000+01:00

June and none of my first early potatoes are in flower yet.

I confess that I planted them later this year. However, several nearby plots planted at the normal time and are experiencing something that is a bit unusual. The main crop potatoes they planted after the first early potatoes have come in to flower first and earlier than expected, while the first earlies still have only leaves on display.

I do not know what this means, I know weather wise we had a warm spell, then a colder one so maybe it was the cooler soil temperatures when the first early potatoes where meant to be getting started into growth but just had to wait for the soil to warm up. But how have the main crops flowered early? Maybe warmer weather and soil when they were planted but that is just a guess,I do not have the definitive answer.

If I hear any more about this I will post an update here, meanwhile it may require a bit more patience than usual before we can harvest them. BTW I have noticed that the supermarkets have had Jersey Royals in stock but not many English new potatoes yet. So the warm weather this week may be just what is needed if we are not to be lacking in tasty new potatoes to go with our salad meals.

Flowers on the plot.

2015-11-18T17:24:00.001+00:00

Next year, I am going to grow some flowers on the allotment although the main areas will still be used for fruit and vegetables. Some of the allotment flowers will be to add colour and interest to the plot but others will be for cutting to use in the house and also to give to family and friends.

I feel that improving the 'frontage' of the plot with a splashes of colour from seasonal flowers, annuals, perennials and bulbs will be worth losing a bit of food growing space.

Flowers Update June 2016.

Earlier this year, I had a nice selection of tulips to brighten the plot for passersby or to use to cut and put into vases at home this spring. However, summer now and the burst of cutting flowers colour that I was hoping for has not yet happened. Well, in one way it has, last years phacelia and red clover ( green manure crop seeds) was left to self seed and has now almost filled over the planned cut flower part of the plot. A bit disappointing in one way but in another I am happy to leave the purple and red flowers in place as it is a delightful place for the bees who are attracted by these flowers to this part of the plot. I believe we need to encourage bees with areas like this as they have suffered from pesticide use and also diseases in recent years.

I will never have the courage or time to have a hive on my plot but I am happy to offer this small patch of flowers as a place for them to visit. Bees are also very busy on the tayberry flowers at the other end of the plot and I can also see the fruit forming in large quantities.

The Shocking Idea of Eating Ugly Vegetables.

2015-11-11T08:46:00.002+00:00

Like many people watching a TV program about food waste I was shocked. Especially to discover the quantities of good food wasted. I was not previously aware that some of this waste is just because the vegetables did not pass the supermarkets/shoppers appearance perfection test, the one required to get them from the farm to a place on the supermarket shelf.

It has never crossed my mind to discard one of my home grown vegetables because it was not as good looking as the shop bought equivalent. But then if I pause and think about it maybe I am guilty and when I have to buy vegetables in a shop I may have unintentionally sorted through the tray for the 'best buy'. However, if next to the 'immaculate vegetables' on the shelf there was a tray of the containing the vegetables that were more irregular looking and the price of those edible good quality but more irregular looking vegetables were a slightly cheaper, I know that I am intelligent enough to go for the lower cost option.

I lost respect for the supermarket that ran a very poor example of a test of the side by side pretty versus ugly vegetable sales, as I felt they only wanted it to confirm their current beliefs and practice.
Besides if some of the vegetables are not fit for customers eyes then why not make them into soups and sauces to sell. Such soups could be frozen and given away to food help charities, served in the shops cafes or donated to food banks. It is a sad world that discards such quantities of food when others need it.

If an allotment grown vegetable ever turns out to be that ugly I guess it could always play a starring role on a bloggers website but so far I have not discovered one.

New Challenges, Trying to Grow Different Things for Meals.

2015-11-09T10:57:00.003+00:00

The Beetroot Novice.

The first time you attempt to grow something that you have never tried before is always interesting and adds a bit to the 'drama' to the monitoring of how well is it doing.

This year must have been a good one for anyone growing beetroot in the area where my allotment is or I may have just had beginner's luck, because as a novice I have managed to raise enough to give some away. Not sure why I did not grow it before but it will be a regular now on the plot. This year's crop came about because a nearby plot holder gave me some beetroot seedlings that did not look very promising to begin with.

The Leeks have also done well and they will make a tasty addition to soups and other meals.

I am not so sure about the Brussel sprouts as these where firstly invaded by the Cabbage White butterfly who got in under the net and donated numerous eggs, which then grew into an army of caterpillars, though small in size they where large in numbers. I picked them off, shaking the sprout stems to dislodge as many as I could, also spraying water over the plants to disclose those in hiding. Now the sprouts seem to be home to a number of baby snails hiding in the foliage, hopefully not yet in the tiny sprouts that are forming. I will try to pick the tiny culprits off , because chemical spraying etc. or slug pellets are not things I am willing to use on or near my allotment crops or even in my flower garden. I have no wish to harm the beneficial creatures just to rid my plot of pests. The balance seems to have worked so far, again on the win some lose some principal.

Five things you quickly discover about allotments.

2015-10-22T13:51:00.004+01:00

Five things you never knew before you started to growing things
/ working on an allotment.

1/ The weeds have more stamina and tricks than you do.
They will appear even when growing conditions are poor.

2/ You win some and lose some.
Because the weather will play tricks on your planting times and growing seasons and some crops are not affected but others are.

3/ Soon you discover you hate to waste anything you have grown.
You will become ingenious at coping with gluts.

4/ The distance to the allotment's water tap gets further away -
every time you make a trip back to the plot with full watering cans.

5/ Some crops will grow even if you break the so called rules.
Other crops just give in and disappear.

2015-09-28T14:50:00.003+01:00

Almost the end of September and two crops seem to like the weather the last few weeks, my beetroots and leeks are doing well. Then again so are the weeds this year which is not so good as it means work on the plot will be needed to try to remove as many as possible before the really cold weather starts. Is it not always the same, win some lose some.

September thoughts.

2015-09-14T17:10:00.001+01:00

September, thoughts on crops.

The weather wins this year in the attempts to grow some things, but there are somethings that have grown to triumph over the oddities of the weather.

A good crop of apples.
Some very nice Tayberries ( I want to plant another of these) which seem to suit the allotment soil and growing conditions.
Redcurrants ( after netting).
Peas.

Still looking OK : leeks, beetroot, sprouting broccoli.
Possibly sprouts but the caterpillars from the cabbage white butterfly that got under the net cloche may have harmed their potential.

I have managed to produce a good batch of compost that will be added to the plot in the coming months. Well, that is it for this update, things to do next.

Moving Compost from the Compost Heap to use on the plot.

2015-09-12T00:26:00.005+01:00

Digging out compost to add to the plot, this may not seem like an enjoyable task but seeing something useful that has been created from garden and kitchen waste is rewarding in a strange 'I made that' way. Well, I made it from rubbish with the help of some invisible 'composting alchemy'.

Autumn is the Time to Get the Allotment Ready for Next Year.

2015-09-04T09:59:00.001+01:00

Just a reminder to myself really that now is the time to put in the work on the plot that might result in a better start to next years growing season. Also need to keep an eye on the things that are still growing there, apples, Autumn raspberries, sprouts, beetroot and leeks as well as a few other vegetables.

Good News Fruit Picking, Bad News Weeds.

2015-07-17T11:16:00.003+01:00

Good Cropping but still Bad, Persistent Nuisance Weeds.
Busy times, picking fruit and then if not eaten same day preparing it to store in freezer or fridge.
While at the same time, I am aware of the need to tackle the thriving weeds that live at the edges of the plot.

The bindweed and the weed called marestail continue to pop up in some areas of the allotment, even the most cultivated and used areas of the plot which is annoying, with care I can hoe the tops off both until after I have harvested the crops. Obviously, if I can extract the bindweed with its root, then that is the best way to deal with it.

I know that I will have to spend time doing yet another battle (but a lesser one than in past years) with the persistent weeds and that will be after the main growing season ends.
I can see that there are less weeds than when I took over the plot but it is still irritating to see them return year after year. I do not really like the idea of using machinery to prepare an allotment plot when you take it on but I do see how it might work for some people.

Eventually, I would like to get to the no-dig plan for my allotment but it will not be suitable for it at the moment.

Why I Prefer Growing First and Second Early Potatoes.

2015-07-11T08:26:00.000+01:00

I like to dig up my first and second early potatoes as and when I need them.

One of the advantages of growing these varieties rather than main crop potatoes is that you do not have to store them.

Early potatoes taste really great eaten shortly after digging them up. You can (if need be) harvest them all at once but I like the way the first ones you get out of the soil are small and a treat, especially if at that time similar potatoes are at a premium price in the shops.

Obviously the longer you leave your potatoes in the ground the larger they become. The larger size potatoes are still good and tasty. The slightly larger potatoes are nice for roasting and (now and then) they are great sliced and gently fried in a just enough oil to stop them sticking to the pan.

A bonus with growing potatoes that are out of the ground early summer is that as the area on the plot is cleared it gives me space to plant up other things, the main crop potatoes are still using up space on other peoples' plots.

Most years the first and second early potatoes are out of the ground before the signs of blight and other potato problems have started to appear.

Of course not ever potato you dig up will look perfect. Ugly Potatoes.

Things like a bit of scab marking the skin or a scar from catching them with the tool that you dig them up with does not make them inedible. I use up the scarred potatoes as soon as possible and cut out that bit. Scab is harmless and is simply removed in the pre-cooking prep stage,

Taste the Difference, Healthy Eating, Home Grown.

2015-07-07T08:30:00.001+01:00

Protecting, Picking, Eating Home Grown.

The recent rain has given me a respite from having to water the plot.
More good news is that the crops this year are good and really full of flavour.

New Potatoes.

The potatoes we are eating ( Charlotte) have that taste and texture that shop bought ones fail to deliver.

If I had to describe the difference in my home grown potatoes to purchased ones, I would say when cooked they have a slightly earthy taste. Unless you make the mistake of over cooking them they are also perfect with salads as they do not fall apart.

Fruit Crops. Redcurrant, Blackcurrants and White Currant.

For me the picking, eating and storing of these are now coming to an end.
The crops from the currant bushes have made it worth the effort of netting them, although at the time it took time and seemed a struggle to do so.

Netting the fruits is not something I have mastered, as I want a cheap and versatile way of doing it.

In the end I used a black pond type netting, which I supported on garden canes ( tall enough to lift them net well above the top of the fruit bushes. On top of each bamboo cane I put an upside down empty detergent bottle to support the net and to prevent it sliding down the cane.

Although my crop protection was not the most elegant of the methods available it did work well to save the fruit from becoming breakfast for the birds.

How do I use the blackcurrants and redcurrants ?

(Did you know that research has shown blackcurrants have more antioxidants than blueberries?)

I eat some freshly picked, make some into a very tasty compote and also freeze some down in usable quantities in freezer bags or containers.
Sometimes, I cook the fruits and then freeze the cooked fruit or compote down.

My Summer Strawberries.

My strawberry plants are in a raised bed and I have never used straw beneath them.
This year I did scatter straw under the fruits. Maybe it was the addition of the straw or just the wet weather but whatever, this was a year when snails and some slugs found a new home in the strawberry raised bed. I discarded the fruits they had feasted on but still had a good crop to use in the kitchen.

I like to cook up any slightly over ripe strawberries and then use this to make milkshakes or to eat with breakfast cereals or even spread on toast.

I just put the strawberries in a pan with a small amount of sugar and sometimes I add a very small quantity of water and cook until they reach the texture I want ( making them softer for milkshakes and less so for breakfast times).

Harvesting Fruits and Getting Things Done.

2015-06-29T20:55:00.003+01:00

More harvesting from the fruit bushes today, some blackcurrants and then noticed some strawberries where ready too. Also I did lots of demanding jobs, like carting watering cans back and forth to the tap, weeding around and between the rows the plants are growing in and tidying up in general.

Poor Sandy Soil.

2015-06-29T20:51:00.002+01:00

One advantage of a light sandy type soil is that it is not as heavy to work as a clay type.

A disadvantage of growing things in sandy soil is how poor it is at holding onto moisture. Even after recent rain my allotment soil is like trying to break through something that has all the particles locked together. Not easy to dig out new potatoes with my sandy soil in a dry 'locked out' state. Still after scraping away at the top layer I managed to unearth some beautiful new potatoes and they are now going to be an enjoyable part of our family meals.

Of course, adding good things like compost and manure helps to improve sandy soils but it is the quantity needed that is the problem.

Thoughts on New Potatoes.

2015-06-28T09:15:00.003+01:00

Charlotte potatoes remain one of my favourite varieties to grow.

Reasons I like to grow First Early Potatoes.

Home grown Charlotte potatoes are out of the ground before blight has a chance to strike ( most years but the British weather is strange and one year we had to harvest early as the leaves started to show signs of being attacked) .

The earlies are a treat to have as there is no need to store you can dig them out or unearth a few at a time when you want to, once they are ready.

Left a bit longer they get a bit bigger and the first smaller ones are really nice.

Charlotte potatoes are a great ones for serving with salads and have that slightly 'earthy' taste that home grown new potatoes should have. They are 'classified' as waxy which indicates types suitable for eating simply boiled and served as they are with butter and maybe cooked with a sprig of mint. However I have had no problem roasting them and cooking them in other ways but think it would be a waste of the variety to mash them. They are never in the ground long enough to grow to a size needed for large baking potatoes. 'Floury varieties' of potatoes, can work better for mashes and baking and the types that mature later can often be stored while early types are best eaten close to the time when you lift them.

Warm Weather - rich pickings fruits ripening fast.

2015-06-26T14:00:00.004+01:00

Just when time needs to be spent watering, weeding and tending the vegetables planted along come the fruits to harvest. They suddenly need picking faster than I can keep up.

Heavy cropping is always good news, but prepping fruits to freeze for later or cooking up things also takes up valuable time. Right now I am going to pick the next lot, just spent ages sorting yesterdays, getting them ready to freeze them.