Selfsufficientish.com

Odsox, why the trouble in storing onions? Mine just about keep until the following July (red ones a month earlier) and shallots even longer. I keep them in a well ventilated greenhouse.

Because of my weird climate Graham.
Onions in the garden just don't stop growing, hence they don't ripen up. It doesn't matter how many times I bend the tops over, they just straighten themselves up again, and if I half pull them up .. the re-root themselves again.
If I left them, they would still have green healthy tops in December.

This year I grew a few in the polytunnel and they seem to have ripened nicely. Only trouble is I keep using them for cooking instead of leaving them to see how long they store.

Shallots on the other hand die off of their own accord about now regardless, and so ripen up. So now I use the onions first and leave the shallots for later in the new year.

was greeted by the delightful sight of three rows of rampant broad beans, like so many smooth naked circumcised winkies nodding up at me tonight. Marvellous. And more peas than even I can eat in one sitting! Blackcurrants, red goosegogs, beetroots, oriental lettuces....num num num

Chantenay carrots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Garlic is now all dried, cucumbers from the hanging baskets . And we just ate our firts yellow corgette finally!

kompost krazy wrote:...my french beans (Cherokee trail of tears, Soldier, and Borlotto lingua di fuoco) are coming on-stream.

I don't think I'll grow 'Soldier' beans again. They grow quite large, compared with the 'Cherokee' beans, but they're not as nice, being a bit stringy and tough. The Cherokees, by contrast, are tender and delicious, and though individually smallish, the plants are very productive: I grew them last year, and had more of them than I knew what to do with at the height of their harvesting period, and they just kept on coming until the frosts. If anyone wants to try them, go to www.realseeds.co.uk. I think they are also sometimes available from the Heritage Seed Library.

My courgettes (Tondo di Picenza, a spherical variety, also from Real Seeds) are just starting to be available.

courgettes, cucumbers, courgettes, cucumbers, artichoke, courgettes, cucumbers, beans, courgettes, cucumbers, salad, courgettes, cucumbers, calabrese, carrots, courgettes cucumbers, tomatoes........ you get the idea.

But melons coming, now the size of tennis balls.

Green curly kale, Nero di Toscano kale, Spuds, Strawberries, Raspberries, salads, Rainbow chard. We had the first floret from the summer purple sprouting broccoli yesterday.

Now will the courgettes get on with doing their thing and make us some fruits, they've not flowered yet (though the plants are from a late sowing because the first plants got slugged).

grahamhobbs wrote:courgettes, cucumbers, courgettes, cucumbers, artichoke, courgettes, cucumbers, beans, courgettes, cucumbers, salad, courgettes, cucumbers, calabrese, carrots, courgettes cucumbers, tomatoes........ you get the idea.

But melons coming, now the size of tennis balls.

Ha ha yes I have a fridge full of courgettes and cucumbers!

My first melon fruit are only golf ball size so you are ahead of me but they did take absolutely ages to get going.

MMM, are you only growing the Petit Gris de Rennes or other varieties as well? I started with Ogden and the Petit Gris, but the Petit Gris was always much weaker and as soon as I planted them out the slugs demolished the Petit Gris leaving the stronger Ogden which has romped away.

Courgettes, peas, onions, cherry plums

I just found my first butternut! Obviously its not ready yet but good to see them going strong! Yay! :)

Have some sizeable pumpkins already but haven't noticed any butternuts as yet, must look out for them.

grahamhobbs wrote:MMM, are you only growing the Petit Gris de Rennes or other varieties as well? I started with Ogden and the Petit Gris, but the Petit Gris was always much weaker and as soon as I planted them out the slugs demolished the Petit Gris leaving the stronger Ogden which has romped away.

I only sowed Petit Gris but I have one self seeded one which could well be a Charentais.....

First time I've had melons self seeding, but we haven't had such hot weather for so long since ... hmmmmm.... back in 2005 I think!

I actually pruned one of the melons but after the first cut couldn't remember exactly at which point to cut the next two shooting stems (it was in my gardening magazine but I was too lazy to go look back thru the back issues!) and that's actually the one which is furthest ahead with fruit development. Normally I just leave them to just grow naturally. And since I posted before they have grown quite a lot bigger!

By the way where did you find Petit Gris seeds for sale? I have never seen any so I saved my own seed.

I am harvesting all sorts of different tomatoes (all the big un's came good with no green collar incl. beef ones ) of different shapes and sizes and colours.

Then I made the mistake of eating a supermarket one cos there were some left in the fridge..... oh yuck, it was really and truly horrible - mushy, tasteless, blimey you don't really notice until you eat a proper tomato.