Tomatoes, Carrots & Freezers

Down to the plot in a break between showers late afternoon. There’s not a lot I can do outside when it’s wet but the good news is I’m pretty up to date, so not a huge amount to do outside anyway. At least not until we have a better day.

I did have instructions to bring back a couple of carrots for a shepherd’s pie, the maincrops are in the raised bed on plot 5. The Healthmaster, a dark purple carrot, that I did so well with last year was a bit of a disappointment this year. Fairly small and one was very forked, still the Senior have done well. I don’t think you can get Senior anymore but the old seed has done very well for me.

You never know, the next ones I harvest could be the other way around.

Over to the greenhouses on plot 29 next. I took about a dozen reasonable sweet peppers off the plants in there. There are some small ones still growing on, maybe they’ll be a reasonable size before the end of the season.

The tomatoes are going over now, discoloured leaves and so forth. I cut off a lot of foliage to allow air and whatever sunshine there may be to get to the fruit and got a good half carrier bag full to take home. My tomatoes in the small greenhouse were grown from sideshoots taken from the Gardener’s Delight but they’re looking really poor. Larry has tomatoes struck from cuttings in his polytunnel and they’re looking excellent. Val says I must pick his brains and find out his secret.

I got a pretty nice cucumber as well, the Carmen are a nice cucumber but mine doesn’t look like the one photographed below. Same variety but that one won the National Vegetable Society championships in Harrogate. Maybe next year!

Val made the shepherd’s pie using up some of the ropier Sarpo potatoes I brought home the other day. She’d got a reduced pack of mince, which was the only bought in part of the meal, all the rest we grew ourselves. She made two, one for now and one for the freezer. Nothing wrong with ready meals, if you make them yourself is our philosophy.

Talking of freezers, my ongoing study of the running costs is interesting to say the least. So far the chest freezer is by far the cheapest to run. The slightly smaller frost-free upright costs way over double as much to run and the old upright in the garage is the most expensive. However, the Savaplug seems to make a big difference to the running costs. The study isn’t finished yet, about another week to go and then I’ll write a detailed article.

A sort of good news / bad news thing, my book is out of stock at the wholesalers. The good news is that sales have exceeded expectations and yet another re-print is under way. The bad news is I may run out before the re-print is delivered. I’ll put a note up on the order page if need be.

Had an email from Thompson & Morgan. They’ve got a sale on, quite a few things half price, which is good. The bad news – they’re flowery things. I don’t know, I suppose someone has to grow flowery things.

Posted in Allotment Garden Diary
3 comments on “Tomatoes, Carrots & Freezers
  1. Peggy Mack says:

    Thank you for your most informative and cheery comments. Even the bad sounds good from you! Haven’t an allotment,only a garden but just retired and got rid of my Leylandii, bought top soil and hey! Nature loves my topsoil. New greenhouse too and just starting Val’s green tomato chutney recipe but without chillis, cloves or a muslin bag. Fingered crossed for me there! Have just bought Jeyes fluid so plan to clear out the greenhouse tomorrow. I live in Scotland (outside Glasgow) so the growing season is limited. Will be back on your site. Im SO glad I found it! Thanks! Peggy Mack

  2. Martin says:

    Hi John, you can get carrot Senior from D.T.Brown’s http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/catalogue/product/2068-8/

  3. John says:

    Thanks Martin!

    Peggy – at last you have time for the important things like your garden. Hope the tomato chutney turns out right for you.

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