Last week we have only really harvested what we wanted to use or fruit that would spoil if left.
We have had vases of sweet peas all over the house and my sister has had bunches too. I don't know whether the weather has an effect but the stems seem to have lengthened again. The dark purple - Beaujolais - is the only disappointment. The three pears that managed to grow on the plot have now been harvested - in fact two of the three just dropped off the tree. Pears seem to be notoriously temperamental - at least the plot varieties are. The apples are much more accommodating.
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| 2 September |
Last year we had a total brassica failure at this time of the year but this year we seem to have avoided the club root affected areas and the calabrese in particular is keeping us well supplied.
I also think it is safe to say that we will be finding space for everbearing strawberries in our new strawberry patch next year.
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| 3 September |
We tried the first of our Issai kiwi berries. If you missed it I posted about these here. I thought that these had reached the size that they were meant to grow but now I understand that they should be the size of plums so maybe they need feeding up next year.
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| Kiwi berries - Issai |
The autumn raspberries, especially Joan J are now coming into their own. The yellow All Gold spoil too quickly so wouldn't be on my plant list if I was starting to plant again.
You may just be able to spot a small sprig of cobnuts in amongst the raspberries below. The bush has lots of nuts but I haven't a clue when to pick them. I bet the squirrels are clued up though! The sprig is a tester. Any advice in harvesting, storage etc. will be appreciated.
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| 7 September |
Posts
Re the Hazelnuts: I saw someone on Facebook writing last week about picking some from the wild, and then roasting them. This seems like a good thing to do if the nuts are perhaps a bit immature. If you leave them to fully mature the squirrels would almost certainly get them.
ReplyDeleteI've found that clusters of nits come off the tree easily like apples do when rope, Mark so I'm guessing this means they are ready.
DeleteThe calabrese looks great, I'm never very successful with brassicas for some reason. It's wonderful to be harvesting strawberries at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteThe calabrese is doing well, Jo - could club root be a problem?
DeleteI have problems before they're even planted out, either the seedlings end up withering away or the slugs get them.
DeleteYou always have such great harvests. I'm planing to harvest our apples tomorrow. They have started falling down.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the apples Leanan.
DeleteDo do get a reasonable harvest Sue - all down to your hard work, I'm sure. Those strawberries and raspberries look scrumptious!
ReplyDeleteIt;s a bountiful time of year Angie
DeleteGreat harvest Sue such a wide range of crops.
ReplyDeleteThanks Damo
DeleteAgain a harvest to make anyone green! Love those cabbages. I have never won a givaway before so I'm absolutely THRILLED! Thank you SO much, I'm off to trawl the site now, I'll be like a kid in a sweet shop. Well done to David too, bet he'll be thrilled as well.xxx
ReplyDeleteHope that you manage to get something nice, Snowbird
DeleteLovely harvests. And I can't wait until my broccoli is ready. I see little heads forming, but just barely, so I have a while.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't crop any broccoli last year, Daphne so this is a real treat.
DeleteAhh - hazelnuts. Several people are harvesting nuts right now - would love to have a nut tree but unless there are smaller and quick maturing varieties out there, it will probably never come to pass. And those strawberries - ahh - memories of spring. I see exactly two immature ones on my plants right now. Hopefully they will get a chance to ripen before the it gets too cold.
ReplyDeleteWe bought the Kentish cob in 2011 Margaret and it grows as a bush so not enormoius
DeleteHaving seen some cob nuts on the Heath several weeks ago, I found a video online where the farmer picks immature nuts and stores them in a cardboard box until they dry and are ready (he regularly turns them by hand to keep the air flowing). I'm amazed that you still have sweet peas, I gathered the last dry pods yesterday before pulling up the brown stems - what's your secret? That's a good looking harvest, I hope to have PSB by spring and will look into everbearing strawberries.
ReplyDeleteI've picked the nuts that came away easily and spread them on a wore try, Caro.
ReplyDeleteWe do tend to sow and plant sweet peas later than many and the cool, wet August has helped. Other than that we pick every flower before seeds set. We picked a bucketful yesterday
that is a fantastic looking crop the efforts of all your hard work this season, don`t know how you both find time to fit it all in, oh and thanks for the prize I wanted some nice tulips to plant in November.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy the tulips, David
DeleteGreat harvest, especially the sweet pea flowers. So colorful. Yes, your calabrese looks do amazing, I sowed some calabrese seeds last week, hope they will grow well like yours. In our hot climate, we the flower curds are usually smaller
ReplyDeleteGood lick with the cakabrese Endah
DeleteHi sue, sounds like we picked our nuts about the same time. I've found that after a few days spread on a tray they've ripened a bit and come out of the cases nicely. I'll post some pics soon on my blog :)
ReplyDeleteI picked more tdoay and they are spread out drying - some have already popped out of the husks.
DeleteYour sweet peas shame me Sue, I stopped picking mine regularly and they all went to seed, but hey, at least I should get free plants next year, though who knows what they will look like.
ReplyDeleteWe're picking a bucketful almost every other day, Janet
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