Harvest at the beginning of the week
The runner and French beans are at last coming into production and not before time. So far the only variety of French bean to produce anything for picking is Cobra.
Although the soft fruit/berries ripened more or less on schedule, other fruit seems to be in the doldrums. Impatiently we picked some apples but although they are rosy red they are not yet ripe.
The yellow Oullins Gage plums which should have be ripening steadily are now starting to fall off the tree and the wasps are homing in. We can't blame them as they are really delicious.
The nectarines in the greenhouse are also falling off the tree - this week we have had four which to be honest after trying the first two were a disappointment. They were really juicy but hadn't developed the flavour that we were expecting. As these are the first fruits from this tree we were hoping that this isn't the norm. Then we tried a third which this time didn't disappoint not quite the wow factor but better. We think that the tree prematurely aborted the fruit before they were properly ripe.
We also picked a couple of peaches that something had nibbled but again these were not quite ripe and the flavour hadn't developed.
The tomatoes are now ripening but strangely the first to ripen were growing on the plants outdoors. These were the worst plants put straight in the ground on the plot to take their chances rather than throwing them away. They have been given no attention or feed and left to get on with it. We fully expected them to be killed by blight but so far this year we have been blight free.
Outdoor tomatoes
The stronger growing garden greenhouse plants are planted in good quality compost, been cosseted and subjected to a regular feeding and watering regime and are now also producing fruit.
Garden greenhouse tomatoes
Third in the race to produce ripe tomatoes is the plot greenhouse.
All the autumn onions have now been lifted. They have done really well - even the red ones that can be awkward - and have produced good sized bulbs. Some went to seed and so have a hard core but are still useable. The summer onions won't be far behind and are nearly ready to be lifted.
All the autumn onions have now been lifted. They have done really well - even the red ones that can be awkward - and have produced good sized bulbs. Some went to seed and so have a hard core but are still useable. The summer onions won't be far behind and are nearly ready to be lifted.
Harvest at the end of the week
The potatoes dug this week were grown under weed control fabric. Last week's potatoes were grown more conventionally and provided a direct comparison. As Martyn reported in this post there was little difference in terms of yield or damage.
As in previous weeks the salad bar is keeping us supplied with daily lunch-time salad ingredients with mini cucumbers coming thick and fastl
Our complete August so far harvest is listed here
Posts
I always look forward to your weekly harvests-they are very impressive (and frankly--BEAUTIFUL!)
ReplyDeleteYou bring gardening to a whole new level--I am impressed.
And as an aside-my best potato harvests always come from unattended plants. Why is that!?!
Maybe the plants know best Sue, our potatoes get very little attention no watering however dry
DeleteWow, a fabulous harvest. I've grown Cobra beans this year and they're doing brilliantly, I'll definitely grow them again. The plums look delicious. I ate my single plum the other day, it was fabulous. Something else had had a little nibble and it had fall off the tree, but what I had was lovely. I have high hopes for next year.
ReplyDeleteMany of our plums are nibbled CJ we always cut them in half before eating just in case
DeleteYou will feast like kings and queens! Great harvest, and a good variety too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Debs
DeleteI always love your harvest photos. You have such a great variety of fruit. I picked the first of my apples too. They also aren't quite ripe.
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to be more patient Daphne
DeleteIt's at this time of the year I regret not growing at least one or two veg or fruit. I should really try to change that and make a bit of an effort.
ReplyDeleteGreat harvest, tasty by the sounds of things too. I hope the nectarines and peaches improve as your trees age Sue. It would be a real shame should they not.
It's not an age issue Angie as we had one or two peaches the first year that we planted the tree and they were delicious.
DeleteLovely harvest Sue. I picked a few beans earlier to add to a curry & the plums will be picked soon to make jam. I hope your peaches & nectarines improve, my peaches are still small I don't think I'm being ruthless enough with the thinning. x
ReplyDeleteWe aren't ruthless enough either, Jo - I mean what if you thin the fruits and then some drop off?
DeleteWhat a shame about the plums not being ripe enough. I lost all the fruit off one of my plums trees, it all dropped, probably a hundred odd plums as I had been so busy, I lost the lot to wasps and it was a nightmare trying to walk past it with the wasps and all, still I have another plum tree full of unripe fruit....
ReplyDeleteOh...those onions are marvelous, serious onion envy here! I still await the first ripe tomato....sighs...
You two must be the healthiest people on the planet with all this home grown fruit and veg!xxx
It was the peaches and nectarines that weren't ripe enough, Dina the plums were fine. The wasps are a problem though - great care is needed when picking,
DeleteIf only lots fruit and veg was the key to perfect health
My beans are just starting to produce now too, they're later this year but then they were sown later. I think my peaches are going to be a failure this year, there's fruit on the tree but it just hasn't grown. I think I need to do a bit of research.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the weather this year hasn't been peachy in more ways than one, Jo
DeleteYour harvest is as impressive as ever Sue.
ReplyDeleteThank you Alain
DeleteJust realized that I missed this post - all that harvesting/processing is distracting me. Such beautiful onions; and lucky you to be avoiding blight. Looks like early blight has found our tomato beds and all the recent rain isn't helping matters at all.
ReplyDeleteThe last couple of days have been ideal for blight so maybe on our next plot visit things won't be so rosy.
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