The Leek Harvest

We have a 35 acre field full of leeks across the road from us but as they have not started harvesting them yet we cannot go gleaning the ones the supermarkets don't want.

A Few Left

So it is up to the veg garden and dig up the metre square bed we have grown this year. I transplant the leeks individually so they are spaced properly etc yet the ones in the field that are sown by machine are far better, even though they can be touching.

The Leek Crop

I checked the Brocolli and it is slowly developing , the heads are about the size of golf balls so far.

Brocolli

Planning for Next Year

I start planning as soon as the autumn arrives, and then I continue to tweek the plans as different ideas come to mind or I am taken by what someone else has done.
All the beds were planned but I have now decided to make a few changes.

• Beetroot will be grown along the edges of the courgette bed
• Peas will have a full 3mtr bed and some form of structure
• The French Beans will get 2 beds this year.
• Kale,Cauliflower and Brussels will be grown in the Broad Bean bed once they have been harvested. 
• I currently have a spare bed but it may well get a pumpkin plant for the grand kids.
• Lettuce and Radish will again be grown around the edge of beds.

I think I am going to grow too many Peppers and Chilli but after this years disasterous results I want some spares.

The last Carrots

 

The last few carrots have been dug up and they will not win any medals but once cleaned they will be ok for tonight's supper. We still have a few leeks left along with kale,cabbage and Swiss chard. The Brussels have failed but are feeding the chickens. I also have cauliflower, more cabbage and broccoli that should be ready in the spring.

Cherry Bomb Chilli

At the end of the season I cut back a couple of cherry Bomb Chilli that were sown late last year and consequently they did not produce any fruit.
The idea was to hold them back so they have a head start in February 2017. Unfortunately they have other ideas and although in a cool room, they have continued to grow.
I took some pictures in an earlier post ,so you can compare the then and now pictures. I just hope the survive. They are in small pots now so come January/ February they will be repotted in 10" pots

October 2016 cut back for the winter

November 25th growing too well indoors.

My Orange tree was also brought indoors but it has not done much all year so we will see if it survives the winter.

Orange with a bit of leaf drop.

Clearing the Leaves

This weekend it was dry and reasonably warm for November. We had the grandchildren for a few hours. One wanted to kick a ball about and the youngest wanted to play 'tennis'.
However as with all kids they soon got bored so I decided that we could clear up the leaves. It would keep them busy for a while and help me out. Child labour is not normal practice but this should be classed as exercise and learning.
Sue took charge of a wheel barrow and the boys were incharge of filling it, while this was going on I got the mower out to 'hoover' up the leaves on the other lawn. I then went back and as the eldest was getting a little bored I showed him how to use the mower, with very close supervision. This was a great success and the lawns were soon clear of leaves. And even the youngest had a try but it was more about him chasing me and the mower.

Mild weather still here for a few days

I went outside this evening to look for the Super Moon but the clouds obscured it tonight. The temperature was 13.5c outside but rain and cold weather is forecast for later in the week.
The lawns are again covered with leaves which is a job for this week, plus the chickens need cleaning.
The weather has really fooled a lot of the plants, the nasturtiums are still growing, the strawberries had a few flowers last week which have now turned to fruit, and this is despite cutting them all back in September.

Time to Tidy

Begonias

The weather is not too bad today, about 7c but windy. I had Sue's begonias in the greenhouse and they really needed to be packed away.

The foliage fell away but a few corms were still damp so they have been cleaned up and moved to the garage which is a bit warmer and never gets below about 2c.

Once that job was done it was apparent that I should make an effort and tidy and sweep the greenhouse.

Bee Hotel Full

Fully Booked Hotel

Tidying up the garden ready for the real winter to come. uncover the Bee Hotel from behind a climber and apart from one 'room' it is fully booked for the winter.

I am no bee expert but judging by the different coloured cell caps it may have been used by different bees through the summer.

Once the bees have hatched and dug their way out I will take it to bits and clean it ready for the next batch, but that won't be until April/May next year.

Over Winter Pepper and Chilli plants

This year I grew some new chilli and peppers. To be honest they were nearly all a waste of time. The large bell pepper , California, never got going and the odd fruit was about 5cm long and none ripened. I had some mini bell peppers to try and they produced lots of small bell peppers and a lot ripened to red, outside on the patio.
My chilli , fire basket, were mixed, one plant produced an abundance of fruit to replicate the picture on the packet,however none of the chilli, whatever colour had any heat at all.

Fire Basket totally heatless

My daughter bought some stuffed chilli peppers in oil from Lidl, they were brilliant, so into research mode and I found that they were Cherry Bomb peppers. I ordered some seeds although it was June I thought I would sow four seeds just as an experiment. It was too late for them to produce fruit but I read a blog ,http://marksvegplot.blogspot.co.uk/, where Mark had overwintered some chilli plants.

So I thought I would give it a go. Last month I cut them back and removed nearly all the leaves and transferred them indoors. They seem to like it indoors and they have started to shoot, so I will move them to a cooler room in the hope it slows them down until after Christmas.

Cherry Bomb Chilli Peppers

The Slug Patrol is out

Today we have a few things to do for work but hopefully the weather this morning looks good and rain will move in this afternoon.

The grass is long but too wet to mow and in places all you can see is leaves, so that is one job.

Before the Clean Up

After the clean up but the leaves are still dropping

Another Lawn tidied

The ducks are on Slug patrol but seem more interested in being on the pond.we have three chickens for eggs and they are out and about today, although confined to the end of the garden.

Slug Patrol

November and there are still wasps about on the fallen apples. They flew off as I took a picture. 

Another job is to clear the beetroot bed, they will be too hard to eat now.

The Wasps were there

The Frost has gone

The first Frost of the year this morning. It soon went and although sunny there a chill factor. I collected all the apples ready for storing. Some will be in a wooden apple tray and the slightly marked ones will be in the greenhouse.

There is not a lot to do now apart from harvesting the odds and ends of the veg. Then it is all hands on deck to clear the leaves from the middle lawn before the moss tries to take over this shady patch of grass.

Finishing Off the Season

November 1st and the winter is nearly here. After a walk around the vegetable patch I have the following still growing.
Brussel Sprouts are filling out, Kale and Cabbage are ready along with Swiss Chard, Leeks and Carrots. There are some beetroot left but they may be getting a bit hard.
Scattered around there are still a few lettuce but we have not had a frost yet, although one is forecast for tonight.

I should get the apple crop in this week and store in the greenhouse or garage.

 

The weather this morning is Foggy with thick Cloud forecast during the day and a possible Frost tonight

 

Kale

Mixture of Kale, Cabbage and Cauli with a few lettuce still growing