October is here

October has arrived and I appear to have missed September, so to recap quickly. September is the month when a lot has finished or just coming to the end. 

The Pumpkins ripened and have now been give;to the grandchildren. Our butternut squash have been picked and have ripened. We had 8 this year and there are only 4 left so next year they get an extra bed.

The courgettes were hanging on but by late September they were not really growin so I harvested what I could and dug up the rest. This year I picked 104 apples from our young trees, these are in the green house on racks ready to fill the fruit bowl while the ones with bruises are used for Rambo our pony.

I still have leeks, carrots and Swiss chard growing as well as the brassicas, cauliflower,cabbage, Curly Kale and sprouts. The sprouts are non existent and will go to the chickens. They are still under nets but I think I am safe to put the nets away now the butterflies have gone.

The strawberry bed needs sorting out and once the leaves have died back I will be able to see how crowded it is and thin the plants out. 

Next year I am cutting back on the varieties I grow. Peas, field beans and broadbeans will be given the heave ho because of the space they take for the crop they produce. Next year more butternut squash and another squash variety because they keep well and they all get used. Beetroot, lettuce, chard, carrots and leeks are still in the plans as well as pumpkins for the kids. Courgettes are planned but the Crystal lemon cucumbers have gone. They were productive but only Sue ate them.

I will grow two new varieties of sweet peppers but the Chillis will be missed off because we have bags of them frozen from this year. Two types of tomato are planned, tigerella as the main crop and some tumblers for three baskets. This year we just had too many, froze them, gave them away etc.

Producing lots more

We have been away and we have come back to Tomatoes,ripe and ready to pick. The yellow courgettes have slowed a bit but last week we had a couple of yellow marrows and this week we have some more normal sized ones to cut.

There are still Beetroot ready and the first carrots were pulled up today. The potato tubs were emptied last week, there was not many but enough for a couple of meals per tub. Swiss Chard is still producing and the Leeks are looking good for this time of year.

The Pumpkins are about 10" across but still green and growing, I have three so the grandchildren can have one each. The butternut squash is doing better than last year , I have quite a few and some are nearly at full size as seen in Lidl. I am growing Crystal Lemon Cucumbers again this year but outside and they are producing lots of round yellow fruits.

The apples on the trees are starting to swell and it looks like a good crop again this year.

Peas harvested

The  peas were harvested yesterday and I cleared the ground to transplant some lettuce and some spare chillis and peppers from the greenhouse.

 

We also had a visit from a Grass Snake this morning.

Tigerella Tomatoes outside

Yellow Courgettes

Pumpkins

French Beans

Cherry Bomb Chilli

Pumpkin

Squash

Crystal Lemon Cucumbers just starting to fruit

Beetroot

Tomatoes and Chilli

Today I took a couple of pictures of my Garden Perle bush tomatoes that I have in hanging baskets, they have plenty of flowers and the fruit is on it's  way.

 

 

The Cherry Bomb Chillis that were over wintered indoors have done really well with lots of fruit and flowers. The first ones are now about to ripen.

 

We picked the broad beans yesterday, it was not the best harvest and I may give them a miss next year.

 

The first Strawberries

Today I picked our first strawberries, there was only 11 ready but it is a good sign. Everything else if growing well.

The French beans are steadily climbing the poles.

 

The Crystal Lemon cucumbers have taken and are starting to put a spurt of growth on.

 

With the courgettes the first one transplanted out has some small fruit showing.

 

The Pumpkins for Halloween are still a bit subdued but they are not in the sunniest place and are currently surrounded with ornamental poppies.

 

The three Squash plants have settled but they have a long way to go.

 

Swiss Chard is being cut as needed and also cut and frozen when it out grows our need.

 

The tomatoes in baskets were a bit shaken by the winds last week but no broken trusses so they will pick up. The other tomatoes both inside and out are about at the three truss stage. So far, apart from the peas that took a beating from the pigeons everything appears ok.

 

The first Beetroot is nearly ready to harvest.

 

The lettuce are growing very well now they are protected from the ducks.

 

I planted three potatoes that had chitted indoors into each of four containers. The potatoes were normal eating potatoes from ASDA so I don't know what variety they are but they are growing well.

 

Transplanting day

French Climbing Beans

Yesterday was rained off and tomorrow is forecast to be the same. Today is sunshine and it is the day to plant out the final Courgettes, Butternut Squash and French Beans. My third batch of min corn needs to go out although I would have liked it to be a bit bigger to avoid the mice.

Squash and Cucumbers not quite ready

Sunflowers

Natsurtians

Chilli, Purple Tiger & Paper Lantern

In the Greenhouse I will then be able to get the pepper and Chilli in their final pots ready to be put outside. The tomatoes in hanging baskets have been out a few days and have not been affected by the wind and rain.

Chilli and Peppers, Cherry Bomb, Purple Tiger, Jalapeno, Paper Lantern and Mini Bell Pepper

 

Tomato Money Maker and Mini Bell Pepper on the Patio

Cherry Bomb Chilli moved outside.

Pumpkins transplanted

After three days away we were confronted by some wilting peppers in the conservatory. Before we left some leaves were curling. I put it down to heat or sun scorch. I have cut the dead leaves off, the rest of the plants look ok.

The carrots are starting to show, so I will sow some more.

Courgette

Pumpkin

 It is also time to thin out the greenhouse. I transplanted 1 Courgette outside along with 2 Pumpkin plants. This week I need to get the peppers and Chilli sorted. The larger ones are nearly big enough for the 10" pots. I also have some brassicas that will need moving from cells to pots or larger seed cells.

Mini Pop Corn

Strawberries in flower

The Potatoes in tubs are just showing

Peas

The greenhouse also needs setting up with the water trays to help when we are away.

May is when things start to move

 

The bees are hatching from the bee house as the sun has become warmer. The Cherry Bomb Chilli plants in the conservatory are changing from flowering to producing fruit.

Cherry Bomb Chilli

The greenhouse is full of seedlings and we are at the point where Cosmos and Marigolds have sprouted, hanging flower baskets have been planted and are hanging in the GH waiting for the warmer weather. The Pumpkins now have the first pair or real leaves and the Squash seedlings are not far behind. Courgette germination is a bit mixed but the first seedling now has three real leaves and needs repotting or planting out. Yesterday I prepared the ground for the Squash, Pumkins and Courgettes. Holes were dug and filled with compost and chicken manure pellets, ready for the plants.

Marigolds

Pumpkins

Strawberries are beginning to flower and it is possible to see the different varieties. Our peas are going skyward and the climbing frames are coming into their own. My climbing French Beans have got the first real leaves and I have another batch of reserves still to germinate. Last year we had eight plants which was just enough, this year I have 14 with another 10 sown. If all goes well the ten 'poles' will each have two plants. I may need a bigger freezer.

The Broadbeans are now 18" tall and this weekend the support string will be rigged.

The disappointment so far is the mini pop corn, batch one did not germinate, batch two did germinate but the mice ate 85%. Batch three have not germinated yet, but they are in coir pots so they will be much bigger when they are planted out.

French Beans

Tomatoes in Baskets

Strawberries in flower

Field Beans and Broad Beans

More Sowing and Transplanting

My second lot of peas have sprouted and the germination rate is 100%, they were growing well so I took the opportunity to transplant them to their final position.

Swiss Chard, Leeks and Beetroot are a bit slow but the brassicas have now germinated.

The new chickens have arrived

The others sowings today were French Beans, Courgettes, Squash, Pumpkin and Crystal Lemon cucumber in the greenhouse. They are a little early probably a week but I want to make sure they germinate in case I have to resow like last year and then they were behind, and they did not catch up very well.

Tomatoes, Peppers  and Chilli are strong with a couple of Chilli varieties a bit slower, Paper Lantern and Purple Tiger.

 

I sowed two beds of Broad Beans and one of Field beans, they were doing very well and then the mouse found them. Not a total loss but a bit of a disappointment.

The Strawberries are starting to show signs of life.