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Post by houpla on Aug 21, 2022 20:48:02 GMT 1
meanwhile , back in the garden there have been no sightings of tree frogs this year , although you rarely see them , just hear them . I see them pretty regularly as they live in the watering cans on the terrace
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Post by houpla on Aug 21, 2022 20:53:29 GMT 1
Things are doing better now it's cooled down a bit and we've had 22mm of rain over 10 days. Especially the weeds Harvesting a manageable amount of courgettes, peppers, aubergines, toms, carrots, kohl rabi and beetroot. Rescued most of the pears from the frelons so they've moved onto the figs and grapes. It's going to be a winter, not of discontent, but litres of potimarron and butternut squash soup! And chestnuts, walnuts, pecans and noisettes
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Nifty
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Post by Nifty on Aug 22, 2022 4:13:33 GMT 1
When I lived at Carol in the Ariege the noise that the frogs made when they were at it was almost deafening. One could hear them at a distance of about half a k. perhaps much further. I was able to identify different types.They could also get pretty rowdy at munchitados and other such events. so how many " types" could you identify and which were they ?
I searched for munchitados , couldn't find anything ,is that Portugues?
I haven’t a clue but have edited my post it order to try and make it slicker. At the munchitado in Artigat (famed for being the home of a famous Frog called Martin) they used to try and stuff the punters with vast quantities of cassoulet and wine of interesting provenance, though, it was an effective paint stripper. At Fossat, just down the road, the food tended to be better, but, the wine supplied by Monsieur Soula was even more questionable. Years ago he was prosecuted by the Prefect for watering it down. We spent an enchanting evening there being entertained by a world renown accordionist Frog, Alain Musichini. However, nothing compares with going to the hop at Bajou.
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Post by cernunnos on Aug 22, 2022 9:11:40 GMT 1
No change in the garden , all that has been watered is doing well. Rasberries producing good and it looks like a good walnut crop this Autumn .
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JohnnyD
Member
Mayenne (53) When Covid allows..........Which isn't very often these days........
Posts: 2,015
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Post by JohnnyD on Aug 22, 2022 13:53:28 GMT 1
If the apples are maggotty it is likely to be codling moth. Grease bands don't really help. Clear the infected fruit and bin it. Get some pheromone traps on Amazon or in a GC and hang them in the trees in early spring next year. They catch the male moths, so no mothy hanky-panky and no larvae. I think you can still get permethrine or cypermethrine but the traps are still useful as a heads-up when the moths are active. If it's scab or bitter pit, a fungicide spray or watering with diluted Epsom salts are the respective 'cures' I think it might be scab from what you say Houpla.....lost the whole tree......
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Post by houpla on Aug 22, 2022 17:41:05 GMT 1
Some varieties are more susceptible than others. This link might help...https://www.rhs.org.uk/disease/apple-and-pear-scab It's fungal, so clear up fruit and leaves as much as possible and try Bouille Bordelaise (Bordeaux mixture).
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Post by cernunnos on Aug 23, 2022 20:33:59 GMT 1
Swallow families forming up above our garden this lunch time , a bit early but they may be fed up with the lack of food due to the drought?
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Post by jackie on Aug 24, 2022 17:23:12 GMT 1
What a year for tomatoes! Usually blight strikes early in damp Brittany but not this year. Freezer is filling up with soup and pasta sauces.
A great, simple recipe for a pasta sauce recipe:
900g fresh skinned tomatoes or 500g tinned 75g Butter I onion peeled and cut in half salt to taste
Bung everything in a pan and cook uncovered at a slow steady simmer, bashing the toms up with a spoon from time to time. Discard onion.
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Nifty
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Post by Nifty on Aug 24, 2022 20:18:04 GMT 1
We have no garden but have been given lots of very good tomatoes. Ah! I forgot about Basil.
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Post by houpla on Aug 24, 2022 20:39:34 GMT 1
What a year for tomatoes! Usually blight strikes early in damp Brittany but not this year. Freezer is filling up with soup and pasta sauces. A great, simple recipe for a pasta sauce recipe: 900g fresh skinned tomatoes or 500g tinned 75g Butter I onion peeled and cut in half salt to taste Bung everything in a pan and cook uncovered at a slow steady simmer, bashing the toms up with a spoon from time to time. Discard onion. I only found out last year that a slo-cooker is ideal for making tomato concentrate Won't be needing it this year, though. The soil in the polytunnel is utterly tired and the ridiculous heat has done for even heat-tolerant toms.
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Post by cernunnos on Aug 25, 2022 8:37:08 GMT 1
We juice a lot of our tomatoes for Winter use, using an Italian machine tht removes skins and pips . Jen put 9 liters in the deepfreezer yesterday. Probably the best year that we have had for tomatoes, and garden in general.
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exile
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Massif Central
Posts: 2,693
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Post by exile on Aug 25, 2022 10:02:19 GMT 1
Our preferred method for making passata is to gently cook the tomatoes - skins and all. Once completely soft, cool and allow to stand overnight in the fridge. This allows the colour in the skins to leach into the pulp. Then put the mix through a potato ricer.
Not up to 9 litres yet but getting there.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2022 10:37:49 GMT 1
After being away for almost two weeks everything looks qjite parched the weeds are doing well though.
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Post by cernunnos on Aug 25, 2022 20:40:25 GMT 1
Our preferred method for making passata is to gently cook the tomatoes - skins and all. Once completely soft, cool and allow to stand overnight in the fridge. This allows the colour in the skins to leach into the pulp. Then put the mix through a potato ricer. Not up to 9 litres yet but getting there. by the time the tomato season has finished we have 20/30 liters of tomato juice freezed in , it helps to keep us healthy all Winter. Harvested the first brown beans this morning , garlic will be planted in that plot next month.
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Post by jardiniere on Aug 26, 2022 10:55:12 GMT 1
Probably the best year that we have had for tomatoes, and garden in general. What do you put this down to, cernunnos? Not a great gardening year for most.
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