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Post by gigi on Oct 6, 2023 16:39:55 GMT 1
Had a full, productive day in the garden today....the first for several months Still having to water as no rain forecast for the foreseeable future, but the plants are much happier with sensible temperatures of 9C/26C. It's mostly harvesting this week as walnuts, chinese jujubes and persimmons are all ready. Next week will be major weed-control and planting onion sets, shallots, garlic, beans and peas, while the dry weather holds! What do you do with your kakis and jujubes, Houpla?
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Post by houpla on Oct 6, 2023 19:01:56 GMT 1
I originally tried bottling the jujubes, gigi. Still got jars from 2019 Now we just eat them fresh and in fruit salads. The jury's out on the kaki fruit. Although it's a fuyu tree, so the fruit aren't astringent, there's a fine line between them being ripe and the blasted frelons getting to them first. OH doesn't care much for them so they usually get disguised in the fruit salad too. The one 'exotic' fruit that I grow and absolutely love is loquat. There's never a surplus, though, as they flower in autumn and it's always touch and go whether a harsh frost will destroy the baby fruit during winter.
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Post by gigi on Oct 6, 2023 20:25:50 GMT 1
I did wonder; when passing gardens containing them both we’ve often been offered some to take with us, but they are usually refused. I think jakis look very attractive hanging from their bushes/trees.
Loquats, what I think we know as Japanese plums. Friends have a lot in their gardens in Beaune and years when they have a good crop and actually manage to keep them more or less to themselves, they are delighted - but usually they don’t get many. Their mantra is that if the frosts don’t get them, the hornets will!
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cernunnos
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Posts: 2,113
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Post by cernunnos on Jan 30, 2024 12:36:40 GMT 1
The lovely weather has started us planning for planting and sowing . No veg.plants at the garden centre yet , so we are going to start our own this week .
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Post by specsavers2 on Jan 30, 2024 12:48:03 GMT 1
The weeds and the grass are really starting to take off. This wee warm spell will push everything into more growth. Have we had the last of winter cold weather?
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Post by hughnique on Jan 30, 2024 12:59:09 GMT 1
I decided last year that I was giving up on growing fruit and veg, bolting radish crabby tomatoes, manky beetroot, the list goes on, don't even go to spring onions, they just do nothing at all. Coupled with the fact that when it is in season it's cheaper to go in the market and buy it all. I now have another war coming up with bloody moles, front "lawn", well it's green looks like a film set from the Somme, God knows how many there are
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Post by specsavers2 on Jan 30, 2024 13:09:06 GMT 1
Only needs one mole to make a hell of a mess. Bon chance
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exile
Member
Massif Central
Posts: 2,691
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Post by exile on Jan 30, 2024 13:44:13 GMT 1
I have been spending the last week preparing the new asparagus bed. It used to house the wood beams and flooring taken out during our renovation works. Over time nettles had set up home within the large pile. This is good news because nettles like well drained fertile soil - just what you need for asparagus. That is also bad news because I need to make sure all of the nettle roots are removed. Two large tubs of stones removed from 5cm to over 20cm size - I feel a bit more stone paving coming on this summer.
Next job: Dig a trench, fork the base if possible and assuming it is rotavate the bottom of the trench adding composted materials. Then just wait for the crowns to arrive in the shops.
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Post by houpla on Jan 30, 2024 15:19:39 GMT 1
Are you going for a green or white variety, exile?
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Post by ajm on Jan 30, 2024 15:46:24 GMT 1
Just finished mowing. Very early this year with the mild weather
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Post by houpla on Jan 30, 2024 18:07:09 GMT 1
I did my first cut of the year yesterday Mowing was fun, cleaning the deck of the sludge caused by worm casts, leaves and damp grass wasn't! I knew we should have bought one of those mowers that just tip up at the front for easy cleaning
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Post by glazedallover on Jan 30, 2024 19:14:23 GMT 1
I rather enjoyed watching my gardener working away today, whilst I sat in the sunshine with a nice chilled glass of rosé......
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Post by mangetout on Jan 30, 2024 19:38:41 GMT 1
I spent yesterday clearing part of my veg patch. Installed a plastic 3 metre cloche and planted salad and mache, along with sowing spring onions and radish. I also sowed chilli, peppers and toms in the greenhouse. I love this time of year.
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Post by houpla on Jan 30, 2024 19:58:41 GMT 1
I rather enjoyed watching my gardener working away today, whilst I sat in the sunshine with a nice chilled glass of rosé...... Pfffff...you don't know what you're missing! The mud, the stained hands, the frozen feet, the backache, the 'forgetting to get all your tools together before trudging half a kilometre to the veg plot'.....I could go on
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Post by glazedallover on Jan 30, 2024 20:05:56 GMT 1
I rather enjoyed watching my gardener working away today, whilst I sat in the sunshine with a nice chilled glass of rosé...... Pfffff...you don't know what you're missing! The mud, the stained hands, the frozen feet, the backache, the 'forgetting to get all your tools together before trudging half a kilometre to the veg plot'.....I could go on Oh, but I know exactly what I am missing, after 5 years of torture here with she who used to be obeyed....... now I will do as much or as little as I frigging like !
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