Halloween Harvest

On the frost carpeted grass are the last pickings of raspberries and runner beans and the remnants of the tomato harvest that has been sitting it out in an unheated greenhouse at the school garden.  Ironically the one BIG pumpkin has been given away to the nursery class so is missing from the picture.

To make amends for this omission here is pretty much the entire pumpkin crop gathered from our allotment.  I had a big push on cucurbits, but it looks like I chose the wrong year to do that*.  The result is one fruit from each plant that survived.  There is the traditional orange pumpkin (only just turning orange), Uchi Kuri, Kabotcha and Butternut squash Hunter.  Oh yes, two random Sharksfin Melon also made a surprise appearance.  Now they are scary.  I was surprised to see these on Gardeners World a few weeks ago and even more surprised to see the intrepid presenter sampling them raw.  Like a mature marrow, but more dense, they definitely need to be cooked!

*The other 2019 push was sweetcorn. I grew three varieties and ended up with a unanimous raspberry:  They don't like the cold and never quite made it to edible proportions.   

Diminishing Returns

Specifically the courgettes are giving up.  Here is today's harvest...

and last Sunday's.

I think that's it for this year.  Can't complain because  two plants kept up a steady supply throughout the summer. A third yellow one came to nothing - I think it was wind damaged soon after planting out.  Two Jaune et Vert Squash failed to produce any fruit either.  Kabocha (I guess it is a winter squash) produced a half dozen fruit even though it was crowded out by the Sharks Fin Melon which was as rampant as ever.

previous crop of sharks fin melons

Really Going Down

The Allotment in September

There are signs that summer is coming to an end, so here's a celebration of the veg patch at it's best before the turn.

Squash Carrots Jerusalem Artichoke and Sweetcorn 

The Jerusalem Artichoke is taller than I can ever remember it. 9 ft.  If it gets windy I will have to chop it down to size even before the frost burns the tops. Nestling behind those leave s in the foreground are some happy looking fruit:

Sharks Fin Melon and Kabocha Squash

Main crop potatoes Rooster being lifted

 It has been a fabulous year for potatoes. Yields have been massive, but wet conditions also mean more pest damage.

Brassica Patch

 Already Cauliflower Cabbage and Kale.  Plenty more to come right up to the Purple Sprouting Broccoli next March.

Fill in Salad patch where the broad beans were

Uniform carrots

The most sensitive crop appears to be the French Beans.  They stole a march on the runners but are not lasting as well.  The runners are just going mad!

Runners (left) v French Beans (right)

I hope your 2017 season has been good too.

Time of the Season

Twisting My Melons

It's harvest time and pride of place this year has to go to the Shark's Fin Melons (Fig Leaf Gourd).

6 of the best

Each fruit weighs about 7 Kg so I can only harvest two at a time because  that is my carrying capacity!  From 3 plants I have a dozen fruit at the allotment.  The two plants I had over I planted out at home - I just can't bring myself to "waste" healthy plants.  The ones at home were much later (perhaps because I removed the male flowers - see my earlier post) and the fruit  are probably 4-5 Kg each.  A bit more manageable.

A nice pair grown at home

Now the task is to decide how to use them.  So far I've only made the Mexican drink, Chilacayote.  Now I will have to try (mock) Shark's Fin Soup from the Far East and Angel Hair Jam from the Iberian Peninsular.  And the good news is that, while whole, these babies keep for two years or more. In the meantime I'll keep you posted.

p.s.  Yes, I have been offering fruit to all and sundry, although they have to be delivered in person.

Fig Leaf Rampant

Ooops Sharks on the Loose

I think I may have overplanted my curcubit patch. In there are Sharks Fin Melons, Kabocha Squash and courgettes. Also half a dozen sweetcorn. 

Not so long ago it looked like this. I think there has been an extra boost from the weather and the weed suppressant fabric.

And there are signs that the plants have no intention of stopping at the perimeter fence

Not to be left out the brassicas also appreciate the WSF treatment:

Given that I have returned from two weeks holiday the really impressive thing is the lack of weeds!  (Of course there are plenty enough left in other areas.) 

Sharks on a Sea of Plastic

 A week ago I planted out three of my Sharks Fin Melon seedlings. The name comes from the flavour of the under ripe fruit which is said to be very similar to "traditional" sharks fin soup. (Another name for these Cucurbita ficiola is "Fig Leaf Gourd" but the the leaves don't look much like fig leaves to me!)

They've had the royal treatment being planted through weed suppressant fabric and covered with fleece. Stiill I am pleased to see that they have adjusted to their new location and put on a bit of growth. Now they will have to do without the fleece 

The same can be said for Dwarf French Beans "Canadian Wonder" and the Runner Beans.

My main activity today was to mound the potatoes.  This activity gives me an inordinate amount of pleasure.  Perhaps that's because that will be the last attention they will get before digging them up!

In another corner the Jerusalem artechokes are stirring. For some reason last year they refused to grow, so I am happy to see there will be no repeat this year.

Brassicas are coming on belatedly at home, but as yet nothing planted out. Soft fruit is looking like a bumper year in prospect.  Will post about that.

Propagator Progress and a Challenge

 Here's the current state of play with the propagator:

There's Sungold, San Marzano, and Currant Tomatoes, Cucumber, Sweetcorn and the dreaded Celeriac. The Jalapeno Pepper and Kobocha Squash both failed. Not too impressed with the supplier. Their sweetcorn is looking good though.

Can you guess what this is?  

As a clue, there's a Jaws connection.