Topic: essential shopping day

[ACE]

Went and got the essentials today, compost. seed spuds, seeds etc. Not that I eat many taters now but I still cannot resist a freshly dug new potato. Also called into a little tin tabernacle that has been converted to a veg shop and stocked up on some really fresh and I mean really fresh veg, the caulis were being cut in the field next door. Getting a bit fed up with hungry gap kale which is all that is left at my plot until the purple starts sprouting.

[Obelixx]

Lucky find Ace.   We too are down to some curly kale and a few stalks of Swiss chard and waiting for PSB.

I did my weekly grocery shop today and the range and variety of fruit and veg was very limited.   That may be weather related but there were even empty shelves on the fresh bread counters and in the tinned section.  Maybe the 6pm curfew is affecting deliveries and shelf stacking?   No normal Heinz beans either, just organic or with sausages but that'll be Brexit I suppose.   

[ACE]

It was lucky we have driven by it loads of times thinking it was just a farm type shop catering for the born again veggies with prices to match. But we were really wrong, they are a fruit and veg wholesale business and farm and they sell from their little shop at wholesale prices. Stacked to the ceiling with everything you need.

[Obelixx]

Sounds perfect.   It's all cattle and wheat and sweetcorn for cattle here and no farm shops but, pre Covid, there were very good markets with fresh veg and local meat, fish, cheeses, honey.   Looking forward to visiting those again, once the vaccine's been delivered to the majority of the populace.

[Paulh]

That'll be 2022 then, Obelixx ...

[Obelixx]

At the rate they're going here, you're probably right Paulh.

[Digeroo]

One of my fellow plot holders had fab PSB before Xmas.  Only she did not crop it.   I have been investigating how to achieve that.  There is a variety called Blaze which is supposed to crop  October and maybe before.  There is Red Admiral which is supposed to crop early if experiments.  It is supposed to crop December to January.sown early.  I bought a bargain packet of seeds of that on Ebay so I have enough for some
The Blaze was more expensive.  Tozer no longer sell seed direct.
I fancied some purple rain which is supposed to crop July to November but I rather balked at £5.65 for 50 seeds. 
So settled on £1.95 for 50 for the Blaze as a compromise. 
There is still a bargain offer for Red Admiral on Ebay 1000 for £2.65 including the postage.

[BarriedaleNick]

I got nothing in the home grown larder this year due to the move but I did bring some squash and spuds with me along with a few pickles and sauces.  Got some lettuce on the go but it will be a while before we can be back to self feeding.  Hopefully next year we will be able to grow right through the year as next door has got a lovely looking field half full of veg..
Markets here are good but we are down to one shop every two or three weeks now as we are only supposed to leave the house for essential journeys..
Having said that we did just go to the stables and bring back a car full of poo - it's only 2 miles away and we don't see anyone else.  What other way would you spend the 35th anniversary of meeting your OH!!!

[saddad]

We went collecting poo on a Valentines day once.. in the snow!

[Deb P]

We went collecting poo on a Valentines day once.. in the snow!

You old romantic you......😂

[InfraDig]

Was it a case of, "I love you to the compost heap and back"?!

[JanG]

Rudolph is a PSB variety which has been around for a long time and is supposed to produce by Christmas. It’s a bit hit or miss in my experience. I’ve grown Santée which is summer flowering but it seemed to produce a lot of plant for not much in the way of flowering shoots.
The main advantage of conventional PSB in my mind is that it helps to fill the hungry gap rather than coming at a time when other brassicas, plus leeks etc, are available.

[saddad]

You old romantic you......😂
Less of the old... it was at least 35 years ago...