Allotments 4 All

Hi Alishka - I sowed my mouli in July following on from something else (lettuces, spring onions, and ??? - sorry, don't remember).  The bed had had a good dose of compost in the spring.  

I suspect manure would not be a problem - I'd be tempted to try both (and tell us how they go!).  The plant grows so far into the soil, and then starts rising out; at least half of the root was above soil level.

I've just been looking in a couple of books - they suggest the possibility of slug damage.  Mine weren't touched, but that may be because I had snowball turnips next door (I still haven't tasted them!).

All best - Gavin

Gavin - I do agree on flavour and crispness but, good as they are, I can only cope with so much goodness in a week! = Tim

mmm good to hear feedback re. marvel of 4 seasons - i have ordered this (as well as 8 other varieties!! - perhaps a bit of greed and overkill but, for those of you who have any faint interest, i am a libra so all indecision allowed)

Well that's one curmugeonly old grump thoroughly seduced (bludgeoned?) into Xmas spirit!  And thoroughly seduced by some wonderful names and histories.

A package has just dropped through my door, with all sorts of beans to try next year.

Dwarf beans - "Top Crop"; "Sequoia"; "New Mexico Cave" (reportedly discovered by archaeologists searching for pygmy elephants, and said to have been carbon-dated to about 500AD :'( ).

And Climbing Beans - "Corn Field White"; "Violet Trionfo"; "Rattlesnake"; "Vermont Cranberry"; "Genuine Cornfield" (aka Scotia); "Greasy Grits"; and "Amish Knuttle" (aka "Mayflower" - preserved by Amish farmers, and apparently recieved its name because it resembles a "dropping" - gnuddell translates as "turd" ??? ).

More than a few things to look forward to next year - that's going to be a fascinating couple of beds!

Happy Christmas everybody - and for goodness sake, can we not agree to move straight to spring-time on January 3rd?  I want to get them started!

All best - Gavin

Lish, Lish, what have you done now? Everything gets all mixed up. A veritable vegetable soup here.

Anyway, getting back to the beet roots. I have grown chioggia's every year, very reliable. (I started growing them for my sister who loves beet roots but refuses to eat food that is red....honestly!) Tried Burpees golden last season after searching all over the place to find the seeds here, very bad germination, first and last time for me. The Egyptian flat rounds are very good too but I don't know if you can get them there.

Oh yes, mooli. Good stuff. Mine pushed themselves way out above the ground and I thought it was because I had not loosened the soil deep enough. As they came higher and higher I just earthed them up, I don't know why but it seemed like the right thing to do.

Brown bread with a slice of old cheese and lots of slices of mooli, yummeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Took it to work almost every day. Just love the crunch crunch crunching sounds.

Brown bread - yes; mooli - yes; old cheese ------ ???  Not Limburger (spelling?), please?

All best - Gavin

Not stinky cheese, just regular aged cheese, doesn't even have to be old, I just love the combination of mooli and cheese.

Since this thread is veggie soup anyway, I may as well use it to tell the world we ate the first salad made of homegrown, bathroom forced, witloof this year! Wonderful and not very bitter either. I also love boiled witloof but it takes so many chicons and I want to savor what I have growing in containers in the bathroom. Seems like using it for salads will stretch it more.

Must rush up me lottie and check my mooli, had forgotten about it!! Love it fresh, also Tim, good in a stir fry ;D

ina, what on  earth is witloof? chicons? duh ???

Thank goodness Campanula!  I have been wondering what Witloof is for ages, but was too afraid to ask!  Began to think it must be like our chicory, forced roots producing that tight bullet of 'hot' leaves used in salad.  Is it???

Emma Jane, that is the perfect description, except for the hot part. "Forced roots that produce a tight bullet of leaves".

A mahvelous veggie dahlin but so expensive in the shops. I am taking pictures of the process but I'm afraid if I post them on the gallery, it will be wasted on you hahaha.

Awww. go on, Ien...I need a good laugh..and then I can tell peeps exactly how mine differed from yours  ;D ;D ;D - Lish

And the laughing won't stop for a long time! Hahaha.

OK - so you have a new camera?? = Tim

Yes, really nice too but I do miss the old play camera, so tiny and only one button hahaha.

dottie P! can i have some more detail on your squash frame please? i want to grow my squashes upwards too! had some butternuts in my yard in a growbag last year and they covered nealy all of it  :D

Yes please Dottie I too want to try them on a frame as I am down to growing my vegies in my back garden.Now who can I get to build me a frame????

- a ready-made rose arbor - wood or metal? = Tim

I do mine sorta, well it is hard to explain!!  Ummmm well like goal posts, with some wire fencing across. (I had it laying around!! ) Tried using runner bean netting, that worked too, but a bit flimsy for the frame, made it wobble ;D