I could use this post to show some more gratuitous tomato seedling shots, but I wont……………………………………………………………………………………well perhaps just one.
I quite enjoyed August when all is said and planted. I think this is more to do with the comparatively mild weather than anything else, well that and the stunning development of my tomato seedlings………..oh god I’m starting to bore myself……
I did have a really productive August. I sowed all my Spring seed, potted up my chillies from last year, planted spuds and generally got my garden organised (now if only I could say the same about my houses interior)….. I also ate a lot of cauliflower.
Here is one of the chillies I have just potted up after nursing (well, left it in the pot to see what happened) it through winter. I pruned this one at the start of July and it has good new growth on it and flower buds – it will be interesting to see when it sets chillies.
Earlier in the month I posted about a silver beet plant that I thought was bolting – it was and I nipped out the bolting stem – this is what happened: Lots of new leaves – all smaller than they look in this picture – all surrounding what look like other potential flower stems. I think I will continue to nip out the bolting bits and keep going. Meanwhile I have sowed some new seed.
Aside from the aforementioned cauliflower and my watercress which just keeps growing my most productive plant this month was parsley. I love parsley, I am passionate about parsley, not quite as much as about tomatoes, but its close! I especially like this parsley which is happily growing away in a part of the garden which has been in total shade all winter and there it is producing happily. YAY for parsley! Note: if you look carefully at this photo you will see a sandpit in the background. This sandpit is a new addition to our garden. We cleverly located it right next to the backdoor thus ensuring I am never bored – there’s always a constant supply of sand to sweep out of our living room……Note to self: Next time engage brain then build….
Onwards to September and the start of the purple sprouting broccoli. I seem to be harvesting a brassica a month at the moment.
To see my gardening activity this month click here: August 2011
My mom saved a pepper plant through the winter and it is producing like crazy! Think I need to try it!
Definitely give it a go – I’ve had a couple of years out of some of my plants and they seem to produce really well particularly in the 2nd year. I think some varieties are longer lived than others so it will be interesting to see how long my plants last.
Those are some of my favourite veg! I am a huge fan of Purple Sprouting Broccoli, and I wish I could harvest it all year round. What type of chillis are the ones you are growing?
I have birds eye & cayenne plants that are a couple of years old. Last year I planted scotch bonnet (although its not what I knew as Scotch bonnet in England) which is mild and a lantern type shape, also a mix of hot chilli types which I has produced both big and small varieties but I haven’t tried to identify them. The last one I grew was an extremely long type which I picked up at a farmers market – the fruit were a good 30cm long. This was my favourite – good level of heat and very pretty plant. I keep meaning to try and identify it but whilst i have seed my motivation hasn’t been great.
saw your comments about cauliflowers and wondered – as a brand new allotment holder – where did I go wrong?! All of my caulis – without exception – grown from bought plants, bolted – every single one! The result was very pretty but very disappointing. I grew some successfully in my garden last year but even the few I planted in a raised bed there this year bolted – I think that’s what it’s called when each little flower head grows separately and tall. Some advice would be so welcome – thank you.
Hi Di, It may be a few different things: Cauliflowers like it fairly cool – I grow mine so they mature in Melbourne’s winter (which averages about 12 – 14 degrees). I take it you are in the UK? It may have been that the weather got too hot for the particular variety you were growing. Different varieties tolerate different temperatures so it may be that the variety you grew last year were able to cope with warmer temperatures, or it may have been cooler last year. From your description though it may also be a lack of food. I occasionally get flowers which when they form they are really loose – not the compact heads you want in a cauliflower. In my experience this tends to happen if you plant too close together or they don’t get enough food and/or water. If you want to try again next year I would check the temperature requirements of the ones you are planting and feed them regularly. Finally I do find I get better results from seed – I think this is because I can control the whole life of the plant – it may be that you bought seedlings which had been stressed at some point – I do find this can happen if you buy seedlings from the big stores which employ kids who don’t neccessarily look after the plants that well……