God I love growing our own

[JamezF]

Fractals!
There was a fascinating lecturer at VUW who went into the maths of plant growth patterns. He used to write on the boards so quickly I could never keep up, and now I cannot remember his name. Unfortunately he never gave the references either, and I lost all my notes, such as they were, years ago. I would really like to read more about it now though...

Fractals indeed

VUW is Victora University of Wellington?

There seem to be some research papers relating to fractals and plants, but they're not free (and in all honesty I'm not sure I'm up to handling the maths any more). I'll try to remember to ask my son if he has access to them through uni.

James

 

[Bryang]

Sure the bullfinches hadn't done it?

Not many Bullfinches around here. I think it was caused by a nasty squall (wind and rain) that passed through, and it was "funnelled" around the house next to the allotment, the beans are close to the corner of the house. It happened overnight.

 

[roche]

Fractals indeed

VUW is Victora University of Wellington?

There seem to be some research papers relating to fractals and plants, but they're not free (and in all honesty I'm not sure I'm up to handling the maths any more). I'll try to remember to ask my son if he has access to them through uni.

James

You are correct on VUW. The lecturer did not touch fractals (at least not when I was around) - he was looking at geometric relationships. The one that particularly sticks in my memory is the pattern of leaf buds on shrubs...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not many Bullfinches around here. I think it was caused by a nasty squall (wind and rain) that passed through, and it was "funnelled" around the house next to the allotment, the beans are close to the corner of the house. It happened overnight.

strange that - went up to the range yesterday and there was a big fallen branch across the gate that I had to move (must have happened after Saturday evening when the range closed) and I had to get out of the truck more than once on the way to the bees t clear more fallen branches. Had to have been a squall or something

 

[JamezF]

Been out in the polytunnel pinching out sideshoots on tomatoes and generally having a bit of a tidy up this evening. There's a bit of an unexpected situation with the tomatoes, some of which have already grown exceptionally tall on their strings. In fact they've reached the top and had to stop and that's what's bothering me.

I think I might need to bite the bullet, extend some strings and lower the plants down before the end of the week, though I'll need to support the lowest trusses of fruit (which are still ripening) so they're not on the ground.

James

 

[Michael Palmer]

Honey bees aren't my only passion. Just a snapshot of my garden.

 

[B_north]

i would love someone to give tips on pureeing tomatoes. I seem to spend hours skinning (boiling water method), reducing on the hob, pureeing in liquidiser then sieving to remove most seeds. Does anyone just liquidise the whole lot, skin and all?

It is the only way I do tomatoes now. I put them in a large shallow roasting pan drizzle with olive oil add garlic, oregano and any other spice that takes my fancy. I roast them in the oven long and on a low heat until much of the water has evaporated. I use my hand held blender and wiz it up into a puree and then freeze in containers. In the winter we use it as a base for tomato soup, chilli, spaghetti sauce etc. I have sometimes added onions and peppers just to mix it up a little. After chores on a wintery day tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches are great.

 

[Monbees]

It is the only way I do tomatoes now. I put them in a large shallow roasting pan drizzle with olive oil add garlic, oregano and any other spice that takes my fancy. I roast them in the oven long and on a low heat until much of the water has evaporated. I use my hand held blender and wiz it up into a puree and then freeze in containers. In the winter we use it as a base for tomato soup, chilli, spaghetti sauce etc. I have sometimes added onions and peppers just to mix it up a little. After chores on a wintery day tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches are great.

Do you wizz up everything, including skins?

 

[enrico]

Do you wizz up everything, including skins?

we do

 

[enrico]

It is the only way I do tomatoes now. I put them in a large shallow roasting pan drizzle with olive oil add garlic, oregano and any other spice that takes my fancy. I roast them in the oven long and on a low heat until much of the water has evaporated. I use my hand held blender and wiz it up into a puree and then freeze in containers. In the winter we use it as a base for tomato soup, chilli, spaghetti sauce etc. I have sometimes added onions and peppers just to mix it up a little. After chores on a wintery day tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches are great.

you cant beat our really hot homemade chilli sauce for cheese on toast

 

[Wilco]

Been out in the polytunnel pinching out sideshoots on tomatoes and generally having a bit of a tidy up this evening. There's a bit of an unexpected situation with the tomatoes, some of which have already grown exceptionally tall on their strings. In fact they've reached the top and had to stop and that's what's bothering me.

I think I might need to bite the bullet, extend some strings and lower the plants down before the end of the week, though I'll need to support the lowest trusses of fruit (which are still ripening) so they're not on the ground.

James

I read the last sentence of the first paragraph to part of the The Jungle Book soundtrack.

 

[Wilco]

Garden has been a bit hit and miss this year... Will be a busy Autumn prepping for next year. Soft fruit has done very well, 6kg redcurrrants, blackcurrants, gooseberries mediocre, blackberries going crazy (earliest year yet) and raspberries currently acing it. Asparagus was ok. Have one or two cauliflower successful and the celeriac and oca look good. Just taken the latest 3kg rhubarb which makes over 10kg this year.


However, broccoli, sprouts, onion and swede have all failed miserably. Same for courgettes, peas and butternut. Apples looking good though.

Made my first cauliflower cheese the other day with this. Not the biggest ever but the biggest I've ever managed to grow.



Got plans for strawberries and rearranging over winter to try and do better next year.

 

[JamezF]

I read the last sentence of the first paragraph to part of the The Jungle Book soundtrack.

I'm so pleased it wasn't wasted

James

 

[Wilco]

I'm so pleased it wasn't wasted

James

Thought it might have been intentional!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Where's cgf with his big buds?

At the heather as dani said camping up there this year.
Here’s my buds!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Lovely crop of wimberries.
We've done well with blackcurrants, raspberries and gooseberries this year, a noticeable drop in blackbird numbers.

Same here Steve soft fruit has done well , I’ve noticed the lack of butterflies up here this summer

 

[JamezF]

Here’s my buds!

I think you might be teaseling us...

James

 

[Curly green finger's]

I think you might be teaseling us...

James

Well maybe so

 

[B_north]

Do you wizz up everything, including skins?

Like enrico says, absolutely. There is no trace of skin left it is a complete puree. In the winter I heat, season to taste and add a little fresh farm cream just before serving. I like it because it is simple and I don't need multiple bags of specific tomato based items in my freezer eg. sauce, soup. This one puree covers them all.

 

[JamezF]

Lifted my "normal" onions today, and moved everything to a new, larger, drying area that I've bodged together above one of the compost heaps. Only it still wasn't big enough

So I've bodged another, which isn't sheltered from the rain. In the short term it doesn't look like that will be a problem, and hopefully in a week or so the leaves on the majority of the onions should have wilted sufficiently for there to be enough space to move them back.

This one could last a few meals, I think.

James