Sunday 28 October 2012

Back To Business

You may remember that back in September, I removed all the tomatoes from my plants and brought them indoors to ripen on the windowsill. They were just refusing to turn red on the plants, so I thought that this would be the best course of action. They've ripened well indoors, and I haven't missed out on that lovely home grown tomato taste, which I thought I might this year. The photo shows just some of the varieties I grew this year, Incas, Tigerella, Tangella and Black Cherry. I'm not sure which variety the larger red tomato is, it could be either Pannovy or Ferline. Other varieties I grew this year were Gardener's Delight and Eleanor. I got tomatoes off each plant I grew, but nowhere near as many as I've had in previous years. I'll be growing some of my favourites again next year, along with some new varieties. I'd like to grow more bush type plants, they seem a little less work than cordons, where you have to tie in and remove side shoots.

I thought I was only going to get one squash this year. When Hubby went to the plot last weekend, he saw another three smaller Sunburst squash on the plant. As cold nights were predicted, he removed them and brought them home. We didn't know if they'd be mature enough, but I prepared them for tea on Monday. As I cut in to one of them, it was rather mushy, so that wasn't used, but the other two gave us another small taste, and I've made my mind up that I shall definitely grow them again next year.

The lawn was cut last weekend. We hoped it would be the last time it would need doing before winter, but it's growing away again already. Perhaps the cold weather we're experiencing at the moment will slow it down somewhat. Can you believe that we woke up to snow yesterday? It was only a very light covering, and it melted in no time, but it was really cold all day.

I'd just like to thank everyone again for all the comments I received on my last two posts. This past week has been a bit emotional, to say the least, and every comment was very much appreciated. Archie seems to be doing well at the moment. He's perked up in himself, but has to take antibiotics and anti inflammatories for another week, and he'll be going back to the vets on Friday. Thank you again for all the thoughts which were sent his way.


22 comments:

  1. Hi Jo, I done the same with my tomatoes and I am now doing it with my pumpkins and squashes! Hopefully next year will be much better.

    I have succumbed and put the heating on today as it has turned so chilly, I dread to think what lays in store for us through the winter months.

    Glad to see that Archie is on the mend x

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    1. It's the first time I've ever had to ripen my tomatoes on the windowsill, so I hope they're back to normal again next year. My heating has been on for a while now. Us Yorkshire folk are supposed to be as tough as old boots, so I think I must have some other genes mixed in somewhere along the way because I'm quite soft when it comes to cold. Archie is much better now, more like is usual self.

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  2. What did the Ferline taste like, Jo?

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    1. I always find it hard to describe a taste, but in this instance it's even harder because I don't know which were the Ferline and which were the Pannovy. I didn't keep each variety separate when I harvested them, so some were easy to tell the variety of, but the Ferline and Pannovy were too similar to tell apart. The only thing I can say with conviction is that whichever red tomato I was eating didn't come close to either the Tangella, which is my favourite, or the Tigerella. I haven't grown Black Cherry before, but they were a good performer and tasted good.

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  3. Well done with the tomatoes. I'm having a think about which ones to grow next year apart from the yellow Golden Queen which I did well with this year.
    It's good to know that Archie is on the mend! Flighty xx

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    1. I think it's good to stick with ones we know do well, but always exciting to try something new too. Archie is just about back to himself now.

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  4. Hi Jo! I had quite a harvest of tomatoes this year and decided to clear them down last weekend. I've put my green ones in a dark cupboard this year and they're ripening in there really quickly! I got the tip off Gardener's World, apparently putting a banana in with them helps too, which really makes me smile!

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    1. My grandparents always used to wrap their green tomatoes in a jumper and put them in a drawer to ripen. I suppose that must have worked for them as they always did it.

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  5. All shapes and sizes there Jo. Which variety is the longer thinner one?
    No snow here over in the west but Saturday was very cold and windy. Back to rain yesterday. It certainly sounds as if Archie is making good progress - must be all the tlc that you are giving him as well as the medicines.

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    1. The plum tomatoes are Incas. I was going to grow San Marzano, but this was the only plum variety in the Wyevale sale, so I opted for these this year instead. I was happy enough with them, especially cooked for breakfast. It's drizzly here today, that really fine rain. Archie's had his fair share of being spoilt this week, I can tell you.

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  6. Glad to hear Archie is doing better, hope he recovers fully and quickly. Can't believe you had snow! It was cold in Northern Ireland over the weekend and we've had a fair bit of light frost throughout October but no snow for us (yet).

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    1. Thank you, he's much better now. It was only a very fine layer of snow, but snow it was. I hope this isn't the shape of things to come.

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  7. Glad you got some decent tomatoes. I am hoping this weeks warm weather here will kick start my plants a bit as they are growing but very slowly at the moment.

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    1. That was the problem with my tomatoes this year too, they grew so slowly. I'd never been so late in potting them up in to their final positions.

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  8. So glad to hear Archie is feeling better. It must be very stressful when a much loved pet is sick.

    Those tomatoes look good. I'll be making a note of the varieties for next year. It looks like tomato growing may well be returning to the Welly household after a 5 year absence.

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    1. Thank you. We're due back at the vets tomorrow, but he seems much better now. I shall look forward to hearing which tomato varieties you decide on for next year, I don't think I could give up on tomatoes, they're my favourite thing to grow.

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  9. Glad you finally got some tomatoes Jo and I'm glad that Archie is doing well at the moment. x

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    1. Archie's been back to the vets and been given a clean bill of health, it's such a relief. I'm really enjoying my tomatoes, after such a slow start this year.

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  10. Glad to hear that your Archie is doing well, its such a worry when a pet is ill.
    I'm the same as you I had to bring my tomatoes in to ripen indoors and did get a reasonable crop in the end but its not quite the same is it?
    Its certainly gone cold here in Yorkshire hasn't it, I'm across the way in Huddersfield. Missed the snow here thank goodness but its very cold.

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    1. It's been so worrying with Archie, but he's been back to the vets today and is doing well. I'm actually rather pleased with my tomato crop, albeit smaller than last year. I think the wait has certainly helped me to appreciate them more. We're definitely well in to autumn now, the temperature has confirmed it.

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  11. Hello Jo, I'm just catching up with my reading after staying away from teh laptop for a couple of busy elsewhere weeks. So pleased to read that your little dog is back to normal, I'm also a great believer in positive thought and collected energy.
    Interesting to read of the variety of tomatoes that you grew this year - some of mine didn't make it out of the sowing tray (no idea why) and some were slow to ripen (now indoors) but the best was, yet again, my Cherriettes of Fire bush tomato. Self seeded in the ground from last year, popped up all by itself and potted on into a big raised terracotta pot by me; now fruiting prolifically and ripening outdoors. Definitely seed saving from that one this year!

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    1. It's lovely to see Archie back to his happy little self again. I'd like to try more bush varieties of tomatoes next year, I've bought a couple of packets of seeds, so I'll see how they do compared to the cordon varieties. Your Cherriettes of Fire sounds a good one to grow, definitely save some seed.

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