Tuesday 11 September 2012

Starting To Turn

At long last, the first couple of tomatoes are starting to ripen. This is Gardener's Delight, usually a guaranteed performer, but not this year with the weather being how it is. This plant is in the greenhouse, along with five other tomato plants, and I also have five plants outside too, but these are the only ones which show any sign of colour, all the other fruit is staying resolutely green.

I'm now getting a couple of courgettes to harvest each time I go to the allotment. It's not the glut I've had in previous years, but a steady supply is welcome nontheless. I've noticed in previous years that the yellow varieties I've grown never seem to produce as many courgettes as the green varieties, and it's the same again this year.

The weather's turned much cooler today and there's a strong wind to boot, though the sun is still shining through the showers. I think autumn is definitely knocking on the door.

19 comments:

  1. I've noticed that with the yellow courgettes as well. To be honest I only grow the yellow ones because of the colour they add to dishes. I don't even think they taste as good. Not that courgettes have a particularly strong flavour anyway. Glad to see your tomatoes are starting to ripen. I read on twitter the other day someone saying that you should put bananas in the greenhouse to speed up the ripening of tomatoes so maybe it does work.

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  2. yeahh!! can't wait to see them in full bloom

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  3. Every day I go out to see if there is a hint of ripening on my toms, and every day I come in disappointed! My gardeners delight have been rubbish this year. Amazingly the only tomatoes to have really done quite well were called cream sausage and were an old pack from a couple of years ago that I didn't even know would germinate!

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  4. I have had a few red ones since removing them from the plants and placing on the windowsills.I am now making a batch of sauce for freezing.

    It has turned a lot cooler, another season past.

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  5. Sadly I had to pull up my Gardener's Delight plants today as they'd finally succumbed to blight. There were far more green ones on them than I'd had red ones. Sigh! Flighty xx

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  6. Glad you are starting to get some red tomatoes Jo...I'm still crossing my fingers for those outside.

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  7. How odd, my yellow courgettes always produce far more and do much better than the green ones! All my outdoor tomatoes have succumbed to blight today - the greenhouse ones are ok, but not really producing much. Funny old year isn't it!

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  8. Better late than never.

    I have never failed in growing tomatoes, but this year ALL of our tomatoes got blight.

    We were growing them at home, allotment and my grandparent's house and they all failed absolutely miserably. There were some good sized tomatoes on there but blight took over in 24 hours and nothing could be saved! :0(

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  9. I'm glad someone's got ripening GD tomatoes, mine are still stubbornly green. The Tom Thumb ones are happily turning an interesting shade of orange though.

    Hope you have many more!

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  10. The weather was cold here today too. Congratulations on your tomatoes - some reward for all the trials you've had this year.

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  11. My Gardeners Delight haven't done very well either don't know what's going on this year.

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  12. I only grow the yellow courgettes for their colour too, Wellywoman. I may give them a miss next year. I've got an outdoor tomato starting to ripen now too.

    I don't think they'll all manage to ripen this year, Jan. Fingers crossed that a few more do though.

    The tomatoes have been a real disappointment this year, Frugal Living. Surely they must do better next year.

    I think it may be time to remove my tomatoes from the plants too, Sharon. It's turned really cold this week, autumn is upon us.

    Sorry to hear about the blight, Flighty. Your tomatoes lasted much longer than some I've heard about though. Shame you didn't manage more red ones.

    I've got an outside tomato just starting to ripen, Tanya. I think it's a little too late for the rest though, I shall be removing them all from the plants soon.

    It must be down to the varieties of courgettes, Su. It must be coincidence that my yellow ones never do as well as the green. Sorry to hear about the blight, let's hope for a better year in 2013.

    Blight is such a terrible thing, Martin, there's not much hope once it strikes. I think we all need a better growing year next year.

    I shall be removing all the fruit from the plants soon, Helen. I don't think there's much hope of them ripening now that the weather's turned much cooler. Hope you manage to get some to ripen too.

    The weather's taken a real turn for the worse, Liz. We've got strong winds today as well as low temperatures. A few more ripe tomatoes would be nice before the season comes to an end though.

    It's been the same with most things this year, Elaine. Surely next year can't be as bad.

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  13. We got back today from a week away and expected the garden greenhouse to be full of ripe tomatoes but just about managed to find two to make sandwiches with. Wonder how the plot tomatoes are doing?

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  14. Forgot to add - our yellow courgettes are doing better than the green ones!

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  15. I'm so glad to see your tomatoes ripening. I grew Gardener's Delight as well but I think the Red Cherry have done better. I like to steam courgette and then add cherry tomatoes towards the end. I think its a good combination.

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  16. Once one ripens the others are not far behind Jo although the wait does seem agonising at times, especially for the first one, doesn't it? We had some 'Gardener's Delight' toms with our lunch today - most tasty. Have not grown enough yellow courgettes to do a like by like comparison but interesting to read your comments.

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  17. How lovely that you still have tomatoes -- mine got blight and are long gone. I'm glad to say my zucchini squash has stopped producing -- neighbors had started to say "no" when I offered one. But I'm sad another gardening year is almost over. Happy autumn! P. x

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  18. I'm just starting my second batch of green tomato chutney. Luckily I only need a few ripe toms for the hubby as I don't particularly like them. Mine are all grown with chutney making in mind!

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  19. I don't know what's happened with the tomatoes this year, Sue. I've never had problems getting them to ripen in the greenhouse before, even some outdoor ones are ripening quicker than the ones indoors. I think it must be down to the varieties of courgettes I've grown rather than the colour, my green ones have always produced more than the yellow.

    Gardener's Delight are usually so reliable, Kelli. I think it's been a bad year all round.

    I've got a few more tomatoes ripening now, Anna, but the majority are still green.

    I'm lucky that blight hasn't struck, Pam, I just wish that more of my tomatoes would ripen now. Courgettes are always so reliable, I'm getting quite a few now and will be giving some away soon.

    I've got a few more ripe tomatoes now, Jules, I just wish the rest would follow suit.

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