Monday 9 September 2013

Corno di Torro Rosso

My peppers are doing well this year. I'm growing Corno di Torro Rosso, and although I started off with five plants, I'm now down to four. One of them became so top heavy that it completely snapped in half. The four plants I'm left with have done really well. There's about ten good sized peppers on one plant, eight on another two, and six on the other. This is the only one which has ripened so far, but the rest are starting to change colour now. Although they've done well this year, the plants are so big and take up so much space that I don't think I'll bother growing them next year.

I'm still harvesting carrots which have been grown in the old bath on the allotment, they've done so well this year and have provided a good few meals. Carrots aren't badly priced in the supermarket, but the taste of home grown is far superior, the carrotty smell just wafts through the air as you pull them up, no wonder they're so attractive to the Carrot Root Fly.

We had visitors at the allotment yesterday, four cute little kittens. We saw one walking along the fence and before we knew it, three brothers and sisters had joined it. They jumped down and were having lots of fun chasing each other around. We don't seem to have any problem with mice, but that's probably because there's so many other cats around, I just hope they leave the birds alone.

If you haven't already entered my giveaway, don't forget to do so. You have until Thursday the 12th of September 2013 to leave a comment on my Bargain Seed Giveaway post.

32 comments:

  1. You're doing well with your peppers, although sad to hear that one snapped. Mine (a different variety) are still resolutely green! Presumably I can still use them as green peppers though, if they don't ripen at all?

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    1. I would assume they can be used green, I think they're sweeter though if they ripen. I didn't mind too much losing one of the plants, there's plenty of fruit left on the other four, and they're such big plants.

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  2. Your pepper looks very tasty, Jo. Mine didn't do too well this year -- too much rain I think. We are now going through a spell of cool (actually downright cold at night) weather and most of my veggies have stopped growing. I'm looking forward to parsnips, though, after the first frost. Can't believe the gardening season is nearly at a close here. P. x

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    1. The pepper was very tasty. Our weather has certainly got a lot cooler too, it won't be long until we're packing up all the garden paraphernalia too. My parsnips look to be growing well, though you never know what's happening underground.

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  3. Seems that Red Bull just can't do any wrong! Can you tell we watched the Grand Prix last night?

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    1. I'm not a fan, I'm afraid, though my son watches it. I think these peppers are very well named.

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  4. Why not just grow one or two peppers?
    I've got a few carrots growing which I sowed late to hopefully avoid carrot fly.
    Four kittens sound like double-double trouble! Flighty xx

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    1. I suppose I could just grow one or two plants. I'm trying to cut down what I grow to things we eat lots of though, and we don't use many peppers so it's easy enough to buy what we need. Good luck with your carrots, those flies are such a problem. I think you're right about the kittens, they're so cute though.

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  5. I can see that pepper stuffed, roasted and ready to eat! Lovely xxx

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    1. It was roasted, but wasn't stuffed. I made a mixed veg dish and included it, it was delicious.

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  6. hi jo
    your peppers looking really good. last year i have had many,but this year i grow only bell peppers.
    have a nice week,
    regina

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    1. The longer types seem to do better here for some reason. I usually grow them in the greenhouse but I didn't have room this year, especially with the plants being so big, so I've grown them outdoors and they've done really well.

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    2. We seem to have more success with long ones too.

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    3. I started growing long ones after reading about your success with them. I've done much better than I ever did with bell shaped ones.

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  7. I don't think I will be growing peppers again any time soon. I have some small horn shaped ones which are nice, but it's been six months of tending to them to get this far. I shall persevere with carrots though, you are right about the amazing smell.

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    1. They do need a long growing season. I tend to start my seeds off really early, yet they're still not ready until the end of the season. It's home grown carrots for tea tonight, I'm looking forward to them.

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  8. Oh well done Jo! This hot summer has been just what peppers need. I wonder where the kittens came from - if they had been visiting our plot I might have taken them home with me :)

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    1. I think the hot summer has really helpted them this year. The allotment has houses around it so I think they most have come from one of them. I was sorely tempted to take one home with me, but which one would I choose?

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  9. Oh your Corno di Toro Rosso are far superior to mine! I don't think I'll grow them again either. They are huge plants - mine are on a windowsill, blocking out a lovely view (and not a single fruit has ripened yet!)

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    1. I wouldn't be able to fit my plants on a windowsill, you must have huge windows. Peppers do take some ripening, that's why I start them off so early, to give them a really long season.

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  10. The pepper looks lovely and red. Speaking of cats, I have a naughty neighbour cat that is using my veg beds as a toilet.

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    1. It ripened really well, I'm just waiting for the rest following suit now. I have lots of neighbourhood cats which use my garden as a toilet, luckily not the veg beds though.

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  11. Hi Jo! Such a shame about the plant snap but what a lovely pepper you have there and I'm glad to hear they're doing well. Mine have been lousy this year :( I sowed them too late, unavoidable and I knew at the time I'd be pushing my luck. Very happy for you though :)

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    1. I think the main thing with peppers is to sow early, they do need such a long growing season. They seem to grow ok actually, but they stay green on the plants for such a long time before they start to ripen.

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  12. Hi Jo. Sorry I've disappeared for so long this summer. I'm hoping to get back on track with everything now. I'm soooo impressed by your peppers. I have had a disastrous year with tomatoes and chillies thanks to a dreadful batch of compost. I'm getting a refund from the company but it doesn't make up for the lost growing season. It's a pity they take up so much space as it looks very impressive.

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    1. Your growing year doesn't sound too good. Glad to hear that the company are taking responsibility though and have offered you a refund, as you say, it doesn't make up for losing a whole growing season though. Both my peppers and tomatoes have done really well this year.

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  13. Hi Jo, Gosh you're right about how big they get! I grew Corno peppers last year on my balcony but had to relocate the pot in the veg garden! The size of plants that I grow gave me pause before I put a couple of rhubarb plants in the ground this year but the stems are expensive in the shops and it's a veg that I like. I've decided to just grow veg that's expensive or hard to get hold of next year, although tomatoes will always have a spot! (And my asparagus seem to be doing well!)

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    1. You definitely need the space to grow these plants. I've also decided that I'm only going to grow things which we eat a lot of. I'll grow more than I usually do so that I can, hopefully, fill the freezer too. Tomatoes are my favourite thing to grow, and even though there's only me in the house who eats them, I'll always grow them.

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  14. Your pepper does look impressive, I've not had any at all so far, just a few tiny fruits. I get what you say about the space they take up though, my greenhouse is totally full of toms, peppers and chillies...at least they are growing well.

    Awwwww....how cute to hear about the kittens....I'd love to have seen a piccie.xxxx

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    1. I've had to move my pepper plants out of the greenhouse, it's only a 6X4 so you can imagine the lack of space in there. I never thought to take a photo of the kittens, I should have done, they were so cute.

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  15. They look good and quite a few per plant. I haven't grown many this year just a couple of plants that are ripening slowly.

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    1. My first pepper ripened ok but the others are much slower. They're worth the wait though.

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