What I did today 2023.

[annie8]

Been busy for the last few days. Thinning carrots and beetroot, loads of weeding of the beds and ripping weeds from the paths between them. Deadheading flowers and planted the bed that the onions came from. I wasn’t sure when the onions would be ready so I hadn’t planned anything. Decided to use for all the leftover plants, so sweetcorn, a crown Prince, a few cauliflower, red cabbage and broccoli all in. Then spent an inordinate amount of time trying to build something that I could rest my netting over the broccoli on as the hoops weren’t tall enough.

[burnie]

The joys of growing in a raised bed and broadcast sowing seeds, no digging, no thinning out and very little weeding, apart from watering the greenhouse and eating a tomato and a few strawberries whilst in there, I have spent most of the day, just looking at the garden.

[Jungle Jane]

I’m watering my large plum tomato varieties twice a day,Ive got a lot of tomatoes forming & I don’t want to lose any to blossom end rot this year,twice watering seems to stop it happening. Planted out two of my younger cucumber plants.

[Jungle Jane]

I put a third runner bean teepee up (three canes) because I had four plants left,two white lady & two moonlight,it’s in the middle of three squash plants,also planted a couple of sunflowers by it & there’s self seeded borage. Watered & a tiny bit of weeding.

[Jungle Jane]

Today I put the last blowaway away,in the shed. Planted out the last cucumber plant. Planted the twenty eighth tomato plant moonglow,another pepper & some more French marigolds. Weeded,swept & tidied the patio.

[Bren In Pots]

Fed toms and courgettes with comfrey.

[ameno]

Started pruning the grape vines. I managed to get the two smaller ones done, plus maybe a quarter of the big one.

[ameno]

Finished pruning and tying in the big grape vine. Lots of bunches forming this year, and I've been careful to train it high to keep them out of reach of the badger.
Also pruned the sour cherry.

[bramble]

Deadheading flowers, weeding, tying in my tomatoes and watching the wildlife.

[Bren In Pots]

Pegged down a few strawberry runners, tidied up rest of plants some seed sowing.

[mrsbusy]

As it was a wet Sunday afternoon here I made a batch of picalilly and a jar of pickled gherkins.

[Holly Daze]

Finished pruning and tying in the big grape vine. Lots of bunches forming this year, and I've been careful to train it high to keep them out of reach of the badger.
Also pruned the sour cherry.

What do you do with your grapes Ameno?

[ameno]

What do you do with your grapes Ameno?

Eat them. I've never had enough to need to think about doing anything else with them, and the varieties I grow make nice table grapes.
If I can keep the badger off them then there may be enough this year that I'll want to think about using them in other ways, though.

[Holly Daze]

I had two bunches last year. White. They were sweet but had about three big seeds in each grape. I have loads of bunches of white and black this year but I’m sure they will not ripen. Should have cut some off really.

[ameno]

I had two bunches last year. White. They were sweet but had about three big seeds in each grape. I have loads of bunches of white and black this year but I’m sure they will not ripen. Should have cut some off really.

I have a white variety (can't remember its name) and three vines of the same black variety (Muscat Bleu), all planted outside.
They all ripen consistently for me in late September into early October, although the white is quite prone to mould on the fruit. Muscat Bleu seems quite resistant to mould, but last year the badgers got all but one bunch just before they were fully ripe (I had 15 or so good sized bunches coming). The remaining bunch seems like it was too high for them to reach, so I've retrained all of my vines higher and removed any low hanging bunches in the hope that the badger won't be able to get them this time.

If you struggle to get yours to ripen outdoors, I definitely recommend Muscat Bleu. It's never failed to ripen in time for me, even when late frosts killed the first set of flowers so blooming was delayed a full month while it grew new ones.