SoS: What’s Happening in Piglet’s Plot?

The weather here continues to be warm and dry. Daytime temperatures range from 16C to 26C. We’ve had some rain but not enough to impact the drought situation so I continue to recycle as much grey water as possible. It’s tough. I spent today feeding and watering all the plants using a watering can, writing and completing a mirror project..

Pesky Critters

This week I was doing a happy dance and even backflips because the Cacho tomatoes I’d planted as plugs in September were bearing lots of fruit. No blight, nada. I turned my back for a couple of days and bugs decided to bore into my precious tomatoes and take up residence. GUTTED! Apparently, they are fruit flies, and there is nothing I can do other than pick the tomatoes and either ripen them off or make green tomato chutney. To say I am pig-sick is an understatement. If anyone has any suggestions on how to irradicate/deter fruitflies, my ears are flapping in anticipation.

Oranges!

This is our first proper harvest of oranges. We juiced.

Latest Autumn Additions to Vegetable Garden

I am trying to keep an ongoing cycle of vegetables, salad crops and fruit. Last week I bought brussels sprouts, lettuce, red onions and strawberries plants from our local market.

I potted on while I’m waiting for a space in the raised vegetable patch. They only cost 15c each so if they don’t survive there will be no brussel sprouts on Christmas day. The cabbage white butterflies LOVE brassicas so we will see if I can outwit them.

Red onion planted. Too close together I know but I thin out and use as Spring onions.

The faithful lettuce

I was delighted to see bundles of strawberry plants at the market and although not on this month’s shopping list …as they say: A bird in the hand.

Autumn/Winter Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Courgettes Experiment

Yep, continuing with the experiment I started here.

Growing Autumn Courgettes (Zucchini), Tomatoes and Cucumber Experiment – September

I continue to hand pollinate the courgettes which is fun. Trying to find male and female flowers open at the same time is proving quite a challenge. So far I’ve had two courgettes weighing in at nearly 800g and there is another waiting to be picked.

This week I pickled 3kg of cucumbers. There are still several on the vine which should last us for several weeks.

Cucumber and courgette plugs are no longer for sale at the market so I decided to grow my own from seed. So far so good!

Spinach. Fingers crossed the slugs and snails decide to share. I love spinach and it’s great to walk into the garden and pick a handful of leaves to add to an omelette or salad.

That’s it for this week and time for a well-earned coffee and the the weekend #coffeeshare

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