Vegetable Growing 2024

Planted all my outside garlic and covered with compost and spread white mustard over it too as a winter kill cover crop. I've got 205 or so in the ground now

 

Butternuts laid out ready for storing, after a slow start they've produced a nice harvest .

 

They look lovely @Scroggin .

 

I agree that looks good @Scroggin. Typically I had a lot last year, so grew fewer plants this year and the fruits are tiny compared to last year- can't win. You seem to have some good size ones there.

 

@Allotment Boy , isn't that always the way, glut or shortage. I had quite a range of sizes, quite a few smaller ones which ripened early but also a good proportion of larger ones. I find they store well, in the past I've had them usable through to next spring.

 

gosh some of those are monster squash. nice harvest! What seedlings have you got growing there?

Here was our pumpkin harvest from the 1 vine.


Think ill try a different variety next year, theyre a little small even for one person! "Jack B little". Saved some seeds from a sainsburies white pumpkin, possibly a hybrid though. Looks like Baby Boo or Ghost Munchkin variety which are both OP, whatever it is its not strong but quite tasty raw and the perfect size in my opinion for 2 people. Also free seeds so

What variety is your butternut squash? I saw "Inca Gold" for sale but thats the only variety I know.

 

Plenty of soup material there @Scroggin
Those look good too @Adam I . I grew a small type a few years ago, and that's what I do with them - spiced and roasted with other veg, and then blitzed in the machine.

They also make a good base for a curry.

 

Raw @Adam I ??? Can you really? They look cute anyway.
@Scroggin - a great crop! Don't butternut have to be kept for weeks before they sweeten?

 

@fairygirl , my better half loves butternut soup, I like it roasted or as a base for curry or tray bakes.
@CarolineL , yes, I find the flavour improves with age.
@Adam I , the varieties I grow are Hunter and Walnut, the Walnut tend to be larger.

 

My favourite soup is with those roasted veg @Scroggin , usually with Chinese five spice, and I just add anything I've got into the mix - carrots, onions, peppers etc, and sometimes lentils too. Sweet potaties are ideal if you don't have squash or pumpkin. Much healthier than any bought stuff, and also much cheaper in the long run. Fill the oven with several trays, and it gives you a really good amount of soup. I freeze any that I won't use within a week, and it does make a good base for a curry or similar. I currently have a large pot for using at this cooler time of year, and I continue making it all through winter/spring for my lunches. Can't beat it

 

Well here we are to highlight what I was saying. Some are Hunter, can't remember the other. Tiny, pathetic but it is what it is. I tried growing them up supports rather than trailing maybe that's what went wrong.


The second picture is last years for comparison.

 

@Allotment Boy , I found that the ones that set earliest stayed small, my larger squashes came later. Nothing scientific, maybe the weather, who knows. No year is ever the same .

 

Not veg but we managed to harvest the quinces this morning. Didn't think we had many at all and even though much less than previous years at least we have 2 buckets ready to work on tomorrow.

 

Have now 12 bottles of quinces and still have nearly a bucket of quinces left. Will do some jamming tomorrow...need to buy some sugar. Used the peelings etc to start some quince wine. The fruit smells great and leaves a lovely fragrance in the kitchen.

 

@On the Levels I can't remember if you've told us, but is that a 'proper' quince from a tree, or the ornamental low growing shrub? A friend kindly set me a gift of a medlar and quince tree a couple of years ago. The medlar has produced a few fruit, but the quince hasn't even flowered.