Garlic & Onion Sets Planted

Last weekend I took the opportunity to get out onto the balcony and started planting the over wintering Garlic and Onion Sets. First I did a little tidying up, mainly getting rid of all the Aubergine plants, which I've given up on, I ended up with a lot of flowers, but no Aubergines themselves. I also potted up the Serrano Chili plant and the Pepper (Sweet) plant that I had in the large tub hanging over the balcony, so once it gets a bit colder I can take these indoors.

                                                                    Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: Oct 2011

This left me with five tubs I could plant into, two tubs hanging over the balcony and three large pots on the balcony floor. I gave the soil in each of the pots a good mix around to loosen it up. I then flattened the soil down to make sure it was tight and compressed and then I used my new Dibber to create shallow drills to place the Early Purple Wright Garlic and Radar Onion Sets in the soil, covering each of them so that their necks are just popping out from the soil, and with a 10cm gap between each bulb.

                                                                    Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: Oct 2011

In total I have planted two tubs of Garlic and three tubs of Onion Sets, all the Garlic was used up, but I still have a few Onion Sets left over. As a little added protection for the bulbs which are in the tubs hanging over the balcony, I've placed several canes into the soil and stretched some of the netting I used to protect the Strawberries over the top of the tubs, just as a deterrent to stop the birds from picking at them. I then gave them all a good watering and now I just have to wait.

The Big Winter Clean Up

The Big Winter clean up has been going on for a few weeks now; I've just about stripped the balcony of all the plants I have been growing. My handy new Secateurs and Pruning Knife have been put to some good use, during this time.

The first to go was the Baby Sweetcorn stalks; these did get pulled out as soon as the Sweetcorn was picked. Moneymaker and Gardeners Delight Tomato plants, which were starting to look a bit on the dead side, along with the Courgette plants were next, I only ever got one Courgette in the end, but next year I'll hopefully get a better crop. After that went the Aubergine plants, now they did flower a lot but much to my disappointment, no much else, like the Courgettes I will have another go next year.

                                                          Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: Oct 2011

Other things done during the clean up included, repotting the Strawberry Runners which are now snug in the Mini Greenhouse and also potting up the Serrano Chili plant and Pepper (sweet) plant that I had in a shared tub hanging over the balcony, hopefully once it gets colder I can take these indoors and try to keep these for next year. The Pepper (Sweet) plants still have peppers on, which are just starting to turn red.

And last but not least the Mini Greenhouse has also gone up and it's now outside, not only does it contain the potted Strawberry Runners, but I've also potted up some Cabbage and Carrot seeds. The whole place has had a bit of a clean and alls I have to do now is cover up the Strawberry hanging baskets and a few of the other plants with fleece and we are ready for the snow, that’s if we get any this winter.

Preserves: Easy Tomato Chutney

As I still have a lot of Tomatoes left to eat, I wanted to make some sort of a Chutney and as I've never made this before, I started to do some research into the many different types that can be made, when I came across the below recipe on the 'Good to Know Recipes' website:

Easy Tomato Chutney

1kg (2¼lb) Ripe Tomatoes of any variety or size
3 Red or White Onions, peeled and chopped
2-3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and crushed
200ml (7fl oz) Red Wine Vinegar
175g (6oz) Soft Light Muscovado Sugar
1 level teaspoon Ground Ginger

Sterilised Jars and Waxed Discs

I used both Moneymaker and Gardeners Delight Tomatoes for this, but any ripe tomato will do. The recipe is simple you just add all the ingredients into a large heavy-based pan, bring to a boil slowing, stirring occasionally to help the suger dissolve. Once this is at a boil, the mixture can then be left to simmer for one and a half hours, or more, stirring occasionally until the mixture becomes thick and jam like.

                                                       Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: Oct 2011

I then sterilised several jars, in boiling water for around an hour and then left these to dry out on the drainer. Once the mixtures was ready, this was spooned into the jars, sealed and left to cool down. Labels with the date of when I made these were stuck to the jars, as these then needed to be stored away for a month before eating. Once open they should be consummed within 3-4 months.

The End of the Tomatoes

October is now with us and I've been busy collecting all the remaining Gardeners Delight and Moneymaker Tomatoes I've been growing over the summer. Due to the lovely hot spell we had at the end of September, the last of the Tomatoes I though wouldn't ripen, have and last weekend I spent sometime pulling all the plants out which have now started to die away. Leaving room for the Garlic and Onions to be planted.

                                                                     Photo: Laura Lunt  Photo: Oct 2011

Re-potting Strawberry Runners

Over the last few months I've been carefully looking after the Strawberry Runners, that were taken from the mother plant. These have come on very well and after checking their roots, which had developed really really well, it was time to re-pot and store away for the winter.

I took some 30cm pots and added each of the four developed Strawberry Runners into these with multi-purpose compost, then watered. They are now ready to be placed in the Mini Greenhouse over winter.

                                                    Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: Oct 2011