[Growster...]

Why not grow Sprouts & Kale, as you only pick what you need and let the plant keep growing.

Yes I was wondering about kale, I think if you can just cut what you want I might do that (I don't think I would ever eat sprouts - I have tried many times to like them but just don't. They are only veg I  have ever found that I don't like). Would I have trouble with flea beetle at this time of year? They seem to love my plot!
[/quote]

Kale usually gets by Ann, but watch out for whitefly, as they get in the curls, and create mayhem!

I don't think fleabeetle goes for kale, it's mainly radish, swede and low-lying green plants which get hit, but I may well be wrong there...

I used to hate brussels, but last year, we had so many and the pension seemed to last a little less time each month, so I became addicted as a matter of urgency! Try them with a few chestnuts, and not too long in the water. I like them with a little balsamic vinegar sometimes too!

[Madame Cholet]

waht about roots like parsnips, radish, beetroot, carrots, swede and celeriac artichokes for winter.

[fatcat1955]

I have had my allotment for 2 year's now and have had to buy 2 chest freezer's to store everything. I give each type of veg 2 chances to produce and then it's gone. I don't bother with snip's or broccoli anymore, the snip's fork and they take up valuable space for 9 month's and the broc keep's blowing. In their space i put french bean's , courgettes and borlotti bean's. I am still eating last year's and am now picking this year's.

[Yana]

I convinced the OH to buy an upright freezer based on last years harvest. Haven't completely emptied it fatcat and, as you say, now harvesting this years crops.
However, yields are down for freezing this year (so far it seems) so just as well I got the freezer lat year 

[Madame Cholet]

I'm having a go with dehydrating, only have a normal freezer and have lots of fruit for jam ect, but i have and old fashioned under stairs pantry with all its original shelves. It was covered with lovely orange sticky plastic which I managed to remove and varnish. ( are you green with envy)

Done a few onions so far red and white, garlic and spinach which had bolted waiting for surplus beans toms and cougettes now hopefully.

[Growster...]

waht about roots like parsnips, radish, beetroot, carrots, swede and celeriac artichokes for winter.

Never forgetting leeks, Rachel, which I always seem to do in any list - and they're the most benign veg to grow almost anywhere!

This is our first year with celeriac, and we're feeding it like mad to see what happens. The kohl rabi seems to be in a terminal sulk however, probably because there is an airport full of flea-beetle around...

(They also knocked off the swede too, which means that they'll probably go south soon too - and its too late to replant those!)

[Growster...]

We've inherited another front-opener freezer Fatcat and Yana, and it means reorganising the kitchen cupboards to fit it in...

It'll be interesting going to get a plate or a bowl and wondering why you've got a bag of broad beans in your hand...

[Madame Cholet]

We've inherited another front-opener freezer Fatcat and Yana, and it means reorganising the kitchen cupboards to fit it in...

It'll be interesting going to get a plate or a bowl and wondering why you've got a bag of broad beans in your hand...

[Madame Cholet]

Never forgetting leeks, Rachel, which I always seem to do in any list - and they're the most benign veg to grow almost anywhere!
[/quote]

good one I planted 150  to suppliment the onions they seem to be doing really well, I'm all for things that are easy to grow and can stay in the ground.

[Growster...]

Never forgetting leeks, Rachel, which I always seem to do in any list - and they're the most benign veg to grow almost anywhere!

good one I planted 150  to suppliment the onions they seem to be doing really well, I'm all for things that are easy to grow and can stay in the ground.

[/quote]

You're right on supplementing onions that way too - best alternative, and not half as fussy...

[allotmentann]

Hi Growster, I will definitely give kale a go and see what happens with the flea beetle. It is odd as the plot directly behind me does not get flea beetle at all - not a single one! My rocket, beetroot, mizuna and green manure mustard were riddled with it. The beets recovered, but rocket and mizuna were inedible. Good job I didn't want to eat the mustard! Kale will perhaps out grow it, if it does get attacked - I think they only like the young leaves.
Perhaps I ought to give sprouts a second chance? You are so right about the  cost of everything, for me, the extra food is invaluable. I have eaten broad beans (my absolute favourite) for the first time in years. I simply cannot afford to buy them in the shops (or even from the market), they were £4 a kilo in sa*****ys the other day - which would probably just about make a serving when shelled! So anything I can grow is a real treat.
Rachel, I have lots of leeks and carrots and just sowed radish and more beetroot - is it too late to start celeriac? I have bought seeds but thought I might have to wait until spring to start them off? (Your seventies shelves sound fantastic, were you not tempted to keep the funky plastic?). The dehydrator does sound really good, are they expensive to run? I have been wondering about getting one but don't want a surprise electricity bill

[angelavdavis]

Hi Growster, I will definitely give kale a go and see what happens with the flea beetle. It is odd as the plot directly behind me does not get flea beetle at all - not a single one! My rocket, beetroot, mizuna and green manure mustard were riddled with it. The beets recovered, but rocket and mizuna were inedible. Good job I didn't want to eat the mustard! Kale will perhaps out grow it, if it does get attacked - I think they only like the young leaves.

Hi Ann,

I found that I started suffering after I bought some farmyard manure onto the plot - I think it must have been full of flea beetle eggs.  I didn't suffer from it until then.  Just a thought that it might be the source of your problem?

[allotmentann]

Hi Angela, you could well be right. I have only had the plot since about March, but a lot of it had been fairly well worked before I got it and the plot holder had obviously worked a lot of stuff into the soil, as the worked areas are far better than the areas I have uncovered. Of course, I have no idea what he did or didn't use on the soil. I had not thought of manure as being a source of flea beetle. I really want to add more manure to my soil, but I am really concerned about what it could be bringing in.

[compostqueen]

It's too late for celeriac from seed now as it takes ages to reach a size big enough to plant.

Growster   I plant my celeriacs in a bed topped off with loads of manure then I don't bother feeding them once planted. The manure helps to retain moisture too. Mind you it's been a good year for celeriac.  Mine are bulbing up well 

[Growster...]

It's too late for celeriac from seed now as it takes ages to reach a size big enough to plant.

Growster   I plant my celeriacs in a bed topped off with loads of manure then I don't bother feeding them once planted. The manure helps to retain moisture too. Mind you it's been a good year for celeriac.  Mine are bulbing up well 

Mine (ours) are showing a chunk of leaves CQ about a foot high, but I really do not know how to progress them - even if they're indeed making an effort to grow!

Does the 'bulb' form underground like - say - a parsnip?

I can't see much of a 'bulb' as yet, but then I'm impatient, and having seen the ones our chum sells in the shop in the Collonade here...