ID please
Posted by: Farendwoman - 26-09-2023, 04:05 PM - Replies (15)

Bit of a long shot given how small these are……
Got a nice healthy pot full of seedlings popped up in what was a (and is now dead) Thalictrum.
Clearly not one of those … but I don’t think it’s weeds.
Any ideas please?
I shall keep them till they are bigger and try again later.



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  Waste of space??
Posted by: Veggie - 24-09-2023, 06:02 PM - Replies (9)

Prompted by JJB's post about cutting down a cherry tree that didn't deliver, I thought I'd ask at what point do you decide that a fruit tree or bush is a Waste of Space? 
Last year I cut down 3 plum trees that had very few plums and were diseased. Unfortunately, the stumps are still there and they're shooting & suckering like crazy. 
I've been hacking back a peach tree that is too  tall and it overshadows the bean patch. The final straw was finding that a CFB had scrambled up into the tree, totally out of picking reach. It had very little fruit this year and what there was, was too high up to reach and bag. It'll be going soon. 
There are others, with question marks over their heads too. 
How about yours?

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  Newly collected seed storage
Posted by: Small chilli - 22-09-2023, 08:19 PM - Replies (4)

How do you store your newly collected seeds?

   

I store in a selection to tubs , pots & bags. Depends on the seeds and how dry they are. Eventually they get cleaned, bagged and labelled.

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  Seed ID help please
Posted by: Small chilli - 21-09-2023, 08:45 PM - Replies (4)

                       

Any idea what this will turn into. I’m going big daisy type. If anyone can narrow it down more, I’d be very impressed and greatful .

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Smile This should be a conversation starter!
Posted by: Small chilli - 21-09-2023, 06:59 PM - Replies (12)

Ok so we were given 12 hours notice that the decorator was coming into our temporary accommodation to paint the bathroom, kitchen & utility. This isn’t a problem to use. They’re doing us a massive favour and we know how disorganised they are  Big Grin .
When said decorator walks in with a fag in his mouth!  Angry , do you offer him a coffee? Asking for a friend    Wink .

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  Birthday?
Posted by: JJB - 21-09-2023, 09:21 AM - Replies (12)

Am I right in thinking it's a certain blonde from the Isles birthday today?  If I'm right - and I know I get these things wrong sometimes  - happy birthday SC. What's the present this year, pneumatic drill, whacker pad, an even bigger and better nail gun??

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  Pineapple strawberries
Posted by: Small chilli - 20-09-2023, 08:14 PM - Replies (4)

Has anyone tried or grown pineapple strawberries? They came up in conversation this evening. I didn’t know they were a thing. After googling. Plants are available. Just wondering if anyone has experience of them. They appeal to me. I like pineapple & I can grow strawberries  Big Grin

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  Vinegar for pickling
Posted by: Veggie - 19-09-2023, 08:40 PM - Replies (6)

I've been reading some FB posts about Vinegar that is used for pickling, The author (may be in the US) says that vinegar manufactures have reduced the acidity percentage in some vinegars from the standard 5% used for pickling to 4%. 

"On Sept. 9, I shared a Facebook post about the lower acidity of vinegar that some manufacturers are selling and whether it's safe to use for canning purposes. The post indicated that instead of the standard acidity of 5%, there is also vinegar with 4% acidity being sold. I contacted the National Center for Home Food Preservation (https://nchfp.uga.edu/#gsc.tab=0) and promised I would let you know what they had to say:
"Here is our official statement regarding vinegar:
"The National Center for Home Food Preservation acknowledges the concerns raised by consumers regarding the use of 4% vinegar acidity for canning. We would like to provide the following important points for your consideration if you have utilized vinegar in your home canning practices:
"Recipe Recommendations: It is crucial to note that all our recipes, including those
from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) and the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA), were extensively tested and recommended the use of vinegar with 5% acidity. Currently, it is strongly advised against using vinegar with lower acidity levels (<5%), as it may not be sufficiently strong to ensure the safety of the canned products. Always remember to check the vinegar label for its acidity level.
"Evaluating Canned Food Products: If you have used vinegar with lower acidity
(less than 5%) in your canned food products and you followed a validated recipe, we
recommend considering the following:
i) If your canned food has been preserved for less than 24 hours using 4%
vinegar, it is advisable to store the jars in the refrigerator to maintain the
safety and quality of the product.
ii) If your canned food has been preserved for more than 24 hours using 4%
vinegar, it is advisable to discard the product.
"Please remember that ensuring the safety of your home-canned products is of utmost importance. Following tested and approved recipes, including the use of recommended vinegar acidity, is crucial for maintaining the safety and integrity of the preserved foods.
"If you can't find 5% vinegar locally, we would suggest trying to find some to order online."
Just a heads up to check the % before using any vinegar for your pickles. It would be heart-breaking to go to all the effort of growing, preparing and pickling veg for it to unsafe to eat. 

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  Kitchen cupboard stocktake
Posted by: Veggie - 19-09-2023, 02:25 PM - Replies (26)

Its a miserable day out so I thought I'd entertain myself by organising my tins of food into date order so that I use the oldest stuff first. I found a few surprising items that may appear on this week's menus. The oldest tin maybe older than some of our members.  Blush
I have 3 tins beside me - would anyone like to guess what they are and their Best Before Dates?  Big Grin

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  Working with Bob
Posted by: Small chilli - 12-09-2023, 09:16 PM - Replies (9)

Today and the rest of the week I’ll be working with Bob. Helping with the strimmer work on all his gardening jobs. Because he’s an old cripple at the moment, with a buggered knee. The twisting motion of strimming isn’t doing him a lot of good. So in desperation he asked me to help. 

This is the view from the first garden

   

View from the second garden. I am actually stood on the lawn to take these photos.

         

Garden 3. This one was great. Not much strimming, did some apple scrumping ( the most stunning looking apple tree I’ve ever seen. Beautiful bright red apples. Love flavour, absolutely disgusting floury texture   Rolleyes , they’ll make a great crumble ), collected some alstroemeria seeds & took a rose cutting. I’ll be asking about that on the rose thread very soon.

   

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