Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
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A question for Brian

Posted by Liz Dance on 27/4/2025, 12:02 pm

Brian, just as a matter of interest how are your apple trees doing, we have had the best show of apple blossom in years, also the apple orchards that are just beyond our garden have a magnificent display, the farmer has already been out spraying his crop, I just hope that this is a sign that the harvest will be good?

Re: A question for Brian

Posted by Brian on 27/4/2025, 1:01 pm, in reply to "A question for Brian"

I had done some fairly drastic pruning on the oldest tree as it hadn't been look after, but the blossom was magnificent. It's dropped now and am hoping fir some thing, I have one if tge standards in full bloom and the third standard just starting, the pillar trees are all in blossom , the pear three isn't showing anything but leaf but it's young. My dwarf stock cherry at home is looking better than ever, the dwarf stock apple is in full bloom too.
Last year was poor, but I am hopeful for a good harvest. I've ordered a plum tree on dwarf root stock so I am expecting that to turn up in the next week or so.
We've also set up some asparagus mounds so next year we'll be eating asparagus fresh from the ground.

Re: A question for Brian

Posted by Liz Dance on 27/4/2025, 2:04 pm, in reply to "Re: A question for Brian"

Brian, that’s an incredible amount of growing you will have going in, I wish you well.

Re: A question for Brian

Posted by Brian on 27/4/2025, 2:29 pm, in reply to "Re: A question for Brian"

Growing and getting a harvest can be two different things.

Re: A question for Brian - Liz other stuff

Posted by Brian on 27/4/2025, 2:43 pm, in reply to "Re: A question for Brian"

We are doing OK, we planted our onions and garlic in November along with a winter crop of beetroot they're all doing well. Our first and second early potatoes are in, main crop going in the next couple of weeks, we stagger our planting it meant we were still lifting potatoes at the end of October.
We planted our shallots about a month ago and they're breaking through now, we have tomatoes, chillies,aubergine, courgette and ginger in the greenhouse and cabbage and romanesco growing on and ready to go out next week. The soft fruits are looking good and I think we'll get decent crops of strawberries, blueberries, jostaberries and
rhubarb . The herb bed is filling out nicely too
We are finishing the new polytunnel on Monday so we will have a lot more space to grow undercover by
the end of the week, I ended up lifting over a third of a ton of brick and concrete foundations to clear the area for the polytunnel so that slowed us down but we are back on track.

Re: A question for Brian - Liz other stuff

Posted by Liz Dance on 27/4/2025, 2:51 pm, in reply to "Re: A question for Brian - Liz other stuff"

Brian, that is an amazing amount of food you will gave growing, you have taken to allotment life like a duck to water, good on you.

Re: A question for Brian - Liz other stuff

Posted by Brian on 27/4/2025, 3:11 pm, in reply to "Re: A question for Brian - Liz other stuff"

Liz we never bank on the harvest but see everything as bonus, we don't waste anything, turning excess into pickles, jams, chutneys, fermented foods and occasionally alcohol. Other things will go in as the year progresses. It's enjoyable, helps to keep us fit, both physically and mentally and everything we grow is organic. The taste is so different from the shop bought stuff.

Re: A question for Brian -

Posted by Liz Dance on 27/4/2025, 3:32 pm, in reply to "Re: A question for Brian - Liz other stuff"

You are so right Brian, we benefit from our neighbour who is a prolific grower of so much, he is always coming round to our house with various boxes of veg etc, one year he had an abundance of red currents I ended up making red current ice cream, it was rather nice.

Happy growing .

Re: A question for Brian -

Posted by Brian on 27/4/2025, 3:50 pm, in reply to "Re: A question for Brian - "

Mixed with raspberries and rhubarb they make a great jam.

Crumble

Posted by Mac Cummings on 28/4/2025, 12:55 pm, in reply to "Re: A question for Brian - "

We had an excellent Rhubarb, Blackberry and Ginger crumble yesterday thanks to "her indoors"
Rhubard from the "triangle" donated by a neighbour. Berries foraged and in the freezer + bought ginger.......some cold custard (my fav).......and an extra kilo on the body!!

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