Billy Young's Blog - Posts Tagged "tomatoes"
4th May 2012
I put my plants into my tubs as we had some good weather. Unfortunately it is to be quite frosty tonight. Luckily I haven’t put the tomatoes or peppers in the containers for them yet so was able to bring them indoors. The other plants will need to survive as best as they can. I also got given some carrots from a work friend, Norman. He gives me a lift to work everyday so he had them in the boot of his car. They were left over from his garden so he thought I could use them. It was good fortune for me as my lettuce was ravished by a cat or bird. Which ever it was it left none so I had an empty tub. He also gave me seeds he didn’t want anymore so Magz wants me to grow some sweetcorn. It means another grow-bag will be needed but maybe I can grow some more lettuce. Finally I have noticed the beetroot and potatoes are coming up. I had given up on them thinking they had been hit with the frost a few weeks back. It goes to show things take there own time.
It’s a long weekend so I have Monday off. Magz has got the orders in for the grass to be cut. I must admit I was planning on it last week. As you can tell it never happened though it is to be a nice day tomorrow but colder than it has been this week. Still a bit of time in the garden after being stuck in a factory all week sounds good.
It’s a long weekend so I have Monday off. Magz has got the orders in for the grass to be cut. I must admit I was planning on it last week. As you can tell it never happened though it is to be a nice day tomorrow but colder than it has been this week. Still a bit of time in the garden after being stuck in a factory all week sounds good.
24th August 2012
We had a good time at Micky’s engagement party last Saturday. Tammy managed to get out of going after all. I wasn’t happy about it but Magz had given her permission or rather had given in to her as usual. Still it was a great night for letting our hair down. We stayed longer than we had planned which tells you we had a little more to drink meaning a dull Sunday to recover though it was worth it.
I treated the apple tree last weekend making sure cover all surfaces in the spray. That was made easy as the tree is little more than a sapling. Its sister is already much large and seeming to take over in the crowded space that I have my fruit trees. It will need a careful pruning this year after the growing season is over just to bring it under control. It has only really been over the past month or two that it has shot out in all directions as the fruit it is baring seem to weigh the branches down. Maybe that has just shown me how much it has grown this year.
While I may have to wait to prune my trees the tomatoes will need some this weekend. There are far too many leaves so taking some out will help the fruit to fatten as more will go into them rather than the leaves. Even though I have had a bad growing year for much of my garden the tomatoes have been like the strawberries and look like they could give a bumper crop. In the past two weeks they have went from flowering to being laden with fruit. Magz hasn’t said anything about them but I know she is looking forward to them ripening. I’ll also give them a good feed when I out this weekend along with the corn, beetroot, onions as well as all the fruit bushes and trees. I better not forget my herbs.
I treated the apple tree last weekend making sure cover all surfaces in the spray. That was made easy as the tree is little more than a sapling. Its sister is already much large and seeming to take over in the crowded space that I have my fruit trees. It will need a careful pruning this year after the growing season is over just to bring it under control. It has only really been over the past month or two that it has shot out in all directions as the fruit it is baring seem to weigh the branches down. Maybe that has just shown me how much it has grown this year.
While I may have to wait to prune my trees the tomatoes will need some this weekend. There are far too many leaves so taking some out will help the fruit to fatten as more will go into them rather than the leaves. Even though I have had a bad growing year for much of my garden the tomatoes have been like the strawberries and look like they could give a bumper crop. In the past two weeks they have went from flowering to being laden with fruit. Magz hasn’t said anything about them but I know she is looking forward to them ripening. I’ll also give them a good feed when I out this weekend along with the corn, beetroot, onions as well as all the fruit bushes and trees. I better not forget my herbs.
31st August 2012
I got my first tomato of the year this week. Of course I’m not really a big fan of them unless cooked into something else. Magz loves them so it is really for her and the kids that I grow them. I say kids but Calum is almost eighteen and Tammy will be sixteen early next year. I think as a parent you never really see your offspring as anything but your kids. I don’t mean we see them as never growing-up. Rather they always will be your little babies even when they tower over you as Calum does with me these days. Tammy hasn’t much farther to she is looking down on me too. They do say we shrink as we get older though I don’t think I can use that as an excuse being only forty-five.
Talking of growing my corn has shot up and I am now looking forward to corn on the cob covered in butter. Magz is planning on a blueberry pie with the berries I have been picking all week. It has only been a handful at a time but they are gathering up nicely. We might even get two pies out of them with any luck, yum. Magz does make a good pie I must admit.
Though I have had a few problems in the garden this year it hasn’t been to bad. Mind there is still time I hope for the pumpkin which has been a sorry looking thing all summer. Twice it has flowered to produce tiny fruits which the slugs got to or rotted. This week has seen one of them spreading out with a new flower head forming. More feed might help it along so that is something for the weekend. Let’s hope the weather plays ball.
Talking of growing my corn has shot up and I am now looking forward to corn on the cob covered in butter. Magz is planning on a blueberry pie with the berries I have been picking all week. It has only been a handful at a time but they are gathering up nicely. We might even get two pies out of them with any luck, yum. Magz does make a good pie I must admit.
Though I have had a few problems in the garden this year it hasn’t been to bad. Mind there is still time I hope for the pumpkin which has been a sorry looking thing all summer. Twice it has flowered to produce tiny fruits which the slugs got to or rotted. This week has seen one of them spreading out with a new flower head forming. More feed might help it along so that is something for the weekend. Let’s hope the weather plays ball.
14th September 2012
Tammy and Magz finally made the blueberries into a crumble. Sadly there wasn’t any custard to go with it but there was cream. As you can imagine it was delicious and there was some for me to take to work during the week in my sandwich box. I know I’m spoiled. Now I just have to wait for the apples to be ready for apple pie, maybe there maybe some custard this time, hehehe.
While I wait on the apples maturing my tomatoes are near picking. Though they are still green I have snipped some from the plants to let them redden on the window sill. Magz reckons they should be put in a drawer. I’ve never heard of that before as I was brought up with them sitting on the sill to get the sun. Of course that is a rare thing here in Scotland. At the moment they are where I think they should be though I wouldn’t be surprised to find Magz had put them where she wants them. I suppose it would be interesting to see who has the best method for bringing them to full ripeness. Magz enjoyed the ones that matured on the bush but they were few. With autumn making itself felt at night now I don’t wish to leave the rest of the fruit to long on the plants or I might lose them to an early frost.
I had to move my blueberry bush to a more sheltered spot as it has be a bit windy over the past few days. I’m still getting more berries from it so there is possibly another pie though I think it will be a small one. Still pie is pie for those of us that like them.
While I wait on the apples maturing my tomatoes are near picking. Though they are still green I have snipped some from the plants to let them redden on the window sill. Magz reckons they should be put in a drawer. I’ve never heard of that before as I was brought up with them sitting on the sill to get the sun. Of course that is a rare thing here in Scotland. At the moment they are where I think they should be though I wouldn’t be surprised to find Magz had put them where she wants them. I suppose it would be interesting to see who has the best method for bringing them to full ripeness. Magz enjoyed the ones that matured on the bush but they were few. With autumn making itself felt at night now I don’t wish to leave the rest of the fruit to long on the plants or I might lose them to an early frost.
I had to move my blueberry bush to a more sheltered spot as it has be a bit windy over the past few days. I’m still getting more berries from it so there is possibly another pie though I think it will be a small one. Still pie is pie for those of us that like them.
6th September 2014
I was out picking some tomatoes today. We didn't get many this year plus those we did are on the very small side. This year has not been the greatest harvest from the garden though some crops have done well. Those being the blueberries and cooking apples. Strawberries, peas, potatoes and onions have all been not to bad but they could have been better. Really I shouldn't complain as at least we did manage to get a good crop from some things and though the growing season is coming to a close I still have some things to keep an eye on. The strawberries have begun sending out their runners which means weeding tomorrow. The parsnips are beginning to die back which means I will soon find out how well they have done this year. And I still have some more carrots still to pull. The last lot were delicious.
More scare stories are being put round by both side in the referendum debate. The yes side are claiming that the Scottish NHS may be under threat from cuts if there is a no vote. When you hear both side argue over this it makes you wonder as this is already a devolved issue. Yet at the same time the Westminster government has said their will be further cuts to the Scottish block grant. This in turn would lead to cuts but I am not sure that these would be made to the NHS. So what would we lose? Well earlier in the year Scottish labour did give a hint to what they would cut. Student fees would be introduced, free prescription done away with and the freeze on council tax abolished. At least that was what the leader of Scottish Labour claimed at the beginning of the year. These policies would hurt me very much in the pocket and Magz needs a lot of medicines as you know. Then both of my children are now going to college now. Plus the council tax is a struggle to pay as it is without a rise which the SNP have protected us from.
Of course a yes result in the referendum doesn't mean these things are any safer from Labour. And if it was left to the far right then we would be paying just to see the doctor as it was in the bad old days. I'd hate to see those days return.
Of course the no camp would have us all believe the world will stop spinning if we vote yes. That Westminster will demand all Scotland's money leaving us skint and then they will rebuild Hadrian's wall. The list of things we would not be able to do is laughable at best and embarrassing for them. If they had won the argument over money maybe I would have been more inclined to listen but they didn't because they believe we should be afraid of the future without the Westminster government to stand at our backs. I think I'm more afraid of the thought of them being at my back than them not. After all for most of my life I have seen the damage that has been brought to bare on society by their policies. Poll Tax, the closing of Ravenscraig, and more recently the bedroom tax. Westminster is out of touch with us north of the border ands much of the rest of the UK. Will a Yes to independence change that? Will bring a full government to Scotland with full powers make it more in touch with our need? Will it make us better off? I don't know but I think it is better than what the other side is offering, more of the same.
More scare stories are being put round by both side in the referendum debate. The yes side are claiming that the Scottish NHS may be under threat from cuts if there is a no vote. When you hear both side argue over this it makes you wonder as this is already a devolved issue. Yet at the same time the Westminster government has said their will be further cuts to the Scottish block grant. This in turn would lead to cuts but I am not sure that these would be made to the NHS. So what would we lose? Well earlier in the year Scottish labour did give a hint to what they would cut. Student fees would be introduced, free prescription done away with and the freeze on council tax abolished. At least that was what the leader of Scottish Labour claimed at the beginning of the year. These policies would hurt me very much in the pocket and Magz needs a lot of medicines as you know. Then both of my children are now going to college now. Plus the council tax is a struggle to pay as it is without a rise which the SNP have protected us from.
Of course a yes result in the referendum doesn't mean these things are any safer from Labour. And if it was left to the far right then we would be paying just to see the doctor as it was in the bad old days. I'd hate to see those days return.
Of course the no camp would have us all believe the world will stop spinning if we vote yes. That Westminster will demand all Scotland's money leaving us skint and then they will rebuild Hadrian's wall. The list of things we would not be able to do is laughable at best and embarrassing for them. If they had won the argument over money maybe I would have been more inclined to listen but they didn't because they believe we should be afraid of the future without the Westminster government to stand at our backs. I think I'm more afraid of the thought of them being at my back than them not. After all for most of my life I have seen the damage that has been brought to bare on society by their policies. Poll Tax, the closing of Ravenscraig, and more recently the bedroom tax. Westminster is out of touch with us north of the border ands much of the rest of the UK. Will a Yes to independence change that? Will bring a full government to Scotland with full powers make it more in touch with our need? Will it make us better off? I don't know but I think it is better than what the other side is offering, more of the same.
9th May 2015
The tomatoes that planted last weekend have germinated. It is still early days as I know from previous growing seasons and I know that things can still go wrong. But it was so good to see those little shoots. With the onions, potatoes and coriander all exhibiting growth I am glad. No sign of carrot or peppers which may mean I will have to replant. Though I will give them another week to see if anything comes from the seeds I have planted already.
I have done a few mock test that I downloaded from the web to try and keep my head on the SIA course. Magz also found a book online that covers much of the things that are found on the in the training. I have started reading through this and have found that it is useful. I just want to be as prepared as I can for when I get my provisional as it will make it easier to pass the SIA test.
In wider news it was good to see the SNP taking most of the seats in Scotland. I sat up till the wee hours of Friday morning watching labours Scottish big wigs lose seat after seat. Most, though not all, took it badly and show their true nasty faces. It is that same face I have seen from the run of the mill labour members since I was a teenager. Because I didn't support their view on the future direction my nation should take. They especially didn't like me saying they had no hope of beating Thatcher. That often led me close to being assaulted. Yes soar losers doesn't do them justice and their claims that it was the SNP that cost them the election doesn't hold up. Well even if they had won the usual number of seat up here they still wouldn't have been in power down south. Of course that won't stop the hardcore of labour in Scotland from continuing to spread the lies until people begin to believe it. Say a lie long enough and sooner or later people will begin to accept it as the truth sadly.
I have done a few mock test that I downloaded from the web to try and keep my head on the SIA course. Magz also found a book online that covers much of the things that are found on the in the training. I have started reading through this and have found that it is useful. I just want to be as prepared as I can for when I get my provisional as it will make it easier to pass the SIA test.
In wider news it was good to see the SNP taking most of the seats in Scotland. I sat up till the wee hours of Friday morning watching labours Scottish big wigs lose seat after seat. Most, though not all, took it badly and show their true nasty faces. It is that same face I have seen from the run of the mill labour members since I was a teenager. Because I didn't support their view on the future direction my nation should take. They especially didn't like me saying they had no hope of beating Thatcher. That often led me close to being assaulted. Yes soar losers doesn't do them justice and their claims that it was the SNP that cost them the election doesn't hold up. Well even if they had won the usual number of seat up here they still wouldn't have been in power down south. Of course that won't stop the hardcore of labour in Scotland from continuing to spread the lies until people begin to believe it. Say a lie long enough and sooner or later people will begin to accept it as the truth sadly.
7th August 2015
Just been out doing the garden. With all the rain through the past month there hasn't been much of a chance to do the garden. While out cutting the hedges and grass I took the opportunity to mix some food for the potatoes and tomatoes. The tomatoes have been a surprise to me as I didn't think they would do well with the cold wet weather we got this year. But they are about to flower so I thought I should give them a good feed and now hope they produce some nice fruit for Magz. I also sprayed my apple tree with anti fungal stuff. As you will know from past years it has fungal problems which is really bad in the wetter years as it has been. Still I have sprayed a few times already this year for that reason and it has had an effect so we should get some eating apples from it. I have also been planning how much pruning the cooking apple tree will need after the fruiting season. It has need some more tying back even though I thought I had pruned it hard last year. Of course I didn't want to over do it but now it looks like maybe I should have been tougher on it. While tying it back though I found two more cherries that were hiding. Magz enjoyed them as they were extra juicy. as well as having a bit longer to ripen. I also got one strawberry, the only one this year. Sadly neither Magz or Tammy wanted it as it looked like something had a little nibble at it. And talking of nibbling my gooseberry bush under attack from sawfly so I also sprayed that. Magz was the one that spotted the green caterpillars. I was around the front when she came round in a panic over what she had seen. I just got out the trusty spray and hope that will deal with them. Though I suspect it will take a few more sprays to be sure followed with more spraying from now on.
