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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 13:37:20 GMT
Contenders so far Pink Fir Apple Lady Christl
I think Ill try both, but I want one more! (Greeedy enni?)
I do have to get cracking now... I love the planning as much as the planting!
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Post by mickthecactus on Jan 3, 2007 13:43:07 GMT
Nope. Never grown it before.
I was going to ask you!
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 13:54:07 GMT
Oh well Mick, someone will know`........ guaranteed! I fancy something a bit different this year, and I can plant as many varieties as I like, if we dont hear from anyone well trial them ourselves, deal?
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Post by mickthecactus on Jan 3, 2007 13:59:00 GMT
Deal.
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 14:02:01 GMT
Great, now just one more good early variety to choose and Im set. I wish the GW trials were more sorted out, planning is difficult enough without the wild card!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2007 14:02:13 GMT
does anyone know whats happening with the garden trials that were mentioned at the end of last year? I want to make sure I have room....
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 14:06:17 GMT
Nope, no news on that front, but Im sure theres action behind the scenes. We`ll just have to be patient.
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 14:06:29 GMT
I have grown pink fir apple. Knobbly little blighters. But a very nice, tasty salad potato - very waxy in texture.
And on the subject of apples I have grown a cucumber called Crystal Apple. It's about the size and shape of a kiwi fruit, and quite yellow in colour. Tastes just like cucumber though. Ideal for lunch boxes.
I once grew a black potato.
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 14:07:59 GMT
Black? explain...... waiting for the punchline
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2007 14:08:11 GMT
I once grew a black potato. Deliberately??
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 14:08:50 GMT
No punchline. I once grew a black potato. It was black.
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 14:10:05 GMT
Did you eat it? (could explain a lot ;D)
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 14:12:18 GMT
I did eat the crop - but it was a very small crop. My seed was only one small potato given to me by an exhibitor at the Shrewsbury Flower Show. As it was not a lot bigger than a quails egg itself the crop at the end of the season with pretty tiny.
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Post by Plocket on Jan 3, 2007 14:16:08 GMT
I'm starting to think I should give these Pink Fir Apples a go - do you think I could grow them in my potato barrel?
I've been scanning Mr Fothergills and have a short list of seeds ready to run by OH.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2007 14:16:14 GMT
I have grown pink fir apple. Knobbly little blighters. But a very nice, tasty salad potato - very waxy in texture. And on the subject of apples I have grown a cucumber called Crystal Apple. It's about the size and shape of a kiwi fruit, and quite yellow in colour. Tastes just like cucumber though. Ideal for lunch boxes. I once grew a black potato. Agree with SS on the Pink Fir Apple!! They are a late maturing salad potato, knobbly with a new paotato flavour. I'm not mad about potaotoes but I do like these alot!! One of the guys on our site grows Blue Potatoes, think they may be Edzell Blue...not sure if they reatian their colour though ;D!! Also SS, I got some Crystal Apple seed free last year, made a change to have a novelty cucumber!!
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 14:17:29 GMT
Black (and blue) food just seems so unnatural, Sleepy. What did they taste like? Was the colour the only difference?
Are Crystal Apple a knobbly variety or are they smooth skinned, everyone thought my cucumbers looked strange last year, so warty they thought something was wrong with them, I blame tescos!
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 14:21:05 GMT
I've just had a bit of a search. Found this - it looks like what I grew but better: www.foodsubs.com/Potatoes.html#purpleIf I remember the dark coulouring faded on cooking, and they tasted OK. It was a long time ago, and I didn't have a lot to remember.
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 14:23:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2007 14:24:54 GMT
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 14:27:08 GMT
Have you tried them GH. I agree they do look a bit hairy in your photo, but I don't remember them being so.
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 14:28:06 GMT
They havent got any crystal Apple for sale...crop failure it says I dont like the look of the purple spuds at all and those Oca (red) ones look like they may hatch out into something nasty, yuk yuk ! Oh well Pink fir Apple is on the list still, as is Lady Christl
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 14:38:53 GMT
The pretty girl who lives next door to me asked my how I got my tomatoes to turn red. I told her that I nipped down to the greenhouse every morning dressed in just my dressing gown, stood in front of them and opened the gown, and that they turned red from embarrassment. She said she would try the technique
A few weeks later I asked her how she was getting on. She said that she wasn't having too much luck with the tomatoes, but her cucumbers had come on no end ;D
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 14:53:33 GMT
Oh sleepy! I just had a wicked time on the Fothergills site, I just couldnt help myself, are Cranberries/ Blackcurrants self pollinating or do I need two? order so far12453 Cranberry 'Pilgrim' (2 Pot Grown Bushes) £7.95 £7.95 Remove 12458 Blackcurrant 'Ben Connan' (2 12-Month-Old Bushes) £6.65 £6.65 Remove 1996 Wildlife Friendly Mixture (1 Gram) £2.15 £2.15 Remove 18 Cornflower 'Polka Dot' (500 Seeds) £1.39 £1.39 Remove 863 Carrot 'Favor' (500 Seeds) £2.15 £2.15 Remove 888 Spinach 'Cezanne' (300 Seeds) £1.70 £1.70 Remove 377 Cucumber 'Crystal Apple' (40 Seeds) £1.25 £1.25 Remove 95 Beetroot 'Chioggia' (250 Seeds) £1.49 £1.49 Remove 12481 Garlic 'Solent Wight' Offer £0.99 £0.99 Remove 1306 1st 10p packet offer (Acanthus Bear's Breeches (1306)) £0.10 £0.10 Remove 2449 Aster Red Striped Matsumoto for just 99p £0.99 £0.99 Remove 2550 Sweet Corn Sweet 'Sensation' F1 for just 99p! £0.99 £0.99 Remove Subtotal: £27.80
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 15:00:26 GMT
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 15:13:59 GMT
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 15:19:24 GMT
Ordered two bushes of each fruit variety and got my pink fir apple and lady christl too, this is MY kinda shopping ;D ;D
Final order got swelled with a few more freebies and 10p packs of flowers.... cant wait for the weather now!
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 15:25:11 GMT
And for cucurbits my favourites are: Spaghetti Marrow ccok whole - cut in half, revove seeds and discard, tease out flesh in strands and it looks like spaghetti - very tasty) Little Gem (My wife cooked whole, and served it halved, with seeds removed and a knob of butter in it. Sunburst SquashAnd Turks TurbanAll can be found on: www.mammothonion.co.uk/shop/5/index.htm
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 3, 2007 15:28:13 GMT
Uhoh Sleepy are you trying to tempt me? I just spent about £70 on fothergils site ....Id best not look (groan)ooooh mouse is slipping...too late............
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 3, 2007 15:30:42 GMT
I'd dump the beetroot, cornflower and blackcurrant. Try a couple more cucurbits, and change the sweetcorn. Trust me, I'm a gardener
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Post by mickthecactus on Jan 3, 2007 15:30:56 GMT
I have tried Crystal Apple some years ago but it got mauled by greenfly and I have never tried it again. Worth having another go?
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