Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Friday, October 07, 2011

Chilly Evenings

I picked my first batch of these Bishop's Kiss Chillis today. I have been watching them change colour over the last few weeks, and a couple of plants have been brought indoors for some extra warmth and light on these chilly nights.
I had some difficulty drying them last year, the solution seems to be to snip the chillis open with a pair of scissors to allow warm air to circulate both inside and out. This batch of chillis has been put in my dehydrator to dry. Seeds from my largest and ripest chilli have been carefully saved.
Another unexpected success story has been these tomatillos. I did plant several tomatillo plants around my patch, but although they grew healthy and strong with lots of lovely flowers, very few of them pollinated. I came to the conclusion that tomatillo plants should be planted together in groups to pollinate each other. Does anyone know for sure? I'll give it a try next time.

18 Comments:

At 1:24 AM, Blogger Dawn said...

Oh Matron,
How I love your blog and the gorgeous photos and wonderful links you provide. Always warms my heart to visit your site.
Thanks
Dawn

 
At 2:33 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow Peggy look at your Bishop's kiss peppers...beautiful how are the chickens doing?

 
At 9:10 AM, Blogger suburban veg gardener said...

Those chillies look wonderful? Are they very hot? I might have to add that variety to my seed shopping list...

 
At 10:55 AM, Blogger LindaG said...

What interesting looking peppers. Looks like a great harvest, too.

I need to learn patience in the garden. I pick my peppers too soon, I'm sure. The banana peppers have never turned yellow - though one plant has peppers that start turning purple if I leave them too long.

And my bell peppers are rather smallish.

But I am happy to have any at all since I've never tried growing them before. :)

I don't know about your peppers, but I know corn does best planted in blocks...

 
At 3:48 PM, Blogger Peggy said...

Hi matron,you have been having the indian summer we were promised but never materialised.
I have never used chillis not to mention growing them but they look fantastic in shape and colour

 
At 7:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I apologize Matron your Bishop Kiss Peppers are beautiful...and of course it is Peggy who has the chickens. I don't know where my mind was. I kept thinking as I was going around blog jogging that I'd put something incorrect on somebodies blog and lo and behold it was yours.

 
At 5:12 PM, Blogger Jelliebabe said...

Hi Matron! What are your plans for the peppers? Are you going to dry them or make something out of them?

 
At 8:52 PM, Blogger Chicken lover said...

Matron
Fantastic chillis!
Happy gardening
Jane

 
At 9:27 PM, Blogger Mark Willis said...

Aha! You have identified for me the chillis I saw in the garden of the hotel in Turkey in which I stayed last month...

 
At 10:39 PM, Blogger Thrifty Household said...

They are such beautiful & photogenic chillis- what will you make with them?

 
At 11:03 PM, Blogger Matron said...

The chillis have been in the dehydrator for a couple of days and they are now dry. I will probably put them in a coffee grinder and make a jar full of incredibly hot chilli powder!

 
At 10:51 AM, Blogger Steve Dixon said...

Hi Matron,
I love the Bishop's Kiss chillies! They are just fantastic. I am getting more and more interest from our Taff tenants about exciting and exotic things we can plan to grow for next season.
I was wondering if you might have any recommendations for the following - courgettes (we had some blossom end rot this year), squashes, exotic greens (we have tenants from the Caribbean and Africa involved in the project) and interesting salad crops.
Also, they've asked if I could request any tips for over-wintering crops?
Cheers Steve

 
At 1:00 PM, Blogger Lrong Lim said...

Have always envied your peppers!

 
At 11:27 PM, Blogger Rob said...

Love those chillis! Rob

 
At 7:12 AM, Blogger Kate said...

Hi Matron! Yes, tomatillos do much better when there are multiple plants to pollinate one another. They grow well here in California, and I can speak from experience on this one!

 
At 7:24 AM, Blogger Matron said...

Steve - blossom end rot is usually a term I associate with tomatoes but it has been a bad year for courgettes. Poor pollination or lack of watering could be the reason for courgettes withering.
As for the Winter and exotic veg, I did buy some calalloo seeds to plant this year but didn't get around to it. This is a caribbean green spinach type leaf that works well in Summer here. Winter leaves do grow here, Chinese cabbage and pak choi are hardy, so are the salad leaves like rocket, mizuna and some hardy lettuce. The might do a bit better under some cloches for protection.

 
At 7:44 AM, Blogger Matron said...

Thank you Katie, good to get advice from someone 'in the know'. Best tomatillo salsa I ever had was in Ventura County, CA. xx

 
At 6:57 PM, Blogger Fay McKenzie said...

Very jealous of those gorgeous chillis, may try them next year. Just found your blog. Gonna have fun reading back!

Our temps been a bit different! Cold here all through summer too!

:) cheers will subscribe - fay

 

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