The attack of the Cabbage White Flutterby's

When I see a Cabbage white butterfly in the veg garden a loud groan emits from my mouth.  It's that time of year again, when vigilance is a virtue.

The pesky things have wrecked crops in my garden in previous years to a devastating proportion, but this year I'm already on the case.  Their numbers seem to have increased this year, by a large amount, I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, have they?  Only last weekend I saw twelve in one go around the veg garden.

A few notes on The Cabbage White, for those of you who are lucky not to encounter these wee beasties!

This is what it looks like -

There are two sorts experienced by UK gardeners the Small white and the Large white, extensively feeding on brassica's including swede's and turnips.  The cabbage moth causes even more damage by burrowing into cabbage hearts, whereas the butterflies tend to stay on outer leaves and cause damage like this -

The above plant had an early infestation of caterpillars which Michael spotted, I then took great delight in picking off the offenders and feeding as a treat to the chickens - they love em!  Which is one of the controlling ways you get rid of them.  Inspect your plants regularly for clusters of yellow eggs, if found pick them off and destroy.  If they hatch the caterpillars have a voracious appetite and will strip the leaves in double quick time leaving just the internal leaf stalks.  As you can see from the above picture plants can recover if caught early and will grow new leaves, but it is a battle to keep on top of them.

There is biological control available but I haven't used it, so can't comment on its effectiveness.  You can also cover your brassica plants with fine mesh to stop the butterflies being able to land and lay their eggs.  I tend to stick with the finger and thumb method, my chickens wholeheartedly agree!

Stats today (sorry I forgot yesterday's) -

Sales -
2 dozen eggs

Expenses -
Nil

Rare breed profile - Bourbon Red Turkeys

Having visited the Waveney Smallholders festival at the weekend, and seen their vast array of rare breed poultry I just had to delve deeper into the world of the Bourbon Red Turkey, such was I struck by their relaxed nature.

I know a few smallholders who always fatten some turkeys on their plot for Christmas, but are almost never seen between January and June, and are almost always Norfolk blacks or a Bronze variety.  So when I came across the majestic Bourbon Red turkey at the festival I had to take a closer look.

They are included on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust 'at risk' list, but the poultry list is not categorised like the sheep, cattle etc, lists are.

They originate from Bourbon County, Kentucky and enjoyed popularity here in the UK in the 1940's and 50's.  It is a cross between the Buff, Bronze and White Holland breeds with rich reddy brown feathers, white wing and tail feathers, the tail feathers being tipped again with red; body feathers on the males can also be edged in black.  The throat wattle is red which is able to change to a bluey white.  Mature weights for males are 15kgs and females 8kgs, giving a smaller carcase weight for the table than what people are used to.  The two I met were standing in front of a large group of people, not bothering about us a jot.  They are very personable birds, becoming tame with people, but can attack if they feel threatened; certainly the one's I met didn't look harassed at any stage, they seemed relaxed by our company.

This breed has unfortunately gone out of fashion, the favour being taken by the plumper, less gamier tasting birds such as the large and broad breasted White turkey, the majority that tend to get eaten at Christmas. They are an active, athletic bird, having highly developed leg muscles on long legs, and they love to forage and fly.  They have a richer taste than purely white turkeys; the breast is moist with a tastier flavour and have lots of brown meat.  They are slower growing than say a goose or a standard white turkey, but then it is an old fashioned, more traditional breed, having been around since the 1800's.

I was impressed by the two I met on Sunday and would love to try some here, even Fortnum and Mason were selling them at Christmas 2010, (from £80 a go I hasten to add), and what's good enough for them .....

My Tomato sauce recipe

Don't know about you, but I love tomato sauce, it goes with loads of things.

This recipe is dead easy and I use it on pizza's, as a sauce for pasta, the basis of a spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and even as a starter for a stew.

You can use home grown tomatoes and I do when I have loads of them in the polytunnel, but at other times of the year tinned are brilliant.

1 x tin of tomatoes - chopped or whole, it doesn't matter
1 shallot or small onion
Large handful of fresh basil, I use green and purple basil or dried will do at a push
Freshly ground pepper and salt
Good olive oil

• Chop onion finely.
• Heat up a good splash of olive oil, and then fry onion gently until soft
• Add a few generous twists of freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt, keep stirring
• Add the tin of tomatoes and chop up with wooden spoon if not already chopped, bring it up to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer, don't forget to taste it occasionally for seasoning.
• Rip the basil from the stalks and stir into the sauce, it will wilt down further as it cooks.
• Leave it to simmer away for at least twenty minutes until a lot of the liquid has evaporated and you are left with a good thick sauce.

At this point you can use it, or freeze it, or blitz it down further to a smooth paste to use on pizza bases.  It does taste better the day after making as the flavour develops.  I also like to add a good splash of extra virgin olive oil at the end to stir through, just to give it a little more 'italian' flavour!

Enjoy!

Stats today - 

Eggs produced = 13

Sales - 

2 dozen eggs - £3.90

Expenses -

Nil

Just had a fabulous day at the Waveney Smallholders Festival at Blacksmith's Cottage Nursery, Langmere, near Diss, Norfolk.

      

It was the first year they had opened for such an event and are planning to expand next year. They are a plant nursery primarily, but are expanding into all things smallholding, including vegetable and fruit growing.

The owner Ben, is passionate about plants and poultry, this was self evident in his talks, his exuberance made his talks on his prized chickens, ducks and especially pigeons come alive.  It was wonderful to listen to his enthusiasm, made us all want to go out and buy the assorted breeds.

Ben holding a Frill Back Pigeon

                                                 Tom holding an Olde English Game Cockerel

Tom who runs the smallholding side of things, director of Black Duck Farm and an ex elephant keeper, (thankfully he hadn't brought any of them with him to Norfolk), is expert in all things alpaca's; their nature, characteristics, his obvious love of the animals shone through.  Relatively new to gardening, soaking up advice from any older gardeners he comes across, he has decided to concentrate on heritage varieties and can't wait for his apples to ripen.

Upcycling at its best - mattress bed springs for plants to climb up

It was great to listen to such enthusiasm for all things smallholding.  His Cayuga ducks were a delight, (see pic below); I am currently convincing Michael that we 'need' some!

Both Ben and Tom were disappointed in the lack of turnout of stallholders that had been invited.  Most sent produce to be sold in the shop - cards, local beers and apple juice, jewellery, books and mugs.  I don't think they should have been too down hearted, I thought they got the day just right, with guided talks on the all the various departments - poultry, gardens and plants; plus with them being so approachable, it was easy to ask many questions, I could have stayed an awful lot longer.

Cafe, Shop and Gallery

The one stallholder who did turn up, admittedly he only had to come from the next village was Angus Paterson.  He sells secondhand, quality garden and smallholder tools from his self-built shepherd's hut.

He let me have a wander around it (after he'd tidied up!), and it was a delight to behold, I never knew there was so much room in them.

I was stunned with the quality and vast array of livestock there was, the poultry especially, I had never seen so many breeds in one place; the crane's were magnificent, see pic below.

Bourbon Red Turkeys

Naked Neck Chicken (stood on one leg)

Thanks must go to all at Blacksmith's Cottage Nursery and Black Duck Farm, it was a great day out; the lemon cake was also a real treat.  Looking forward to next year already.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 13

Sales -
1/2 dozen eggs £0.90

Expenses -
Nil

Tidy news and sad news

First the tidy news.  Finally I have got the poly-tunnel under control.  All the tomatoes have been tied in where necessary, leaders and side shoots have been nipped out, excess bottom leaves taken off, nearly taking the end of my finger off at the same time - the amount of blood, blimey!, plus extra stakes have been introduced where needed.  The whole tunnel has been hoed, watered and weeded, and I've found space.  Yes, space for more crops - excellent.  I think I will plant a couple of rows of carrots, just to see us a bit further into the winter.  Michael planted four rows in the spring and we are still eating them now, delicious.  The ones outside got over-run with weeds and hoed out, so will leave us a bit short through the winter, and they are one of my staples in the kitchen, another job to add to the jobs list!

But I think you'll agree it all looks very smart, I even brushed and then hosed down the path!  Now that's dedication for you!

I think I can still smell tomatoes on me though, even after my bath.

And now to the sad news.  We lost another chick overnight, so are down to one.  It's never easy losing livestock if you're an animal person, whether they be ten years old or ten days, I still get attached, can't help it.  Watching them grow, take their first steps, their first meal or even watching them being born, or just living with them day to day.  I know everything has to eat, it's the first rule of survival, it's nature, it's also not damn fair.  We are presuming it's the rats that have taken them, so are upping our rat management to maximum, to try and keep the last one alive - fingers crossed.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 11

Sales -
1 1/2 dozen eggs £2.70
1 x Cucumber £0.60

Expenses -
Nil

Poo tea food

Food for tomatoes that is!

How to use your Poo tea.  What?  You mean to say you haven't made any?  Shame on you, when it's free (or pretty cheap, compared to chemically prepared stuff), and organic, what could be better for your plants?

Ok, so you made your witches brew a week or so ago, it should be pretty well stewed by now, stewed enough to use anyway.  Collect your utensils together -

I use an old baked bean tin to collect the tea in, a large plastic watering can, I think it's about 10 litres, then a stick to stir it with.

Give your brew a good stirring.

Then collect a tin full of it, straining off as much as the liquid as you can, leaving the raw material behind.

Empty the strained liquid into your watering can and then top up with water.  Direct the watering can flow at the bottom of your tomato plants; I use one watering can's worth to six plants.

I'm tending to use this concoction every day to water my plants, rather than just plain water, especially as the fruits are beginning to ripen.  Don't forget to top up your dustbin, as the water level recedes.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 13

Sales -
9 x Geranium plants £13.50
1 x 500g New potatoes £0.75
1 x Cucumber £0.60

Expenses -
Nil

Sowing time

Been busy again, sowing seeds today.  I'm never quite sure when to sow the next batch, to keep the harvest coming.  I'm meaning now in terms of quick harvest plants - salads mainly.  Do you stick to a rigid routine, every three weeks you sow another row, or when you plant out the last lot you sow some more, or is it just when you remember?

I planted out some salad crops in two Belfast sinks we have sitting on the corners of the patio.  In there are two types of lettuce, spinach and beetroot - just harvested for the leaves.  This is so that my husband has got some salad to go in his sandwiches, when he's making his pack-up in the morning, usually in a rush!  There is also a large tub of watercress, so he's spoilt for choice now.

I'm having a bit of a disaster with my spring onions.  I sowed these in a large tub, just outside the greenhouse, about a month ago.  I did sow them pretty thickly but as you can see germination has been poor, as are the plants that have come up.  They are watered every day, but not waterlogged and still seem slow and straggly.  Any thoughts?

I also managed to get some seeds sown in the ground, I'm hoping it's not too late and I'll be able to harvest something from them this year.  I did half a row each of Pak Choi and Swiss Chard.  Never grown or eaten Swiss Chard before so am very much looking forward to that.

I've also got in front for next year.  I've sown a tray each of the following -
Viola
Physostegia
Honesty
Forget me not
And two trays of Spring Cabbage - Greyhound.  Will sow another two trays of cabbages in about a month's time, as they can fill bare patches left by harvested onions, shallots and other summer veg, plus the empty polytunnel, where they can be planted out and stay for the winter.

I love seeing the greenhouse like this, new life, all clearly labelled as you can see, that's if the sun doesn't fade it!

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 11

Sales -
2 x 500g New potatoes £1.50
2 x 500g Carrots £1.50
1 x Cucumber £0.60

Expenses -
Nil

Strike one for the flies!

Bit of a worry this evening!  On the way home from the stables, I noticed a ewe in the field, looking rather uncomfortable.  She was laid down, but her head kept coming up sharply, then she'd lay it down again, she'd look up and look round, then get up, move away then lay down again.  Odd behaviour.  Then it dawned on me - Fly Strike.  Groans!

Now for those of you who don't know what Fly Strike is, I'll tell you.  The green bottle flies lay their eggs on sheep; they are attracted to soiled, damp fleece in which they lay their eggs.  The eggs hatch, and the grubs burrow down into the flesh to eat, literally eating the sheep from the inside out.  Disgusting, I think you'll agree and how nature can be so cruel at times, I will never understand.  As you can imagine it is extremely unpleasant and uncomfortable for the sheep, and they will eventually die, if it is left unchecked.  Management practices come into force here - not letting the sheep get soiled areas of fleece, i.e. dagging their rear ends, and the application of pour-on chemicals, which act as a deterrent to the flies.

Now Michael sheared our sheep six weeks ago, so they were due for their first application of pour at any time, but you have to act quickly if you suspect a case, as it is amazing how quickly the sheep will go down hill.  So it was all hands on deck.

One excited Collie - Cerys, our sheepdog, she loves working the sheep.

We have a set of hurdles permanently set up on the edge of one of our fields, so Michael and Cerys rounded them up and in they came; it's wondrous what happens when you also rattle a bucket!

We use different products each time so no resistance builds up.

Each animal is given three big 'squirts', one long one down its back and one either side of its bottom, this ensures even coverage, as the chemical sinks down through the wool and travels around the skin giving protection.

Although I think Michael got a bit carried away with some of them!  But that's the principle we work by.

The finished sheep.

As you can tell we run a small flock of mules here, and in the right hand corner of the above picture is our pedigree Texel Ram, you can't miss him really.

His pedigree name is Stoke Ash Onion, aka Mr Onion here.  He is the soppiest, daftest, loveliest ram we have had, and shouts to me when he hears my voice, not a nasty bone in his body.  A closer view -

And then they were off, not too much of a harrowing experience, I hope.

Happy to be back out in the field again.

Phew!  Thankfully we didn't find any fly strike on any of them, so maybe that ewe was just being 'bothered' by flies.  But we do have a fail safe, backup plan.  A tip that we learned from an 'old' shepherd, was to pour on diluted, but still strong disinfectant, over the affected area(s).  It has an amazing effect.  Instantly the maggots start to drop off, giving relief to the animal.  This usually cures the problem, then with an application of a pour-on, it saves the animal any further discomfort, and it (hopefully) recovers.  That's what the two bottles in the picture below are filled with.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 11

Sales -
1 x Geranium plant £1.50
1 x Oregano herb plant - £0.50
1/2 dozen eggs £0.90

Expenses -
Nil

Tomato tidy

One of the jobs on my jobs list for a while now has been to get in the polytunnel and 'tidy up' the tomatoes.  They were looking scruffy, starting to fall over from the weight of the fruit and full of weeds.  Now I love a good tidy up, so I set to the task in earnest this morning, before it got too hot to work under plastic.

I planted half the tomatoes down one side of the tunnel, the other half having to stay in their pots for a while longer, because the ground was still being used by new potatoes. Once harvested the other half went in.  So I'm hoping from this that I might have accidentally staggered the harvest season.

I've grown two varieties - Money maker and Gardeners delight (cherry tomato), and both are doing really well.

I removed the lower leaves to let the light get to the swelling fruit, to aid with ripening -

I took out wayward side shoots and other stems that seemed to have grown from nowhere(?), so that the plants can concentrate their energy into producing fruit not leaves and stems; I then weeded the soil around them, especially around the base where I concentrate the watering -

Finally if the plant had five sets of fruit on it plus two more leaves I pinched out the tops.  The difference in the plants was amazing, I can actually see what's on the vines now.

I think you'll agree they look really tidy now -

Now I've just got to do the other side of the polytunnel -

Aaarrgh!!  Am keeping my fingers crossed for a cool day.

Just wondering though what you all stake your tomatoes with?  Up until now I've always used garden bamboo canes, but am finding they are not strong enough, what else can I use?

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 12

Sales - good day today
1 dozen eggs £1.80
1 x 500g Carrots £0.75
1 x 500g New potatoes £0.75
1 x Cucumber £0.60

Just an aside - had a customer comment on our produce today, she stopped me in the street to tell me -
'Since eating your produce I will not be buying supermarket produce any more.  It all tastes amazing.'
What a compliment, we are chuffed to bits.

Expenses -
Nil

98% Home grown dinner

Tonight's dinner was a huge success.  Not only was it the first dinner I've cooked in my new oven, (thanks must go to hubby for installing it over the weekend), but it was about 95% home produced.

First course - Toad in the hole

Sausages, home grown by a fellow smallholder, produced not far away
Eggs from my own hens
Milk and flour - Tesco's
Gravy granules - Tesco's
New potatoes, curly kale, french beans, and calabrese all came straight out of the garden.  Just look at the colours.  Yippee!

Then for afters, picked five minutes before serving -

Unfortunately the ice cream we had to go with them was Tesco's.

So all in all, not a bad dinner I'd say.  The veg all tasted wonderful.  I just love curly kale, it's the one vegetable that if I only had room for one winter veg it's the one I would grow.  It tasted OF something this evening, not of a plastic bag that it had been wrapped in for a fortnight.  It tasted like it was doing you good.  The french beans were melt in the mouth sweet and tender and the calabrese, took minutes to cook just lightly steamed.  And then I always use the veg water for making the gravy, so keeping the goodness.  Just delicious, one of the best meals my husband reckoned he'd had in ages.  Compliments indeed.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 11

Sales -
1 dozen eggs £2.00
Can't believe nobody bought the first cucumber picked out of my polytunnel this morning, and it was only 60p!  These people aren't right in the head!!

Expenses -
Nil

Proud pig owners again

Well, I am very pleased to say that as from this afternoon we are proud pig owners again.

It's been at about five years since we last had some, and are seriously missing all that lovely bacon, sausages and roasted joints.  What can be better when the rain is lashing down outside than coming in having done all the jobs for the day and sitting down to large piece of roasted pork with crispy crackling, the fat dribbling down your chin and all the trimmings - home grown veg of course!

We went back to Giles Barrow's smallholding to collect our two lovely Oxford Sandy and Black girls this afternoon.  Michael spent the day yesterday getting their new home ready -

Yes, I know there's a few weeds in the top picture, but I did say we hadn't had pigs for a while!  They'll love rooting about in all that lot, it will keep them entertained for ages.

We filled the back of the truck with straw and off we went.  We did get a bit worried on the way home as they were rather quiet, but I must admit looked rather comfy when we arrived home!

Once home we let the girls into their new surroundings -

My husband also put them through our old pig weighing machine that he saved from a skip -

As you can see, one weighed 30lbs (13.6Kgs), and the other 32.5lbs (14.7Kgs).

We are thrilled to bits with them.  They are still unsure of where they are and what's happening, but I will keep you posted as to their progress.  We shall weigh them again in another month.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 13 (nearly a full house, I wonder who it was that let the side down?)

Sales -
1 doz eggs £1.80

Expenses -
2 x weaner pigs £100