Anyone with an allotment?

I think maintaining the solar power to keep the setup powered should be main headache, the LED bit should be relatively simple to setup.

I still think the grow light idea is a great one.

But people are dicks.

Exactly ;)
Annoyingly I don’t have clear glass in the right thickness in the workshop. Where does one go to buy a single pane of glass?
Edit - turns out there’s an old fashioned glaziers just down the road, sorted.

You’re speaking to someone who’s not even owned a laptop in about 10yrs…
I’m sure to a normal person this would be a relatively simple project ;)

Yeah, understood it'd be daunting as a first computer project, and maybe still not even 100% simple for a normal person.

Chutney day.

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Snap

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Oooh! Got a recipe?

2kg tomatos
1kg onions
500g brown sugar
300ml cider vinegar
4 chillis
I’m sure you could whack a load of spices in but we generally don’t for this one.

Simmer it til it looks like chutney, lasts a good few months in the cupboard even if you don’t simmer the jars in water bath after filling.

Nice, thank you! Got a glut of onions and probably a kilo or two tomatoes left. Don’t tend to make a lot of chutney or preserves but thinking I should.

Came out good, don’t expect it to thicken too much unless you blend/mash half the toms or add pectin.
So the ratios I posted above yielded this much for reference.

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I’m away for a week and no idea what to do with this lot?

I can put them in the freezer but they’ll turn to a watery mush once defrosted.

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We had chillis(deseeded) in the freezer for a year then used them for chilli jam, absolutely fine.
If you’re making sauce with them the toms will be fine rinsed and frozen for a week or two. Prob not nice enough for a fresh salad after freezing though.

Peppers will be fine in the fridge.

Tomatoes will too, but if you want a simple option then the most straight forward thing is to cook them all up blend, and freeze.

Chuck them all in a big pan with a table spoon of olive oil, a cup of water and a bit of salt and pepper.

Cook down the leave to cool.

Blend them seeds, skins and all into a smooth mixture, then put into ice cube trays and small tupperwear.

Thanks guys. I’m off tomorrow morning so have quickly fried them off, snp and bagged in the freezer. Just need to remember I have loads of sauce in the freezer now.

Annoyingly we don’t really eat pasta.

Sorry, one last water pipe poly tunnel question:
Anyone got a link to a supplier of polythene sheet to cover it with?

Are my sweetcorn going to start rotting in all this wet weather?

I’d be worried about bugs from this point onwards.
Our corn was all finished and pulled up 2 weeks ago, one neighbour was even earlier but plenty of folks look like theirs still have a way to go :/

Most of mine are pretty much ready. I’ve not been up in a week so probably have 6-7 to pick. I did get them in a lot later than I wanted to, though.

Mine are all done (southeast London). Reckon that sweetcorn decides when it’s autumn… just absolutely stops and gives up en masse…

Summer squash gone mad, got a few cobs as well. Probably another 10 to come if the weather allows.

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My corn really don’t look done at all. Bit of drought in the beginning probably didn’t help

First wind casualty. Thought this was a sunflower as someone planted loads of sunflowers on the empty plots before we took them on. Turns out it's a Jerusalem artichoke. Have tried to replant but not sure it'll survive. Will plant the little tubers that have formed and hope for next year.

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Don't worry,it will be back.
Some were planted in our allotment by a previous incumbent years ago.
Still struggling to get rid of them,they make bind weed seem weak and half hearted.

So I’m kinda rethinking the water pipe grow tunnels and considering a polytunnel instead.
Anyone got any thoughts on this one?
https://www.diy.com/departments/livingandhome-13-x-6-ft-white-outdoor-outdoor-walk-in-tunnel-steel-frame-greenhouse-with-roll-up-door-windows/0670586480369_BQ.prd?gbraid=0AAAAADt-XHlAck2IGHuQhL7ac5fMgzzpp&gclid=CjwKCAjwmbqoBhAgEiwACIjzEG3Mp_sCD5-d8MTG7PkeeymqgbLm1m64U-39cPVv7DqnfYn79OozMBoCqc0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

By the time we’ve bought pipe/plastic etc we’re in the same price bracket anyway..
We had one before but it blew away in the epic winds a few years ago but now we’ve developed the plot a bit more we have a better windbreak anyway and will peg it down a lot better. The roll up sides on the one I’ve linked also means we can just plant the whole area unlike a walk in.