Gardening for wildlife

[PaulSB]

Top man…….what do you freeze them in???

My freezer. 😄

 

[jowwy]

My freezer. 😄

What type of containers/bags….just standard freezers bags or zip bags??

 

[PaulSB]

What type of containers/bags….just standard freezers bags or zip bags??

I use freezer bags with zips because I find them more convenient for opening and closing. The ones with the press closure are very fiddly.

I also find the zip lock ones last longer.

 

[jowwy]

I use freezer bags with zips because I find them more convenient for opening and closing. The ones with the press closure are very fiddly.

I also find the zip lock ones last longer.

I got zip bags and a fair bit of brocolli to harvest tomorrow……so thats my sunday sorted lol

do you do the same with purple sprouting too??

 

[PaulSB]

I got zip bags and a fair bit of brocolli to harvest tomorrow……so thats my sunday sorted lol

do you do the same with purple sprouting too??

No, we just pick and eat it. Purple sprouting goes mushy if you blanch and freeze it. You could try freezing it without blanching but when you eat it I would Chuck it in boiling water for no more than 30 seconds.

It's only worth freezing vegetables which are quite solid.

 

[PaulSB]

@jowwy do you grow Cavolo Nero? A very productive type of kale which is a doddle to grow but very expensive to buy. I guess it's expensive either because it's trendy or it seems to me genuinely difficult to harvest commercially. Plants just keep on producing for months.

Don't blanch it before freezing. Just remove the centre rib, shred, freeze blind and then bag up.

 

[jowwy]

@jowwy do you grow Cavolo Nero? A very productive type of kale which is a doddle to grow but very expensive to buy. I guess it's expensive either because it's trendy or it seems to me genuinely difficult to harvest commercially. Plants just keep on producing for months.

Don't blanch it before freezing. Just remove the centre rib, shred, freeze blind and then bag up.

No i dont grow kale at the moment, but looking at new things to grow next year, but i am limited for space

 

[PaulSB]

Gardening for wildlife? The tremendous news is our hedgehog release continues to be a success. There are definitely two adults and two youngsters in and around the allotment. Probably more judging by the droppings!

The mole has finally returned, I thought he had gone for good. Our birdlife is good as well.

What becomes more noticeable with every year is the ever increasing decline in night flying insects. No beetles smashing towards the lights, can't recall the last time I saw a moth or crane fly. Very sad. The impact we continue to have on our environment with our desire to control and sterilize nature gets worse every year.

Whatever happened to the common house fly?

 

[derrick]

Put a small pond in the garden earlier in the year, yesterday my other half was checking it out, she found two newts in it, we think they must have come with some pond plants she bought, really nice to see.