Are there any backyard veggie gardeners here?

[mcmich]

Thanks Lucy, that sounds lovely. I do love pickles. 

[cookie1]

Our tomatoes are not taking the heat very well. We haven't had many tomatoes and now they are keeling over with the constant heat. They get plenty of water but it isn't helping. Even our heat proof snake beans aren't very happy.

[mcmich]

Pop an umbrella or tarp over them Cookie. Worked wonders here. 

[judydawn]

Here's the link lucyluu.

[Jamberie]

Our tomatoes are not taking the heat very well. We haven't had many tomatoes and now they are keeling over with the constant heat. They get plenty of water but it isn't helping. Even our heat proof snake beans aren't very happy.

I posted earlier that we started "wick" beds this season. I've been comparing them to my dad's (non wick) beds. Dad's tomatoes haven't gone too well but ours seem to be coping well, so much so that Dad is going to convert his beds to a wicking system. A bit of work,  but well worth it -particularly for people who travel and can't water each day

[Lucyluu]

Thanks Judy, I thought maybe I didn't find it here after all.

[cookie1]

Good idea Mich. we have plenty of shade cloth round.

[Halex]

After 10 days of neglect i found these.
Do you think the huge zucchini will be OK to use?

[judydawn]

Home grown produce is generally much better than the supermarket varieties Hally (because it is fresher mainly) so cut into it and see if it's all seeds.  Recently Karen gave me some of her beetroots and one was huge.  We both expected it to be woody but it was no different to the normal sized beetroots in the pack.  I used to make soup with Dad's oversized zucchinis and freeze it but you can also make ratatouille or fritters and freeze the excess cooking.

[Halex]

Thanks JD, on further investigations there are more zuchinis, big but not as big & cucumbers. Watering now

[astarra]

I have been picking zucchinis for a couple of weeks now - they seem to go from small to huge overnight! 
My tomatoes are starting to blush now so won't be long til we are picking them. 
Cucumbers still tiny tho - hope I didn't leave them too late

[Halex]

We weighed the zucchini 1.724kgs the next size was .693.

Hope they are useable

[cookie1]

I'm sure it would be Hally.

[KarenH]

Absolutely they are still OK to use Hally - I just made a batch of your zucchini pizza scrolls using an oversized zucchini.  Used the rest of the zucchini to make the zucchini cupcakes in QFEO.

I also have a wonderful recipe for zucchini and leek soup (not converted for TMX yet) - but I made a batch of that and froze it for winter.

[Halex]

Thanks cookie & Karen, onto it this week. Pizza scrolls will be good & soup for winter a brilliant idea.

Made soup today for dinner, using zucchini