20 July 2007 Cooler (18C), overcast and very heavy rain
Yet more rain. It's now Gastropod world on the site, the compost bins are like Waterloo station at rush-hour. Killed loads of slugs, some huge (8-10 cm!).
Harvested peas, broad beans and runner beans.
Some of the plums/green gages (think they are the latter, they are the right colour and grow in clusters). Lovely and prefumed, loads to come so jamming we'll be.
Rain started to gain biblical proportions so went home.
I've sown spring cabbage, two kinds one is very early for greens the other standard pointed type.
Also bought some Swiss Chard seed for overwintering. need to re-dig the spare bed for this.
Friday, 20 July 2007
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Winter crops!!!
Just remembered that I haven't remembered (again) to get anything ready for this. I'll have nowt for winter / early spring if I don't hurry. Must get some spring cabbage in and other stuff (what?).
Monday, 16 July 2007
Back-ache Part IV
16 July 2007 23 c Sunny and humid
Major catchup today on the wedding. Spent hours as I have neglected this recently. The whole plot is a lot tidier now. I netted the broccoli and re-netted the cabbages as they are getting big now.
Put in a willow wigwam and sowed more dwarf peas next to the other. In a couple of days there should be peas, broad beans and runners for picking, at last. Sowed about 10 broad beans in a space in the spud plot for some autumn beans.
The beetroot tops had for dinner, with the roots, yesterday were excellent, should be more ready in a few days and look forward to these.
Sowed a 15' row of beetroot, baby carrot, swede also and tried the land cress again but never seems to germinate, maybe my pack was duff.
Bit annoyed none of my parsnip sowing, either in peat pots, propagator or direct germinated. I think I'll throw away the pack I have, and try a fresh pack next year (and different variety, shorter maybe).
Pruned the gooseberry bushes, hope to get lots next year, as they've been allowed to spend to much energy on wood for last few years, I think(?)
Lift more shallots and they are drying on a wooden rack , get the rest next week.
I accidentally broke off an immature pumpkin, it's still green and about large grapefruit size. apparently they can be eaten like marrow or pickled (Middle Eastern speciality, will look for a recipe).
The potatoes I lifted on Friday for Sunday dinner were exceptionally good roasted in lard (out of dripping); they were a mixture of Main crop and Int'l kidney.
I want a shed!
Major catchup today on the wedding. Spent hours as I have neglected this recently. The whole plot is a lot tidier now. I netted the broccoli and re-netted the cabbages as they are getting big now.
Put in a willow wigwam and sowed more dwarf peas next to the other. In a couple of days there should be peas, broad beans and runners for picking, at last. Sowed about 10 broad beans in a space in the spud plot for some autumn beans.
The beetroot tops had for dinner, with the roots, yesterday were excellent, should be more ready in a few days and look forward to these.
Sowed a 15' row of beetroot, baby carrot, swede also and tried the land cress again but never seems to germinate, maybe my pack was duff.
Bit annoyed none of my parsnip sowing, either in peat pots, propagator or direct germinated. I think I'll throw away the pack I have, and try a fresh pack next year (and different variety, shorter maybe).
Pruned the gooseberry bushes, hope to get lots next year, as they've been allowed to spend to much energy on wood for last few years, I think(?)
Lift more shallots and they are drying on a wooden rack , get the rest next week.
I accidentally broke off an immature pumpkin, it's still green and about large grapefruit size. apparently they can be eaten like marrow or pickled (Middle Eastern speciality, will look for a recipe).
The potatoes I lifted on Friday for Sunday dinner were exceptionally good roasted in lard (out of dripping); they were a mixture of Main crop and Int'l kidney.
I want a shed!
Sunday, 15 July 2007
Allotment giveth and allotment taketh away
14 July 2007 Warm 22c sunny spells
Been a bit lazy last few weeks, things on mind etc.
Shallots almost ready, some have wilted so lifted those and brought home to dry.
Lifted some Pink Fir Apple spuds and a few main-crop spuds ( cooked the smaller ones but half just dissolved into mush, others stayed as they should). The Pink Fir were delicious though the yield is poor, will make some chips out of these, I read they are sublime.
Beetroot doing well, a favourite so it pleases me. Will try the tops as a side dish today in the chard style.
The runner have small pods which hopefully will swell quickly, dying for dome home grown beans. The broad beans are very disappointing only half of the 20 or so plants have pods on. Peas are in flower and will pod soon I hope.
I think they were severely weakened by black-fly, will definitely try an autumn sowing to beat this for next year and back up with early spring sowing under cloches.
Cabbages have been eaten by slugs though the hearts continue to swell and broccoli seems well.
Sweetcorn is huge and seems to be forming the cob/kernel thing.
Toms are flowering but the padron peppers look sickly, try and feed them tomorrow though I think the soil is too heavy for either, need some organic matter in it for next year.
Need to sow more turnip and swede as they keep being eaten by slugs.
Though will have bumper plum crop soon, they are already starting to turn yellow.
I think I am learning that although initially everything seemed to be doing really well, this wet period has been good in terms of not having to water but heaven for the gastropods, if it rains any more will end up with whelks on the plot. I also think I am suffering from the late start. Getting the plot in mid march when other plot holders ground is bare, dug over, has had manure and compost dug in, and many plants already in, meant I had to spend the first month and a half digging from scratch, so the planting has been behind hence black-fly problems etc. I also probably rushed the digging, this autumn the areas which won't have winter/spring crops in will be dug properly (ha!, come October we shall see).
Oh well, it's all learning, and unlike other things when you've made mistakes here you keep digging. (Eh?)
Been a bit lazy last few weeks, things on mind etc.
Shallots almost ready, some have wilted so lifted those and brought home to dry.
Lifted some Pink Fir Apple spuds and a few main-crop spuds ( cooked the smaller ones but half just dissolved into mush, others stayed as they should). The Pink Fir were delicious though the yield is poor, will make some chips out of these, I read they are sublime.
Beetroot doing well, a favourite so it pleases me. Will try the tops as a side dish today in the chard style.
The runner have small pods which hopefully will swell quickly, dying for dome home grown beans. The broad beans are very disappointing only half of the 20 or so plants have pods on. Peas are in flower and will pod soon I hope.
I think they were severely weakened by black-fly, will definitely try an autumn sowing to beat this for next year and back up with early spring sowing under cloches.
Cabbages have been eaten by slugs though the hearts continue to swell and broccoli seems well.
Sweetcorn is huge and seems to be forming the cob/kernel thing.
Toms are flowering but the padron peppers look sickly, try and feed them tomorrow though I think the soil is too heavy for either, need some organic matter in it for next year.
Need to sow more turnip and swede as they keep being eaten by slugs.
Though will have bumper plum crop soon, they are already starting to turn yellow.
I think I am learning that although initially everything seemed to be doing really well, this wet period has been good in terms of not having to water but heaven for the gastropods, if it rains any more will end up with whelks on the plot. I also think I am suffering from the late start. Getting the plot in mid march when other plot holders ground is bare, dug over, has had manure and compost dug in, and many plants already in, meant I had to spend the first month and a half digging from scratch, so the planting has been behind hence black-fly problems etc. I also probably rushed the digging, this autumn the areas which won't have winter/spring crops in will be dug properly (ha!, come October we shall see).
Oh well, it's all learning, and unlike other things when you've made mistakes here you keep digging. (Eh?)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)