Sunday, 14 August 2011
Summer
Summer has been mixed following very dry spring.
Crop results:
Broad-beans (Green Windsor): first growth destroyed just before/during flowering by vast quantities of black-fly. Any pods were stunted and grey. However, the plants fought back and sprouted new stems just above the soil. These grew/flowered and cropped unaffected by black-fly. Delicious and tender beans. Sow later next year (May).
Beetroot: Excellent, though very slow growing early on due to dry spell.
Parsnips: total failure. Same as last year, half seed direct, half chitted, results nothing. Bad seed?
Hamburg Parsley: one plant from two sowings. Same family as parsnip etc so may have been bad seed.
Turnip (golden ball): Excellent growth and flavour.
Celeriac: I waited too long to plant out, seed germinated well, but they are behind and it's been too dry.
Onions, shallots, garlic: good crops. Ruining most shallots by leaving them in the greenhouse by mistake, cooking them. Garlic taste is very good, cloves not formed that well as they missed the cold. Plant autumn, same variety.
Potatoes: Vale Emerald: Good flavour, rubbish texture and pathetic yield. Ratte/Bintje to lift soon. Have soome potatoes for christmas growing, need to plant ASAP.
Beans, yet to crop. Same with pumpkins.
Kale is doing well, cabbage and caulis suffering from pigeon attack. More spring cabbage (di verona) to go is next month.
Leesk, in and ok, sow more next year.
Witloof and raddicchio in.
Immediate tasks: Plant out spring cabbages; sow parsley, carrots, beets, turnips, chard, lettuce. Plant spuds.
Autumn tasks:
Split herbs (thyme, chives etc) and move to where beans are now.
Move gooseberry bushes, further apart, doubling the fruit area. Stake and wire for apple tree, same on either side for raspberry canes, plus 6 more canes. Put strawberries in ground in fabric.
Take out cross paths.
Dig/manure.
Sow broad beans (Aqua dulce), garlic.
Crop results:
Broad-beans (Green Windsor): first growth destroyed just before/during flowering by vast quantities of black-fly. Any pods were stunted and grey. However, the plants fought back and sprouted new stems just above the soil. These grew/flowered and cropped unaffected by black-fly. Delicious and tender beans. Sow later next year (May).
Beetroot: Excellent, though very slow growing early on due to dry spell.
Parsnips: total failure. Same as last year, half seed direct, half chitted, results nothing. Bad seed?
Hamburg Parsley: one plant from two sowings. Same family as parsnip etc so may have been bad seed.
Turnip (golden ball): Excellent growth and flavour.
Celeriac: I waited too long to plant out, seed germinated well, but they are behind and it's been too dry.
Onions, shallots, garlic: good crops. Ruining most shallots by leaving them in the greenhouse by mistake, cooking them. Garlic taste is very good, cloves not formed that well as they missed the cold. Plant autumn, same variety.
Potatoes: Vale Emerald: Good flavour, rubbish texture and pathetic yield. Ratte/Bintje to lift soon. Have soome potatoes for christmas growing, need to plant ASAP.
Beans, yet to crop. Same with pumpkins.
Kale is doing well, cabbage and caulis suffering from pigeon attack. More spring cabbage (di verona) to go is next month.
Leesk, in and ok, sow more next year.
Witloof and raddicchio in.
Immediate tasks: Plant out spring cabbages; sow parsley, carrots, beets, turnips, chard, lettuce. Plant spuds.
Autumn tasks:
Split herbs (thyme, chives etc) and move to where beans are now.
Move gooseberry bushes, further apart, doubling the fruit area. Stake and wire for apple tree, same on either side for raspberry canes, plus 6 more canes. Put strawberries in ground in fabric.
Take out cross paths.
Dig/manure.
Sow broad beans (Aqua dulce), garlic.
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