Finally, I can do what I was hoping for when I started work on the plot, I can stop by on the way home from work and pick something to eat for me tea. It's not much so far I grant you, some lettuces, spinach, radishes and the little bits of pak choi the flea beetle have left.
I almost ran out of radishes, I thoughtI had more, turns out they were very similar looking weeds, so I've rushed in another row. The slug pellets are dealing with most of the little blilters and I have some home made beer traps to install when I can be parted from my beloved beer.
The masses of rain have really helped both the veg and the weeds along, but I didn't really enjoy erecting runner bean supports in a down pour.
Any way, the beans are in, they had out grown their tubes, the sweetcorn are hardening off to go in next weekend and the squahes are at the one leaf sage so I'll give it another couple of weeks. My plot is by a river and it always seems a little colder than elsewhere down there, better to be safe than sorry.
Anyway, heres a few picture updates.
The beans on the supports erected in the pouring rain, and slightly on the p**s!!!
The salad bd, the most productive 16ft square so far, the strawberries are just starting to fruit as well.
The onions have sped along with the rain, the carrots are coming up slowly, the earlies are doing about the same despite the difference in planting time, mother nature proving she will not be rushed. Promise this has been weeded since!!!1
And finally the parsnips doing well in the front, leeks just gone in behind and the early spuds just showing signs of flowers. Most of the mains are just about showing.
A bit of sunshine makes.....
I'll have to post photos of the evidence later as I forgot the camera on Saturday when I spent 4 1/2 hours weeding, planting and digging. Here's an update on the lottie beds.
Bed 1
The great sunny weather and a bit of rain last week have made a HUGE difference, all the early spuds are shooting upwards at a great rate of knots, not earthing them too much, but keeping a very close eye on the weather forecast. The mains are in, but no sign of them yet. All the parsnips have germinated, I now have 1 per station planted, quite an acheivement after all the warnings I got. The leeks aren't in yet but it won't be long, some are getting to quite a size in their bog roll tubes now. the beds ready for them anyway.
Bed 2
The carrots...or lack there of. Finally the first sowings of Early Nantes are showing, been very slow, even under plastic, but finally we have some tiny shoots showing. Also planted 2 rows or main orange and 2 rows of main purple carrots this sat in lines of peat. The onions and garlic are going well, there is the odd failed red one but all the white ones and garlic are fine. This bed took 1 1/2 hours to weed, still doing battle with something the previous people had planted, ut it looks good now.
Bed 3
Hoed and weeded round me salad stuff, removed the clouche for a bit of air and planted out some more rocket, lettuce, pak choi and radishes. The flea beetle, I've seen them now, are still eating the pak choi and radishes but a spray with liquid derris seems to be helping. Must remember to take slug pellets down for this bed. The beetroot and spring onions are just coming through as well. Dug over the half for brassicas, got to firm it ready for planting out now.
Bed 4
Still under wraps, start that one next weekend, bean trench and putting cane up to start.
Pics to follow....
Woo Hoo. It has finally arrived, not much I grant you, a few salad leaves, a few radishes and some spinach, but finally we have something to taste after all the digging and weeding.
Hopefully by the end of the week there will be more lettuce to harvest as well.
The slugs are starting to put in an appearance after theheavy rain of the weekend, nothing major yet but my milk carton beer and bait traps will be going out ASAP before they eat everything.
Apologies for the lack of posting this month, been up to my arm pits. A good month for greenery, especially weeds, spent 2 1/2 hours weeding and cutting grass edges on the lottie Saturday but at least I can see progress.
The early spuds are coming up now, at least I think that's what's poking through, I was worried I had buried them a bit deep, need to get the mains in now, might have a crack at that one day this week.
The parsnips are in that bed too and it looks l like they have decided to put in an appearance, a few tiny seedlings are poking their heads through the sand/peat mix I put them in.
The onion and garlic are going great guns, birds have left them alone and apart from an ongoing battle with something the previous owners have planted in that bed that refuses to die and needs constant weeding they all seem quite happy. Good news is that whatever is eating my radishes and pak choi in the clouch seems to like whatever it is as well which helps to control it. Think I'm going to have to hoe the onions every week this year though....!
In the last inhabited bed is the nearest I'm getting to something I can eat, the lettuces are coming on well, little gem, red salad bowl and sangria, some should be ready for picking soon. radishes and pak choi are being munched by something, I think flea beetle, I have given them a spray with liquid derris and will see what happens, most likely going to have to pull them up and start again.
Nearly Dinner
In the nursery as it is now called the runner beans and sweetcorn are coming up nicely, I managed to murder the broccoli by getting drunk and forgetting to open the coldframe which cooked them long before they are ready for that sort of thing.
The peppers are doing well and along with the 3 early tomato plants will be moving into the greenhouse next door that I'm using as soon as I finish cleaning it up.
