Things are going mad, bit of rain would be nice, but the currently picking list has grown :o)
Currently Picking:
Lettuce: Sangria, Little Gem, Red/Green Salad Bowl
Radishes: French Breakfast 3
Spring Onions: Ramrod, Ishikura
Spinach: Pass, it's green, it's taking over the world
Potatoes: Foremost
Courgette: O'Reila, Nice De Round
Beetroot: Detroit 2
Runner Beans: Best Of All
Carrots: Early Nantes
Tomatoes: gardeners Delight, Gartenpearle.
Cucumbers are going to start this week I think, brocolli is starting to form heads as well.
I have to rig up some shade in all this sun, I have used the space vacated by the first row of early spuds for more beetroot and swedes, but as soon as they come up the sun burns them and kills them. Same with lettuces planted out, running out now as they seem to grow at very different rates per batch, never quite getting the hang of them.
Any way heres a couple of update pics
I'm growing these for a halloween party this year, 6 on 3 plants to get them nice and big.
The onions are harvested, seems very early but they had folded over etc. Only a few had rot in the end and gave them away straight away.
The first carrots, just started to show signs of forking as they reach the bottom of the sand/peat holes I dug out.
growing nicely under the netting, Marigolds seem to help with the white fly, will be growing more next year.
The runners, sweetcorn and squashes, a busy bed this one.
It's been far too long since I updated this. No pictures this time because I keep forgetting to take the camera, just an update on the season so far.
Currently Picking:
Lettuce: Sangria, Little Gem, Red/Green Salad Bowl
Radishes: Big Ben, French Breakfast 3
Spring Onions: Ramrod, Ishikura
Spinach: Pass, it's green, it's taking over the world
Potatoes: Foremost
Courgette: O'Reila, Nice De Round
Beetroot: Detroit 2
Coming Along Nicely:
Tomatoes:
Golden Sunrise, Gardeners Delight are swelling nicely, hopefully ripening soon in the greenhouse
Cucumber:
Greenhouse Marketmore are doing nice, very healthy
Runner Beans:
Not yet at the top of the canes but beans are setting quite low down, not enough to pick yet but soon
Parsnips:
Good germination rate and looking very healthy so far
Leeks:
Musselbough are looking healthy and starting to bulk up a bit
Main Spuds:
Sante, no sign of blight, coming into flower now
Sweetcorn:
Look healty, no sign of silks like my neighbours, but I think they are 4 weeks ahead of me
Not Such A Great Success:
Onions:
Looks like the onion patch has a case of white rot, they seem to have have had to tops falling over a little early for my liking, waiting for them to dry a bit before I dig them up, but a couple of sample pulls have not been hopefull
Carrots:
Earlies didn't have a good germination rate but are catching up now, couple pulled up to gauge size seem to have esxcaped carrot fly so far. Mains were doing nicely but suddenly a couple of the tops have gone a bit Orange and a couple of gaps have appeared, mains are still very small.
Brocolli:
Not sure if these belong here or the next section up, some of the leaves have been attacked but they are netted against pigeons and I haven't seen a catapillar so far.
Will give them another spray with Deris and hope for the best. They don't appear stunted or too unhealthy
Pak Choi:
They grow OK but the flea beetles get to them before I do,growing them as a sacreficial crop for the brassica bed.
Changes For Next Year:
Already thinking about it, so far I want to change to following in the plan:
Mini Cauliflowers and Cabbages to add to the list, whole large ones are too big for me.
Grow some traditional waxy salad spuds (foremost are lovely but quite flowery)
Grow banana shallots but no onions, for space & ease of weeding verus yield & shop price it's not worth it. Also not got the storage space for them.
Replace runner beans with french beans
Things Already Learnt This Year
1. Don't go out, get drunk and forget to open the cold frame.
2. Must stagger sowing more.
3. You can never plant enough lettuce.
4. Squashes need a lot of room!!!
5. Carrots are a pig to grow.
I've also added a row of suedes to the plot where the early spuds were, no point planting them early as I wouldn't eat them in the summer.
