Summer bits and bobs.

[Westi]

I'm so glad I have a hose fit for purpose as looks like some more big heat on it's way for a couple of weeks. Job No 1 after watering tomorrow while I have the hose out is flushing the dripper hose. Mostly OK, but as always the blocked bits are in the beds for the precious plants, but shouldn't be too onerous as just have to take the plug out the end. As I am planning to stay away from the wasps at the back, yep their back in number as the Victoria has ripe plums, I will finally get the beds at the front of the tunnel sorted & with luck the outside flowers edged & weeded.

Fingers crossed the sweetcorn is ready, they have brown tassels but no decent filled kernels from my peel backs, but I don't think they will do much more so it will be 1/2 sized cobs. Even more fingers crossed the melons are now ripe underneath, the smell is such a tease going into the tunnel!

[retropants]

I'm picking cherry toms and cobra climbing beans daily. The big toms, plants are spindly, they wilt every day, even though I am wtering them. A few alicante picked, but not more. The pot blackberries are great this year, much bigger berries and more of them. My corn are also very small, might get one or two mini cobs.

[oldherbaceous]

At least your cobs will be sweet, Retropants, unlike mine, although the plants are spectacular to look at!
Very hot here, already…..

[retropants]

I do hope so OH! It's super hot here also.

[Westi]

Now I am happier bunny, all the plants that just wouldn't play earlier season, along with freaky accidents & little hungry visitors are doing fine & today I took my first harvest. Not a big harvest yet but certainly on their way & every plant is looking pretty chipper. Persistence does pay off it seems!

CxeZrx25QDK7EEX1ZNyBNA.jpg (2.68 MiB) Viewed 464 times

[Westi]

Soz about the multiple pics...a fat thumbs moment!

[oldherbaceous]

They look perfect Westi!

[Westi]

Went down all prepped for the heat & it was nice & mild, not complaining mind! Got a deal on some pepper plants from the local market stall so popped them in tunnel with the others & they also had PSB & Kale plants so thought why not! I may not have the overload I'm anticipating as also seem to have lost quite a few of the PSB I sowed when I weeded the today.

Some strange events in my absence as found spuds dug up, not eaten just on the surface & then the telltale sign of Mr Fox I nearly stepped in so quickly identified the culprit. No idea why but wondering if just this years youngsters being taught things or just mucking around. Took my 1st melon which I have been treating like a Princess & worth the TLC. It was delicious & ripe to the skin. Got a couple more looking good & even spotted a watermelon looking pretty happy. Not down until Friday now but weather looks back to the normal 'hot' we are getting used to.

[Geoff]

Finding courgettes easier to give away than cucumbers, any ideas for these?

1cd969a2-637c-43c7-a01c-76c86045a1fd.jpeg (187.1 KiB) Viewed 417 times

[retropants]

ooh, I wish I had that many Geoff!! I also use them (juiced) in one of my soap recipes, I normally have plenty, but they are being a little shy to set fruit this year.

[Westi]

Nice harvest Geoff! My cucumbers started off OK but kinda exhausted themselves, still got some fruit but not developing, but the leaves are saying the plants have had it as they are going dry & yellow. I am going to try a late sow in another area in the tunnel just in case some late success.
My sweet potato is in flower which is great, usually I don't get flowers this early so hopefully I might get some big tubers. Been quite a few years since I got biggies, but they are one of those size doesn't matter veg as still edible regardless.

[Clive.]

5mm of rain from last night in the work gauge. We had a storm about half hour after midnight..it featured some very sharp thunder...fair shook the bed it did...

Wickedly hot and humid today..

C.

[Westi]

A tad bit hotter today but a bit off a sea breeze came up fortunately. Got some re-sows done & a general tidy up & water. I was hoping to rake up the fruit fall but got engrossed in fixing the hose...then found I had no connectors so it was a DIY job, obvs not good but less spray over me so some success. Planted out some of my bargain extra's & potted on some on the staging until I can plant them later when beds cleared. As per the norm the Chinese has all bolted, but leaves are fine so took them all & I will make some broths for the freezer to just add chicken or whatever as needed when it gets cooler. The sweetcorn I did in 2 sows seems to have helped so not all of them ready at the same time.

My big job was clearing the path beds that the arch goes over, no arch in-situ, but I completely cleared the beds as the plants in these had seeded & were out thugging each other. Twas the slowest & hardest job but all dug, fed & topped up. Just normal flowers going in there until I set up the arch then it will be sweet peas as well for next year. Not a bad day...now just watching all the pumpkins & squash closely, some are so close to harvest. I only take one or two & let the others do their thing until they have exhausted themselves then harvest as they store better.

[Clive.]

Dare I mention that I had sweetcorn Swift for lunch...

..and just now a superb low level Lancaster flyby above the annual Loganberry tying event here...best I have ever seen

It was returning home from a flypast at Monksthorpe, the former RAF Spilsby airfield.

C.

[Westi]

Been having some great encounters with the red arrows, they've been out & about nearly every day. Lot's & lots of little festivals & stuff along the river so they go over them & display & then head straight out over the IOW. Loads of people along the quay & on Hengistbury head, but that's because nothing is going on in Bournemouth. It's a sad old town now, one or two bigger ventures were put to the council to make use of the empty stores, most being huge multi-story stores that thrived in their day; the council didn't pass one of them apparently!