Kitchen Garden Forum

Been a few weeks since I last posted. Hardly been near the plot in that time having been completely poleaxed by last treatment session. Since then I've hardly been out the door until this weekend when I actually felt like getting up the plot again.

The weeds have grown in abundance, daughter and son in law have attempted to keep them down but since she isn't in best of health either she can only manage short spells.

Following the heavy rain on Friday and Sunday last weekend I'm pleased to say I managed to get the new potato fork into use this weekend. Before the rain the ground was just too hard. It resulted in far less damage to the spuds I'm pleased to say.





My first ever attempt at growing onions from seed is not looking too bad, could be better but quite pleased with them so far



Have noticed comments on other threads about lack of ladybirds, pleased to report that we seem to have them on our plot in abundance and have no blackfly problem so far.
My neighbour 2 plots along has exactly the opposite, blackfly in abundance and no ladybirds.

Evening Parsnip, sorry to read you have had a rough spell. I hope you're able to catch up a little and i'm sure you will soon get those weeds sorted.

Something i have noticed with the blackfly is, they seems to go for beans that are growing in soil with a high nitrogen content. This is probably why mine are so badly effected.

Your onions look just the job.....

Glad to see you back Pa Snip and hope you'll soon be back on course . Your onions certainly look better then mine despite the lack of attention. But we do badly need more rain, don't we?

Hello PA
That's a really good crop of pots - just love your amazing fork.
Is it a tarmac fork?

John

OH and [b]Primrose Thank you.

Primrose I am supposedly back on the course again this week
No guarantee at this stage that I am going to agree to that though having only just got over the last session


John It is similar to a tarmac fork, difference is that the potato fork has round blunted ends on each tine to stop the fork slicing into the spuds. Consequently it is difficult to use when ground is hard as tines won't push into soil

The potatoes are 'Winston' , there is 10lb in the picture, off of 6 plants.
Yield not as high as last year but I put that down to fact we have not had as much rain and I try not to water potatoes by means of hose or watering can.
Both the 'Winston' and the ' Lady Christl ' have produced a clean tasty crop this year

So far absolutely no sign of slug damage this year

Off up the plot again this morning, having paid a visit to our local allotment trading shed first. That's on another site at Windsor so short journey to get there.

My sowing program got postponed because of way I was feeling over last month so going to try sowing some late carrots (Amsterdam Forcing), Beetroot (Action Baby) and some Winter Cabbage in the hope of some late crop.
Might chuck a bit of Lettuce or Mixed Salad Leaf in as well

Morning Pa Snip, i have to say, the variety of beetroot sound a real winner....

oldherbaceous wrote:Morning Pa Snip, i have to say, the variety of beetroot sound a real winner....

OH

We have already had some of the action from that variety this year, left us feeling very satisfied.

2-8-15, arrived plot 08.30 departed plot 15.30

Sowed 2000 Amsterdam Forcing carrots (well going by this years hit and miss germinations I might get a couple of hundred come up)
Found that I had run out of Action Baby Beetroot, so sowed 200 Pablo beetroot seeds instead.
Had some space available so sowed 48 dwarf French bean Tendergreen

Nearest to you is area in which Beetroot was sown,
then middle covered area is carrots (hopefully will keep any carrot fly out
Furthest covered bed before sweetcorn is latest dwarf French bean bed


The odd happenings with germination this year is exemplified by our third sowing of parsnips on various parts of plot, the first two sowings failed to germinate at all so a third sowing was attempted on 15th June, of the third sowing 5 in one place and 1 in another place have suddenly emerged having germinated.

Wow! Looking great! You must have been really grafting to get the plot looking that good considering the time away from it recently.

Just a question - how much do you like carrots? What if they all germinate?? Mind you'll have good vision if you munch your way through all of them!

Westi

Westi

Thank you for the comment about grafting. I did a bit but the energy levels are taking time to build back up.

A good point, but if they all germinate all my neighbours have the foresight to pay regular visits to this branch of Carrot Savers

Given this years germination experiences I don't think there is a 20/20 chance of them all coming up. If they do, well between us and the chickens and dogs we'll munch through them.

BTW< no idea why one picture has appeared twice. I had problems with the positioning of pictures when I was originally trying to make this post.
Hope we haven't got a gremlin in the works.