Summer bits and bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

Probably running a little late and i’m sure Monika has been waiting….
So here we are, yet another bits and bobs…another desperately challenging year, weather wise, we did get some rain yesterday but, seemed to miss most of the real decent showers….they were 5 miles either side of us. So with a hot dry week ahead, all we can do is see what happens!

[Clive.]

The big garden had 12mm rain yesterday...mostly in one large application ..
Not quite so much at home here ? but may have missed it during an after lunch nap...

C.

[Cider Boys]

Very pleased with the garden this year, it is surprising how later sown seeds quickly catch up when the soil is warm and damp. My late sown runner beans have nearly caught up with my green house sowed early plants. I have picked my first courgettes and cabbage this morning. The potatoes have finished flowering and my tomatoes have just started to form fruits. Luckily have not had any late frosts to catch me out and only the strong winds to contend with. Leeks have been disappointing, the early spring was too dry and I should have watered them. I noticed Charles Dowding is still sowing parsnips!

Happy gardening

Barney

[oldherbaceous]

All sounds good Barney,…I only got round to sowing my Parsnips earlier in the week!

[Clive.]

Meanwhile, back to carrots ?... With the doses of rain this week there are now quite clearly 3 rows growing in between the rows of soil erosion prevention barley up on the ridge tops in the back field behind home here. There are 5 rows of barley so 4 gaps each with 3 rows of small seedlings now visible...so that's 12 rows of carrots per large ridge...that'll be a huge lot of carrots

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Mystery solved, Clive…

[Westi]

Rain eventually dispersed yesterday but in one of those slow progressions where it was sun/drizzle/sun/drizzle before it said goodbye! Looking good for the next few days so will get cracking with the rest of Plot 2 after I do a quick hoe & earth up of the early spuds on Plot 1; along with a mandatory tickle to check the size, just might find enough to have an early taste, but they aren't exactly growing fast but might be happier after all the rain.

Mostly weeding on Plot 2 but I noted some baby caul's forming so I will get some shade cloth over them to protect the curd & I've got to get the autumn PSB & kales in & covered. Quite looking forward to weeding & probably harvesting some of Plot 2 right as noted some scapes on some of the onions. I will re-sow something else into the gaps, (or pots); probs some winter brassica's & will just prep & rest one bed for some Chinese to go in, in a month or so. Seed pack said to sow now, but they tend to just bolt in any warmth so it will be the back up.

[retropants]

We finished the brassica cage yesterday, these will be the most expensive Kalettes ever!!

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[oldherbaceous]

Very impressive Retropants….many years of use should make the cost seem better.

[retropants]

Thanks OH! It's also flat pack, as we are very limited on space. The sides are held on with toggle clips and the ends fold in.

[Geoff]

Looks good. So I shouldn't have dismissed vegiemesh in favour of butterfly net a few weeks ago, must be the fine Spring bringing them North!

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[Westi]

Made good progress today. Weeded & earthed up all the spud beds, did a little tickle & some lovely unblemished spuds found. I meant to go back to take enough for a meal, but got in the zone & had to run; (well walk briskly), for the bus so next time. However I noted the few I had dug up accidentally had disappeared; obvs main suspect was the dog who has probably buried them somewhere.

PSB & winter kales sown, carrot & parsnip glass bed weeded & gaps sown & other side sowed with some radish & corn salad to fill the gap. The runners I thought I had saved from their bus adventure have failed so cut my losses & sowed some more. Cleared the nettles around the front compost, weeded the front ever bearing strawberries & got some nice fruit. Had a peek under the onion cover & pulled the ones that had bolted & will sort the rest of these beds when down on Wednesday.

[retropants]

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I have a lot of strawberries this year. I have 6 buckets on a bench, 3 plants to each bucket. 2 buckets Cambridge Favourite, 2 Florence and 2 Honeyoe. Florence are HUGE this year, Cambridge flavour is disappointing though. In March, I gave them a top dressing of poultry manure pellets and fresh topsoil, scratched in. I think they liked it!

[oldherbaceous]

A goodly crop indeed….

[Westi]

There was a thing on out local news saying that this is the best year for strawberries for over a decade......I wonder if such a bountiful harvest what the cost per punnet will be at Wimbledon??