06 Sep - Checking Leeks and Digging Spuds

After taking up a few tubers of my Sarpo Mira potatoes (see 29 Aug 2014 post) I decided to take the rest up at the start of September. The Sarpo's are probably the largest tubers I've had for some years, not prolific, but of excellent size, possibly due to the extra time the blight resistance allows them to stay in the ground. Unfortunately there's a lot of scab on them because there' too much lime on the soil left over from the brassicas - luckily scab, though unsightly, is no problem when the spuds are peeled. I'll definitely be ordering Sarpo potatoes again next season.

Powdery mildew is now rapidly making it's way through the squashes and I've taken up a few more Sweet Dumplings and hybrids. The squash harvest has been brilliant and I've a fair few in storage already with a few more hybrids to take up and I've not even started harvesting the butternut squashes yet. (Below - hybrid & Sweet Dumpling squashes - we've already eaten a load).

As we've had some pleasantly warm weather this week I took the opportunity to weed and check the Musselburgh leeks. The leeks have been under a frame of enviromesh because of the appearance of leek moth in recent years. The leek moth usually has two generations with the second generation of larvae occurring throughout September which causes the most damage. Even with enviromesh, I still get the odd leek being munched so I start checking the plants every few days from the start of September. If the tell-tale signs of leaf eating are apparent, I gently examine where the new leaves are appearing at the centre of the leek and the grub is usually found and removed. Attacked leeks will recover if the larvae are removed in time though seldom grow to their full potential - leeks too damaged usually rot and die. (Below - leek moth larvae).

My young leeks were left in a tray near my garlic in May - the garlic suffered an attack of rust and my young leeks looked like they would succumb too. They were so bad I almost threw them out but, as I didn't have any replacements, I stripped particularly affected leaves and dibbed them into the ground in July. (Below - dibbing in leeks - see 06 July 2014 post).

Despite the initial rust the leeks have done remarkably well, putting on strong, rust free growth in the last two months. I weeded in between the rows this week and have given the them a quick liquid feed in the hope of boosting them in the event of a leek moth attack. (Below - leeks at the start of Sept 2014).

There are some gaps appearing on the plot now as crops are cleared. A large bed of winter squashes have been harvested along with the main potato crop, onions, salads and sweet corn. I tend to roughly dig over and weed these areas as I clear them and will probably give them another dig before Winter sets in as this will make life easier in the Spring.

That's it for this post - I'll leave you with a picture of the er, gorgeous Jolene - what a looker.