20 May - Carrot Fly & Bean Poles

We've had nice days and wet days recently - it's been a case of dodging the showers if I want to get anything done. Despite the variable weather I've a load of brassicas and beans hardening off outside the greenhouse waiting for a little warm weather to be planted.

Talking of beans, the annual bean pole erection contest has got under way across all the allotment sites in the UK. I'm a bit crap at putting up bean poles, they never look straight compared to other peoples'. I've written a little guide entitled 'What Kind Of Bean Pole Erector Are You?' - I know which one I am. Anyway, the canes have gone up and the bean plants will go out at the first sign of warm weather.

Carrot fly can attack plants from late May to June. We had a touch of it last year on my site, not massive amounts but enough to make me want to try and cover them up with some protection. I got hold of a few plastic poles and some horticultural fleece which have provided some little tunnels. I will need to thin some of the carrots but this attracts the carrot fly which can detect scent a mile away. It seems that thinning in the evening is the best time and I'll be using scissors to snip off the foliage I don't want so I can quickly cover up the row again.

I've started planting the brassicas out, a row of kohl rabi went in a few weeks back and, as they are looking healthy, I've planted my Primo II Summer cabbage as well. I think I'll get my Cauli's and Brussels Sprouts out soon too.

Finally, one of my new hens has started to lay. The picture below shows a dark egg from one of my older hens on the right and a lighter egg, which turned out to contain a double yolk, from my Light Sussex cross on the left.

Bye for now.

05 May - Greenhouse - Early May Round-Up

Here's a quick tour of the greenhouse and windowsills at the moment as being as it horrible weather outside. Firstly let me mention germination rates. I sowed eleven Hunter F1 butternut squashes, this was last year's seed; at the same time, in same conditions I sowed ten Turks Turban, new seed, recently bought. Which germinated better? 

Well, surprisingly the butternut with the old seed did much better. From eleven butternut, nine germinated while from the Turks Turban, only five. I must say that 50% germination rate of new seed is pretty poor especially in a heated propagator with controlled, warm conditions. I planned on having more Turks Turban plants so I've re-sown in the hope of getting a couple more.

Let's move from the house now to the greenhouse itself for a quick spot check on progress. The main change is that I've planted out my tomatoes after preparing the bed with new compost and fertilizer. They seem to have benefited already as they quickly put on a bit of growth and look much greener. There are two types here, my usual Alicante and some Shirley F1.

The brassicas are storming along nicely. The most impressive are the cauliflower, they are growing at a rate of knots and I'm considering getting them outside to harden off in the next few days if the weather brightens a little. They will have to be planted out in the next fortnight. Next door the Brussels Sprouts are developing at a more stately pace. I was initially concerned about these as they looked very 'leggy' but, having re-potted them further up the stem, (which you can do with brassicas) they have come on really well and look like good, solid plants. (Pic - cauli's on the left, sprouts on the right).

Needless to day that the beans are going mad - both French and runner versions. Unfortunately, a lone snail snaffled a few runner bean plants before it was apprehended but I've enough for eighteen canes, a few more than last season. I've also got eight French bean plants, again enough for my usual wigwam - and I'll plant a few seeds at the foot each cane in the hope of getting another crop a bit later in the season. (Pic - climbing beans with the the leeks doing well after being transplanted into their deep tray).

A few weeks ago, (see 24th April post), I sowed some sweet corn in root trainers. These have germinated well, a few blank cells, but there are more than enough plants to go around. They started well indoors last season too but really didn't get off to a flyer when planted outside - a bit too cold perhaps? Anyway, I've changed varieties and will try to plant out a little later in a warm spell.

That will do for now, I'm off to the plot to see if the wind today has blown the shed away!

04 May - The Plot - Early May Round-Up

The weather has gone downhill a bit over the past week with strong winds, rain and cooler temperatures. Nevertheless, things are progressing out on the plot. Along with a line of direct sown radish which are showing now, I've planted out a small number of White Lisbon spring onions raised in cells with another line direct sown.

A few lettuce have gone out too, a couple of Lollo Rossa (germination rate wasn't that great) and a load of Mazur lettuce, a frilly 'loose leaf' variety. While they have been sat outside for a week to ten days before planting to harden off, I hadn't anticipated the weather to become cold and wet so they might not do as well as hoped. 

One upside of the wet weather is the lack of frost at night. My early potatoes suffered some minor frost damage at the end of April with a number of new leaves blackened by the cold. Fortunately, they seem to be growing on OK now. Last year I was digging Rocket new potatoes the first week of June but comparing pictures with this time last season my potatoes look to be at least a fortnight behind this year. Let's see how they develop over the next four weeks.

Talking of potatoes, my Sarpo Mira main crop are also showing - I've earthed them up again but there are a fair number poking out the top of the ridges.  I mentioned in my last post that the broad bean plants had been attacked by a few kinds of bugs. I had to spay unfortunately but it seems to have done the trick as they have grown noticeably over the past week or so.

The peas have had nets put next to them so they can clamber up. While doing this I remembered why I don't normally grow peas - yes they taste lovely fresh but, you don't get out of them all the effort put in and I'd forgotten what a faff they are. For me, peas are not worth it unless I have a truly bumper crop which, I'm not expecting.

A line of the more unusual Kohl Rabi have gone out under the brassica net. These are the first brassicas to go out, the rest can wait another week or two for a period of warmer weather. Last season my Kohl Rabi failed due to pigeons and ants of all things. This season I've netted them to keep the birds off.

The last update for the plot is the arrival of two new hens. These are Light Sussex and are almost old enough to lay. They are pretty little birds and hopefully they will settle in and start to lay soon.

That's it for now, the next update will be what's happening in the greenhouse.