21 Jun - Heavy Rain

I've been slow to update mainly because I've done very little on the plot due to heavy rain over the past fortnight. While there has been some spells of sunshine, the rain soon re-appears keeping the ground too wet to work.

Still, things have continued to grow. In the greenhouse the tomatoes are doing well though they stubbornly remain green - oh for some ripe ones! The Californian sweet peppers are beginning to form nicely and I should end up with a decent crop.

On the plot I've been waiting to plant out my Winter cabbage, Tundra F1. The brassica bed, like a lot of the plot, needs some urgent weeding. The Tundra are still in pots in the garden but are beginning to look a little worse for wear and they really need to be planted so they can get established.

The squashes seem to be growing OK despite the rain, I suppose it's because the temperatures haven't been particularly cold. The Jack O'Lantern plant grown from saved seed last year has turned out to be a courgette hybrid. I've let it grow on to see what fruit it produces. The Big Max pumpkin has put out some really thick vines so I'm hoping for at least one decent pumpkin. (Pic below - Big Max pumpkin vine).

I've managed to pick a few strawberries but the rain is hurting the crop, causing an increase in slug damage and mildew. The sweet corn seems to be enjoying the conditions though as the stalks are developing well. The early potatoes are cropping really well, I'm just coming to the end of the first row; with another two rows to go I should have fresh early potatoes right up until the end of August. The main crop potatoes have grown into nice bushy plants and I'm hoping the Sarpo Mira can resist any bouts of blight that will surely occur if this rain doesn't subside in the next few weeks.

The broad beans are now producing large pods and the climbing beans are romping up their canes so I'm hopeful for a decent crop this year from the self pollinating Firestorm. We've been eating Mazur lettuce like it's been going out of fashion, they have produced massive plants this year. The radish have gone over now, too woody to eat so I'm in the process of pulling up what's left. The plum tree looks heavily laden and the raspberries are forming well.

So, despite the current rain, there's still plenty to look forward to. Bye for now.