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!