The start to the season

Been a bit idle these past few months, nothing doing & unable to see the plots underneath all the snow.

Just to report I've sown a packet of Kelsae onions today. I don't expect any exhibition onions from them, but as I've never had any luck with onions from seed in the past I thought that if I tried one that's supposed to grow huge, I may just get some medium onions from them!

Quick update

As above!

No photos, daughter borrowed my camera for a day, 10 days ago.

Harvesting more squash, there's a green one on the plant bigger than than one in the previous photo, so fingers crossed for it. Pumpkins have been harvested and re-homed, courgettes have turned to marrows and the White Lady runner beans are still coming in and in flower!

The Sarpo Mira spuds are still growing!!

Planted a few "walking" onions a little while back, but still waiting for the ground to dry out a bit so I can get the winter onions and garlic in. It seems to chuck it down every other day at the moment.

Recent Harvests

A 7lb 6oz Butternut Squash:






Grew these as a novelty spud "Highland Burgundy Red" curious purple/pink mashed spuds! Quickly go to mush when cooked, small yield, won't bother again.

Off the plot today

From a late (July 2nd) sowing of Kelvedon Wonder.

A Thousand Apologies

Sorry I've not kept this blog up to date very well.

I was ill in the early part of the year and from May onwards, it was catch up time. However despite being late in things have really caught up and a lot have been better than last year.

White Lady runner beans have been fantastic and still in flower - seed not sown until May in seed trays at home and the spuds are much larger than previous years despite being planted almost 2 months later than usual. Pictured here is my 2lb "Kestrel".



The "Ambo" are a huge crop with 4 or 5 large bakers per plant and a few smaller ones. Desiree are a resonable return, although not quite as good as the Ambo.

30 spring cabbage have gone in today to compliment the 30 winter caulis already in.

Darn Cats

Bl**dy cats knocked my tomatoes out of the window sill yesterday. Think enough have survived the fall just the get the 12 I want for the heated greenhouse.

On the plus side, the chillies started popping through yesterday, so they (and the remaining tomatoes), are in a locked room with some aluminium foil to keep them company.

And briefly........

60 Geraniums sown today.

Tomato count is 12.

First Tomato Up

Six days after sowing.

Who needs expensive propagators?

Slow progress

Weather still a bit on the cool/wet side, sun only shines when I can't make it to the plot due to other commitments.

Only made one serious visit so far, but managed to give the blackcurrants a much needeed hair cut.

Out of the 20 "Nautilus" cauli seed sown, I've got 21 come up! Appears I dropped two seeds into one cell.

Other things on today, but forecast not too bad for rest of week then tied up with other things over the weekend, so the weather's bound to be good if I can't get down.

Tomatoes & Peppers

Unable to contain myself for much longer, I've sown my tomatoes intended for the greenhouse,(Shirley) and some sweet & chilli peppers.

These I've placed in my expensive propagators.

Nearly forgot as it's not food related. Sowed the sweet peas yesterday as well. They're in the cool (as opposed to cold), greenhouse. There's just enough heating in this one to keep the frost off and I can wind it up if need be for seedlings & tomato plants.

Which reminds me, this time last year I'd sowed the tomato seed, so I'd better get a move on, although there's plenty of time stll.

Visit to plot

Popped up to the plot yesterday, too wet to do any real work on it, but managed empty the horse poo out of the bags now that they'd thawed out and also took some of last year's old compost up there & put in a small raised bed.

One of the other plot holders up there does this and he plants some spring onions in it very early, which he starts in modules. Thought I'd give that a go.

Brought home a sack of Sarpo Mira spuds which had been stored in the shed. Thankfully they seem to have survived the frost & look very wholesome, more so than some of the other varieties which have a load of slug holes.

If it's a decent day tomorrow, may pop up to do a bit of tidying & trimming, heavy rain forecast Wednesday & Thursday.

Hmmmmm

Thought I'd updated this a few days ago to say nothing much had happened, particularly in the recent weather apart from a few raids to harvest the veg. Appears the post went into the black hole, or more likely I hit the wrong button. Currently have sprouts, cabbage, carrots, parsnips and an odd swede in the plot. Sprouting brocolli to come.

Was in two minds whether to continue this blog or not, as a lot will be a repeat of last year, but have been persuaded by one of the guys on AVG. For some strange reason, he finds it useful - probably from a what NOT to do point of view.

Have started off some spanish onions given to me, along with "Nautilus" caulis and some Winter Gem lettuce. All are starting to come through.

Not to hit the "Publish" button and hope this one makes it!

Blimey, where's the time gone.

Sorry, long time, no update. Not been neglecting the plot, just never seemed to have the time to update the blog, plus we've actually managed to pull some time away in.

I'll do a very quick update and let the pictures tell their own stories. Not included with them yet are the butternut squash whch have grown amazingly. Harvested 24 so far and there's going to be at least 50!

Anyway, this is what I did manage to snap:

Still ticking over

Few days since an update, but in between all the rain we've been nipping down to get the harvest in.

Couple of mandatory piccies to break up the boring text - the spud plants are from the wizzened sets a couple of weeks back.

Note to self

This is for my reference really.

Yesterday potted on 52 "Winter Pilgrim" caulis & sowed 60 "Durham Early" sprinf cabbage in modules.

Planted out a further 72 lettuce, pricked out same number & sowed more seed.

Spuds - In with the old, out with the new!

Found some old & wrinkly spuds in the shed, left over from the spring planting. Stuck them in to see how they go as everyone seems to be going mad on new spuds for Christmas. No way am I paying the catalogue prices, not lost anything if these don't grow.

Tried the Kestrel spuds, look like my best crop ever. The two shown weigh 2lb 7 ozs between them. Not one slug hole in the lot. (Must be those blue things I buried with the horse poo!).

I'm still here!

Not forgotten to update things, but it's been mainly harvesting when it's not raining!

Just the odd cauli left of the first batch, peas about done, just left next year's seed on the plants, runner beans starting to come. Carrots excellent, not a trace of fly using the Enviromesh.

The onion sets are the best I've ever grown and they're still growing, (Centurion), definitely on my hit list for next year. The plants were rubbish, they've flopped over & I've dug them up, hardly any from 3 rows. Still it's an ill wind - got some early pickles - one jar shown!

Just reporting in

Things ticking along now, mostly harvesting with a little maintenance. First lot of caulis nearly all in now,(a lot in the freezer this week)& peas still coming nicely.

Stacks of stuff to coffee morning again, this year we have spring onions to spare for the first time & the first courgettes made it down. No jam this week - but the excess veg raised over £36 on it's own.

The "Champion Of England" peas may have reached peak height & the pods are now coming. (See piccies).

More caulis!

Today's lot, destined for my freezer!

The produce taken to coffee morning raised over £77! Had that been for my back pocket, it would have paid the year's rent on the two big plots!

Cleared & frozen the 3 rows of KW peas, got a small sample of the "Parsley" heritage pea to try today, but think may leave the best part for seed. The 3 rows of "Stokesley" are filling out well.

The winter caulis sown on the 1st, started to emerge 2 days ago - that's just 3 days outside to come up!