Planting and harvesting

I have various plants growing on in the greenhouse at home so planting out was a priority but on arrival on the plot I realised I also needed to lift some of my potatoes. I cleared the rest of the row of earlies only to find that what I thought were tasteless Foremost was, if the label is to be believed, actually tasteless Pentland Javelin!  We have 3 or 4 meals worth so I think we will be having lots of garlic mashed potato - unless someone can suggest something better!






​I then set three 'Marketmore' cucumber plants along the row. These small outdoor cucumbers cropped well last year and were tasty despite thick skins.

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​A phone call home confirmed that boiled potatoes were on the menu so I dug up a batch of King Edwards leaving them all on the surface to dry and harden their skins. I was also asked for a green veg so I picked a second crop of climbing French Beans, collecting far more than I needed for a meal. I was hoping they would be less tough than the first batch and fortunately this proved to be the case.

I then set about planting my Brussel Sprouts. They have to be spaced so far apart (30") that I only need 5 plants for a row but it is a laborious process. First scrape clear a strip in the mulch. Then cut holes 4-6" deep and a spade width wide. Use a bulb planter to cut a hole in the bottom of each and scatter half a handful of lime in and around each hole. Then use a thin bladed trowel or spike to stir the lime into the soil at the bottom and plant each young plant into the hole using a normal trowel to loosen the surrounding soil to bed it in. Finally I firm the plant in well as brassicas like to be firmly planted and then water in well. Later, when the plants grow taller, I shall earth them up by filling in the larger hole but in the meantime water and fertiliser will be concentrated around the plant.

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​​I managed to plant 10 plants before it was time to go home.