Thursday 24th August
I couldn't believe that it was so long since my last post but then realised that I had been so busy with catching up after my holiday - and with the show, which I am pleased to say was so successful!
I am thankful that while I was away a number of my neighbouring plotholders directed their hoses over my plot so there was little sign that anything had suffered. On the contrary, the growth was luxurious - including the weeds! My caretaker neighbour had done a great job of harvesting, even lifting, plaiting and hanging up my garlic and giving me back a bag of frozen peas that had matured while I was away.
Most of the time since my return has been taken up with weeding, prioritising those that are about to seed to avoid upsetting my neighbours. However, they seem to grow faster than I clear them.
I have managed to remove the haulms on my King Edward spuds when they were hit by Blight and lift the rest of the Kestrel and Maris Piper. The Sarpo Mira have resisted the Blight but are now dying back and are ready to lift. Meanwhile the Blight warnings continue to come in!
I have also struggled to keep up with the harvesting. The first picking of flat climbing French beans (Hunter) were truly delicious and tender. I am trying to keep up with the harvesting as the youngest is always the best!
The harvest is at its peak. Today, after a weekend away, I brought home two punnets of raspberries (some so ripe they squished), a good picking of runner, stick and flat beans from the climbing plants, a large picking from just one dwarf French bean plant, a cabbage, several meals worth of broccoli, a large handful of radishes (with lots of holes where something has nibbled them), half a dozen courgettes (mainly from the marrow plants - the green courgette plant seems to have given up the ghost), a punnet of blackberries and a few strawberries.
The 'Tendergreen' dwarf French bean plants are full of beans but they are not tender and are thick so will go straight on the compost. The 'Safari' dwarf beans next to them are just as productive but the beans are lovely and tender. In previous years they have not grown well but this year seems to have been good for beans of all types.
I couldn't believe that it was so long since my last post but then realised that I had been so busy with catching up after my holiday - and with the show, which I am pleased to say was so successful!
I am thankful that while I was away a number of my neighbouring plotholders directed their hoses over my plot so there was little sign that anything had suffered. On the contrary, the growth was luxurious - including the weeds! My caretaker neighbour had done a great job of harvesting, even lifting, plaiting and hanging up my garlic and giving me back a bag of frozen peas that had matured while I was away.
Most of the time since my return has been taken up with weeding, prioritising those that are about to seed to avoid upsetting my neighbours. However, they seem to grow faster than I clear them.
I have managed to remove the haulms on my King Edward spuds when they were hit by Blight and lift the rest of the Kestrel and Maris Piper. The Sarpo Mira have resisted the Blight but are now dying back and are ready to lift. Meanwhile the Blight warnings continue to come in!
I have also struggled to keep up with the harvesting. The first picking of flat climbing French beans (Hunter) were truly delicious and tender. I am trying to keep up with the harvesting as the youngest is always the best!
The harvest is at its peak. Today, after a weekend away, I brought home two punnets of raspberries (some so ripe they squished), a good picking of runner, stick and flat beans from the climbing plants, a large picking from just one dwarf French bean plant, a cabbage, several meals worth of broccoli, a large handful of radishes (with lots of holes where something has nibbled them), half a dozen courgettes (mainly from the marrow plants - the green courgette plant seems to have given up the ghost), a punnet of blackberries and a few strawberries.
The 'Tendergreen' dwarf French bean plants are full of beans but they are not tender and are thick so will go straight on the compost. The 'Safari' dwarf beans next to them are just as productive but the beans are lovely and tender. In previous years they have not grown well but this year seems to have been good for beans of all types.
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