Tuesday 27th May 2008

Seems to be that I am going to be updating about every two weeks, obviously at this time of the year a lot happens in two weeks. The weather has been quite bad the last few days with heavy rain and very strong winds. The wind has flattened and snapped off about half the globe artichokes, still I did want to reduce the size of the bed. It has also snapped three of the tomatillo but high enough up that they should regrow from lower down. Also snapped off one of the new shoots on the goji berry, still stuck the new bit in a bit of compost and with a bit of luck it will root.
The robins managed to finally raise a family after the first nest was raided by a rat and the babies eaten. Below is one of the four babies, would not recognise it as a robin if I didn't know the parents.

Green house plants are doing alright, although I have lost about half the cucumbers due to low temps and wet soil. Still have 6 on the go so still plenty for two people. Tomatoes are doing very well and should have some set in the next week. Below is the five baskets of tumbling toms, both red and yellow. As you can see flowers are starting on them
Below is picture of one of the remaining cues, also in the picture is an achocha just right of centre, and in the foreground some aubergines, as yet no flowers on them.
Two tomatillo with flowers.
Someone on the GYO forum was asking about potatoes in tubs. Below is a tub which should be ready for harvesting in about two weeks, the foliage is about two feet above the top of the tub.
Trays of brassicas waiting to go out once the potatoes on the lottie make room for them
Spring sown garlic, which looks a lot healthier than the autumn sown garlic. However no swelling of the bulb on these where as the autumn sown ones have some plump looking bulbs.
One of the brassica beds with summer cabbage early sprouts and some kale. At the far end is some courgettes
The other brassica bed with hispi and greyhound cabbage, summer PSB and two types of red cabbage.
The bean bed with 6 rows of beans 3 climbing french and 3 runner.
Home made tomato house with 8 tomatoes 5 aubergines a cape gooseberry and a golden berry.
One of the new beds with pumpkins and climbing pea beans. At top just out of picture is currant bushes, goji berry and huckleberry.
The carrot bed with January sown carrots furthest away, they are ready for a little thinning which will be usable as a veg (about the thickness of a pencil)
Far end of the bean bed with 3 rows of peas, furthest feltham first, middle jaguar and closest kelvedon wonder. In foreground is some dwarf french beans.
Picture of one of the red cabbages kalibos which is a new one to me.
Root vegetable bed showing some parsnips, doing very well. Lets hope there is something underneath when we come to harvest.
Some of the potatoes are doing well, my big problem was that I planted to close and have had problems in trying to earth them up.
Solved the problem to a certain extent by using collars (tubs with bottoms cut off) and earthing up inside the collars with compost, in other words growing in bottomless tubs. Seems to be working alright.

Well I think that is enough for today.