This is the plot which had the short season, salad & less hardy crops in. A few anomalies did sneak in here, however – the GARLIC for instance, a row of CARROT (early nantes) & some SPRING ONIONS (white lisbon). The garlic was great, but the bulbs were small as we’d only planted small cloves. Wish I’d know that particular fact before planting this year’s cloves, & I would have only put the large ones in. Hey ho.
A row of DILL also sneaked in, which – frankly – I wasn’t sure when to pick, or what to do with it then. I think as a herb, I’ll grow it at home next year if I feel the need.
The LANDCRESS was an absolute unqualified out & out success. Shame really, then, that I found after a nibble of one leaf of one plant that I really, really don’t like it at all – it is so peppery & hot, it’s untrue. Damn stuff stands for months without bolting, is drought & flood hardy & is near indestructible. If Jane wants it in her salads next year, she can grow it at her house!
I did learn a valuable lesson with LETTUCE sowing – little & not-quite-so-often next year, I think! Lovely as they have been, they win the second prize – after the runner beans – for profligacy! The RADISH has been brilliant – out of the various varieties that we tried, I think that the little round saxa 3, or the mirabeau have been the nicest. The white icicle variety has rivalled the landcress for heat, although keeping them in the fridge for a day or two seems to take the ‘bite’ out of them.
The Prize Pumpkin was also in this bed – growing our pumpkin has been fabulous fun, along with the Tallest Sunflower competition – we may not have won either, but it’s brought out my competitive streak at least – so watch out next year, novice-neighbour-Jody – I’m a year ahead of you!
The TOMATOES were such a disappointment – a combination of being a bit leggy to start with, late planting out & a great wave of blight sweeping all before it meant that there were no ripe tomatoes at all, although the small crop of 4-5lbs green tomatoes has made some great chutney.
The BUTTERNUT SQUASH & the COURGETTES (black beauty) were hardly prolific either – again late sowings did for these, I think – with one squash between three plants (impressive spreading leafy growth, though!) & just four courgettes in total.
Finally, for this bed, an unexpected success – the SWEETCORN (conqueror f1) plants gave two or three cobs each from each plant all of a decent size – & I learnt that scoffing raw corn straight off the cob is an absolute delicacy unknown to non-veg growers!
So for next year? Earlier sowing of tomatoes & squash, I think – & I’d like to try cucumbers & sweet peppers too.
Here ends the misc. report!
A row of DILL also sneaked in, which – frankly – I wasn’t sure when to pick, or what to do with it then. I think as a herb, I’ll grow it at home next year if I feel the need.The LANDCRESS was an absolute unqualified out & out success. Shame really, then, that I found after a nibble of one leaf of one plant that I really, really don’t like it at all – it is so peppery & hot, it’s untrue. Damn stuff stands for months without bolting, is drought & flood hardy & is near indestructible. If Jane wants it in her salads next year, she can grow it at her house!
I did learn a valuable lesson with LETTUCE sowing – little & not-quite-so-often next year, I think! Lovely as they have been, they win the second prize – after the runner beans – for profligacy! The RADISH has been brilliant – out of the various varieties that we tried, I think that the little round saxa 3, or the mirabeau have been the nicest. The white icicle variety has rivalled the landcress for heat, although keeping them in the fridge for a day or two seems to take the ‘bite’ out of them.
The Prize Pumpkin was also in this bed – growing our pumpkin has been fabulous fun, along with the Tallest Sunflower competition – we may not have won either, but it’s brought out my competitive streak at least – so watch out next year, novice-neighbour-Jody – I’m a year ahead of you!The TOMATOES were such a disappointment – a combination of being a bit leggy to start with, late planting out & a great wave of blight sweeping all before it meant that there were no ripe tomatoes at all, although the small crop of 4-5lbs green tomatoes has made some great chutney.
The BUTTERNUT SQUASH & the COURGETTES (black beauty) were hardly prolific either – again late sowings did for these, I think – with one squash between three plants (impressive spreading leafy growth, though!) & just four courgettes in total.
Finally, for this bed, an unexpected success – the SWEETCORN (conqueror f1) plants gave two or three cobs each from each plant all of a decent size – & I learnt that scoffing raw corn straight off the cob is an absolute delicacy unknown to non-veg growers!So for next year? Earlier sowing of tomatoes & squash, I think – & I’d like to try cucumbers & sweet peppers too.
Here ends the misc. report!
No comments:
Post a Comment