The rain that was forecast for today was not in evidence this morning, so I went to the Hill keen to see what’s been going on in my absence & with a lengthy ‘to-do’ list at the ready.
The ‘most grown in three days’ award is split between the climbing beans, whipping up the canes at some speed, & the squash plants which are – frankly – barely under control. I spent some time with the squash training their leading shoots clockwise round their respective allotted spaces – I’m having my work cut out trying to keep them in some sort of order.
I dug up the RED ONIONS (electric) – they are fab, & much bigger than those which I grew last year, I must say. With these now out of the way, I can do a bit more in the way of construction of that bed (although I can’t finish it until the swede are eaten), although that’s a job of another day.
I had a little elf helper appear who helped carry the red onions to the car, whist her dad piled manure from the skip to a wheelbarrow for their new plot near the bottom. I was on the other end of some serious interrogation, but once we established how old I was, how old she was, whether I had brothers, or sisters, where my mum was, who Reg-next-plot is & what parsnips look like, she skipped back to help her dad with the muck moving.
I picked some sweetpeas, then a few of each of the eating PEAS (gladstone, newick, ne plus ultra, stephens, pilot, robinson & lancashire lad) in order to do some sensible taste test comparisons so I can consider which I would like to grow again next year.
The next job was to plant out the last of the DWARF FRENCH BEANS (fortel & speedy). The runner beans & some of the climbing beans have flowers, & by ruthlessly nipping the tops out, the plants are bushy & robust, although they are still heading upwards at a tremendous rate. I picked some of the DWARF FRENCH BEANS (emperor of Russia, early warwick & triomphe de farcy) – these taste wonderful.
I cut a COURGETTE (yellow golden), & a LETTUCE (mini gem). I’ve given up on a couple of rows of RADISH (French breakfast 3) as they have been overwhelmed by the courgette leaves, so I sowed another row were they will have a little more breathing space.
Having forgotten to bring the dithane with me, I dug up the rest of the first early POTATOES (international kidney), which taste terrific, I must say, & the POTATOES (wilja) as they were looking as though they were dying down anyway. And then I looked at the tomatoes – one of which had worrying darker patches on the stems – uh-oh – is it blight…?
The ‘most grown in three days’ award is split between the climbing beans, whipping up the canes at some speed, & the squash plants which are – frankly – barely under control. I spent some time with the squash training their leading shoots clockwise round their respective allotted spaces – I’m having my work cut out trying to keep them in some sort of order.I dug up the RED ONIONS (electric) – they are fab, & much bigger than those which I grew last year, I must say. With these now out of the way, I can do a bit more in the way of construction of that bed (although I can’t finish it until the swede are eaten), although that’s a job of another day.
I had a little elf helper appear who helped carry the red onions to the car, whist her dad piled manure from the skip to a wheelbarrow for their new plot near the bottom. I was on the other end of some serious interrogation, but once we established how old I was, how old she was, whether I had brothers, or sisters, where my mum was, who Reg-next-plot is & what parsnips look like, she skipped back to help her dad with the muck moving.
I picked some sweetpeas, then a few of each of the eating PEAS (gladstone, newick, ne plus ultra, stephens, pilot, robinson & lancashire lad) in order to do some sensible taste test comparisons so I can consider which I would like to grow again next year.The next job was to plant out the last of the DWARF FRENCH BEANS (fortel & speedy). The runner beans & some of the climbing beans have flowers, & by ruthlessly nipping the tops out, the plants are bushy & robust, although they are still heading upwards at a tremendous rate. I picked some of the DWARF FRENCH BEANS (emperor of Russia, early warwick & triomphe de farcy) – these taste wonderful.
I cut a COURGETTE (yellow golden), & a LETTUCE (mini gem). I’ve given up on a couple of rows of RADISH (French breakfast 3) as they have been overwhelmed by the courgette leaves, so I sowed another row were they will have a little more breathing space.Having forgotten to bring the dithane with me, I dug up the rest of the first early POTATOES (international kidney), which taste terrific, I must say, & the POTATOES (wilja) as they were looking as though they were dying down anyway. And then I looked at the tomatoes – one of which had worrying darker patches on the stems – uh-oh – is it blight…?
Running out of superlatives - all looking terrific and those onions look fantastic.
ReplyDeleteQuestion for you (just to be difficult), do you actually like squashes enough to justify the amount of space they take up and what hooligans they are? I might attempt a couple of the smaller ones in future years but on all the gardening blogs I read, everyone seems to have the same problem with squash plants trying to take over the known universe {giggle}
Those red onions look the business. I'm growing lots of Magnum Bonum tall peas next year. Delicious!
ReplyDeleteYou do have a point about squash, Bilbo - I really need to cut down to maybe 2 plants next year. More self discipline needed!
ReplyDeleteI realised yesterday why the red onions are bigger than last year - these are from set, not seed.