2013 Growing Season

I planted out my Leeks yesterday, into a space created by digging up some spuds. I have to say, that at this point, they are the best I've ever had. In the past, I've put the seedlings into something akin to seed trays. But this year I put them into 'decent' size pots with a good depth, and it seems to have made all the difference. Lesson learned!

 

Oh yes, sowed some more Rocket and Lettuce (All The Year Round)

 

That's my plan for next year, I think they were held back quite a bit by using a seed tray.

 

Harvested some Vivaldi spuds at the weekend (I only planted 5 tubers as a Taste Test; first time for us). Really impressed with the flavour. Had some more last night (so out of the ground for 48 hours before cooking) and the flavour was just as good.

 

I was going to try Shiraz this year , as you say it looks a bit flashy ! I stuck with mangetout Oregon which are very very nice. Although as its the only one I have grown I can't really compare it.

 

It's looking like we'll be overwhelmed with climbing french beans (Cobra), I'll have beans to pick by the weekend and never seen so many flowers as this year, I grow them every year.......

Freezer bags at the ready!

Turnips did well this year, Carol pulled them all out this week so I'll have to re sow for a 2nd crop, she also pulled a lettuce (iceberg) and duly dispatched it to the chickens, there goes my salad?

Tomatoes growing well but not much sign of fruit yet, we'll have an abundance of cucumbers though YUK, I can't stand the things!

 

Most things seem to be coming on OK...Plenty of peas,loads of chard but the chooks are helping me out with those...cues slow but had a couple off....sweet corn in the patch look like they could be failing but the couple I planted in the GH are doing OK...straws ,rasps and gooseberries doing good....
Radish,lettuce and red onions a flop ....need to sow more

 

Went to our Landshare allotment this morning to give celeriac, fennel, beans, courgettes and squashes some water, and was pleasantly surprised by all the growths since last Sunday.
I grew these onions from seeds in Feb, now they are beginning to develop bulbs


Fennel coming along nicely. Picked 2 of them for tomorrow's dinner.


Honey bear squash


Sweetcorn


Runner beans and French beans have all reached the top of the canes and have some flowers but didn't see many beans forming. Then I happened to look downwards and what did I see?


Once they've started, courgettes are producing really fast, in one week we got over 3lb of them and this is only the beginning!!

 

Looking good

 

It's looking like I'll get the first pickings from my Broad Beans this weekend I was a bit later than normal in sowing these, given the cold weather, but it looks like I'm gonna get a large crop Been harvesting some rather nice Lettuces (All The Year Round) and Rocket. The spuds are over with respect to growth. Maybe I should have watered them? Dug up my Garlic and have left them on the surface to dry off. My Spring Onions (White Lisbon) are looking good and I pulled a few today. I only have two rows of these because in the past, I haven't done very well with them. It seems that this year is a good year for Onions? I notice that my Bridgwater Beans have some small fruits showing, nice flowers too! My 'Runners' (Wisley Magic) though are very slow to get going At the moment they are only half way up the canes. My Squash are looking quite good, and are sprawling! Give 'em space folks

 

'Friad so. At the point at which they start to fatten up you can't really overwater them ... so unless Mother Nature is giving you a wet season its best to give her a hand

 

Yeah, but I'm not convinced that watering them doesn't spoil the flavour a bit?

 

Interesting point. Mine taste fine, and I was too lazy to water them ... need to do half-and-half to be sure though ...