16th May 2011
The last couple of weeks have been very busy, catching up with planting, transplanting and sowing. The brassicas I sowed in late March needed to be transplanted into their raised beds. I noticed that the dreaded Small Cabbage White is around and found a few clusters of their yellow eggs on the underside of some of the leaves, so I decided to cover immediately with a fine mesh to protect the crop.
The cabbage and broccoli I transplanted back in March are growing on well and should be ready for eating in the next few weeks.
This very dry spring has been a challenge. Not only do salad crops need lots of water, so do peas and carrots Yesterday I installed a trickle irrigation system on a couple of my raised beds and over several hours emptied a large water butt onto them.
I am a passionate advocate of polytunnels. They extend the growing season dramatically. Having had problems with overwintering broad beans suffering recent very cold winters I sowed Aquadulce in a polytunnel last November and am now able to harvest a good crop of lovely beans. With my second lot of early potatoes, the delicious variety Accord, now eating well another feast tonight is in order
As well as transplanting cabbages last week I have also transplanted one of the tastiest squash I know, Pompeon, into one of my polytunnels. I am growing aa American heirloom Armenian cucumber too. I planted four rather straggly plants, two-feet apart in the greenhouse on the allotment and plan to train them up canes and along wires. I also planted a couple of melon called Sugar Baby with which I have had some success in the past.
