If ever there was proof that we have done the right thing by keeping up our watering regime, Martyn's first attempt at lifting our early potatoes is it.
I have previously described how potatoes have been our sacrificial crop and have been neglected as far as watering is concerned and we feared that our potato harvest would be a failure. Unfortunately so far this fear has been realised.
I used the word attempted earlier as digging up the Casablanca potatoes proved just about impossible. Martyn posted about this here so I am not going to repeat his post here. Suffice it to say that digging potatoes from rock hard soil is challenging and yields very little for the effort expended.
The Casablanca potatoes were just as tasty as usual but there were very few tubers and they were on the small side.
 |
| 16 July |
The peas on the other hand have been nurtured and we are now harvested the second sowing of Onward and also Oregon Sugarpod. With plenty to harvest this week many of the peas and mangetout have been frozen. We will enjoy those once the harvests start to diminish.
The courgettes are now coming thick and fast keeping me on my toes finding ways of using them. Martyn used some in a second batch of piccalilli and we also used some in a courgette, potato and mint frittata.
I think we have reached the point though where we will be on the look out for homes for a few as there is a limit to how many courgettes can be used in a week. Some, however, will be frozen. (I've added a link on the sidebar to ways we have used courgettes or had recommended).
I think we have reached the point though where we will be on the look out for homes for a few as there is a limit to how many courgettes can be used in a week. Some, however, will be frozen. (I've added a link on the sidebar to ways we have used courgettes or had recommended).
 |
| 17 July |
Our first brassica bed has almost been cleared with just a few remaining calabrese plants left that may produce some more sideshoots. Once the remaining plants are removed it will be interesting to see whether, after all the watering, that bed and the ones containing the now cropped remnants of the first sown peas, will be in a better condition than that housing the Casablanca potatoes.
Our second sowing of broad beans - Masterpiece Green Longpod, have performed better that the earlier sown Witkiem Manita. Usually Witkien Manita crops well but this year they have had all manner of weather conditions thrown at them and the Masterpiece plants have only had the heat to contend with whilst we have attempted to compensate for the drought by keeping them well watered. I must admit I do prefer the small green beans of the Masterpice beans to the greyer green, larger Witkiem Manita beans.
 |
| 19 July |
The carrot and parsnip tops are growing really well but we thought we would sneak a peek at what was going on underground in the carrot bed. The carrots are still rather small but we harvested a few roots as a treat. Last year our carrot growing was a complete failure so we had to rely on shop bought roots. The few that we picked last week confirmed why we go to so much trouble to grow carrots. No shop bought carrots can come anywhere close to the sweet flavour of homegrown.
Although we are waiting for our first picking of runner beans, we have started to harvest the Cobra, climbing French beans. We haven't grown dwarf French beans for a while as we find the climbing varieties produce a better, cleaner, slug damage, (with the possible exception of the beans growing at the base of the vines), free crop. They are also much easier to harvest.
 |
| 21 July |
We didn't think we would have any gooseberries this year. I pruned most of our bushes in the recommended way to allow air flow and cut down the chances of mildew. All to no avail as they fell foul of mildew and the berries spoiled. We have a couple of plants that I forgot about. They grow up the fence along, and smothered by, with the kiwi vine. Guess where I found some beautiful large ripe berries? They say gardening isn't an exact science. In theory it should have been these plants that were affected by mildew! Maybe the mildew spores just couldn't find these plants.
As well as coming away with armfuls of sweet peas at the end of every plot visit, we are starting to gather other flowers to bring home.
Posts
I think you deserve medals for coaxing all that lovely produce from your plots in such adverse conditions! Even if the potatoes have been disappointing, you have lots of other things to redress the balance. I agree with you on the carrots - homegrown ones are far superior to commercially-produced ones. We bought some soft fruit at a Farmers' Market yesterday and it was superb. The stallholder said the season has been a lot shorter than usual, but the quality of produce has been far better.
ReplyDeleteAs far as soft fruit goes, Mark some have been better quality and some haven’t. The strawberries in particular have been a disappointment. Most of our plants failed to regrow after the bad weather earlier. I don’t like watering strawberries either as it spoils the flavour. The plums and greengage look promising though,
DeleteI love that even on these difficult years you put in the effort to keep growing beautiful flowers.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are part of the whole picture as far as our plot goes, tpals.
DeleteThat's a lot of proof! Congratulations on your bountiful harvests. It's so gratifying to see that all your hard work lugging watering cans has paid off.
ReplyDeleteAnd it hasn’t finished yet, Michelle!
DeleteI think home grown is always superior. What magnificent harvests, epecially in a drought with clay soil. I tip my cap to you both. Shame about the potatoes, but you still have them and now we've had rain the rest should grow brilliantly. Love the cut flowers too.xxx
ReplyDeleteThe only ‘rain’ we have had awe one or two sprinklings which were over in minutes, Dina. The amount of water that has fallen is in parts if a milllimetre and really has made no difference at all. Have you had more?
DeleteToo bad about the potato harvest. I know I have to water our sweet potatoes most years or they won't size up. But the gooseberries are a lovely surprise! We've reached our limit on summer type squashes here too. Thankfully there's been someone to give them to that doesn't garden.
ReplyDeleteThe gooseberries were indeed a good surprise, Dave. I’m sure we will find some recipients for the courgettes.
DeleteLovely harvest, especially the cabbages and berries.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Endah
DeleteAwesome update susan thank you for sharing and blessings
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI suppose it's a matter of prioritising things in this weather, it's a shame about the potatoes not providing a huge crop but at least everything else is looking good. I think your gooseberries prove that some things are best left to their own devices in some cases though.
ReplyDeleteWe have certainly needed to prioritise watering, Jo especially once we started to need time for harvesting.
DeleteLovely bouquet, Sue! Dahlias, cornflowers, calendula - all they are composed prettily. Sorry with your potato harvest. They look well on your photo. I think the gooseberry harvest in my garden will be great, they ripen fast and are healthy.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nadezda. Many of the potatoes are tiny which doesn’t show on the photos.
DeleteWow! What amazing harvest photos! I'm very glad that the watering exercise is necessary.
ReplyDeleteI just wish we could ease off a bit, Belinda.
DeleteThis just proves that your efforts with watering are really paying off, Sue! And the sweetpeas are still flowering away too. Lovely mix of colours. But wouldn't it be nice for Mother Nature to take a turn or two with watering from time to time?
ReplyDeleteOh, I do wish she would step up to the mark, Kathy. There are other things that we need to do.
DeleteA visitor offered the opinion that french beans had done rather better than runners so far this year.
ReplyDeleteI agree that vegetables are very responsive to well timed and directed generous watering in a year such as this one
We have found that too, Roger but it’s early days. The runner beans are now starting to set but the Cobra climbing French beans are doing really well. I doubt that they would have survived without being watered.
DeleteMy bed of 'Charlotte' potatoes are fewer than usual Sue and some some of them are scabby. They still taste good. That frittata sounds delicious. Could be tempted :)
ReplyDeleteThe Casablanca taste good too, Anna. The frittata was tasty.
DeleteHappy happy harvests (apart from the carrots, sadly). We seem to grow many of the same varieties but we are much further behind than you up here in N. Ireland. One thing I would say is try growing your potatoes in big plastic reusable pots - it's the only thing that works really well for us as they can be watered and harvested so easily.
ReplyDeleteReally impressed with the fact you have flowers too! We just haven't really bothered with that this year, but these days (which have been dark and gloomy) I am regretting that....hugs and love
We did grow three pots of potatoes, Carrie but we grow lots of potatoes so growing them all in pots wouldn’t be practical, Usually we harvest enough potatoes to last most of the year - until they start growing again. This year has just been so unusual.
Delete