The plot has a distinctly autumnal feel, although we are still enjoying snatches of summer, we seem to be carrying out jobs that we would normally do in early autumn.
Beds are being cleared although it still is too dry to try digging most of them over. The rain that we have had over the last week or so has managed to green up the grass but done little, to more than temporarily, dampen the soil.
We have eased up on the watering but still can't leave the task completely to nature.
I've carried on pruning the fruit canes and bushes that have finished fruiting. The summer raspberries haven't yet made much new growth, as was apparent when I cut away all this year's fruiting canes. I hope they will now make a bit more effort.
The tayberry on the other hand has produced lots of new canes. They tend to be produced much earlier than those of the summer raspberry. They are very prolific. I had already cut out some of the new growth earlier in the year in order to access the fruit. Last week, the old canes were cut away along with some of the new ones and then the remaining canes were tied in to the frame.
More potatoes have been lifted. We had started watering the potato beds so the task of digging was somewhat easier. Osprey and Kestrel produced better crops than the varieties lifted earlier, so we wonder whether they benefited from the late watering. Nadine didn't produce as well but then again their tops had died off completely before we started watering.
After lifting these potatoes, Martyn managed to go over the bed with a tiller and so we plan to plant autumn onions and maybe some garlic in the vacated space. We just need the sets to appear in the garden centres.
For quite a few years, we have had a problem with some overwintering brassicas, purple sprouting broccoli is just one that we have struggled with. We don't know whether clubroot is an issue as, we can't find clubroot resistant varieties of many overwintering brassicas, or whether it is down to our timing. Maybe we have planted out too late. This year we have made an effort to get the plants in the ground earlier. We keep trying. Last week the PSB was added to the overwintering cabbage and cauliflower planted a couple of weeks ago.
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| 20 August |
We've also been harvesting heads of Monclano calabrese from this bed.
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| 21 August |
This year the greengage trees have excelled and fruit is being harvested by the bucketful. The freezers are full so we have had plenty to give away. So far we have picked most of our fruit from Reine Claude. The fruit on our other tree, Mannings, isn't yet quite ripe meaning that there is plenty of fruit left to come.
The plum trees have done well too. We have moved on from picking Oullins Gage and are now harvesting Victoria plums.
I'd never really noticed before that the greengages and plums produce fruit clusters rather differently. Greengages seem to produce their fruit in 'strings' whereas plums seems to produce theirs in clusters.
The wasps are still keeping their distance and allowing us to pick the fruit in safety.
We are now harvesting carrots of a much more respectable size.
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| 23 August |
We picked our first sweetcorn cob last week.
Our harvest boxes were less bountiful last week as we are more or less just picking fruit and vegetables as we need them.
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| 25 August |
Apples from the plot are replenishing our fruit bowls or in the case of the Bramley apples being combined with the blackberries to make a crumble. The small Bramley apple tree has produced quite a few fruits but as with many other of our apples, the individual fruits are smaller than expected.
Greengages and apples are providing us with a mid afternoon snack when working on the plot
We are still managing to gather small posies of sweet peas although most of the flowers being produced are almost stemless, however our other flower beds are stepping up to fill the gap.
As I carry buckets of cut flowers, bees often follow me around the plot. They seem to prefer the flowers that I have cut to the ones left behind.
This week I am linking to harvest Monday hosted on
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Talking of Autumn... last night we were seriously tempted to switch the central heating on! And over the last couple of days we have had more rain than in the previous 3 months, I think. As you say though, it will take a long time and lots more rain for the soil to properly rehydrate. At least my Runner beans seem to be about to produce some worthwhile pods.
ReplyDeleteOur heating is just left on the thermostat, Mark and the radiators did come on a couple of times.
DeleteYou are ahead with your raspberry pruning. But my PSB is 2ft high already!
ReplyDeleteOur first lot of PSB were devastated by cabbage white even in the greenhouse, Mal so we bought some small plants from a nursery and have been growing them on at home. WE hadn't anywhere suitably prepared for them on the plot with the ground being as it is so they were delayed a bit more. I still think it is earlier than we usually plant it so we are keeping fingers crossed.
DeleteI am sure it will come good and surpass my efforts. Just let me win once?
DeleteI seem to remember you winning more than once, Mal. I’m thinking last year’s carrots for a start.
DeleteLovely crops, Sue. I see your tomatoes and plums are great, hopefully are tasty. I agree autumn is on the corner, but I do not want it to come, let summer lasts a little more. The weather here is warm, +20..+15 C so I enjoy sunny days and rainy evenings.
ReplyDeleteI didn't yet prune bushes and trees, I left this job on September.
I don’t usually prune so early, Nadezda but the plants just looked ready for it.
DeleteI am totally in "ready for winter mode" right not - it's just been one of those years. Envious of those apples - we didn't get a single one from our trees this year.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar issue with our pears, Margaret.
DeleteOh, I do envy you your greengages. I love them. Such great harvests of everything.
ReplyDeleteSo do we, Joy and we had another bucketful today.
DeleteYou are getting a lovely mix of fruit and veggies. It's nice to be able to harvest 'as needed' but it looks like you still have a lot to deal with. I'm trying a PSB this year that is supposed to overwinter here in the greenhouse and produce in January or February. My plants are tiny still, so we shall see if they size up or not!
ReplyDeleteWe will both be keeping fingers crossed regarding PSB Dave.
DeleteI also envy your greengages. I've ordered a 'Golden Transparent' which will come in November. Though I expect it will be a few years before I get any fruit.
ReplyDeleteI have a cauliflower pilaf recipe that calls for 'a handsome cauliflower' and I think yours fit the bill nicely ;)
That’s a novel description in a recipe, Julieanne.
DeleteYour cauliflower and potatoes look stupendous, and such beautiful fruit. It's been a difficult year in the garden, but you've really kept on top of it. The flowers are especially lovely.
ReplyDeleteI've been clearing out the corn bed today. Corn was a bit of a disaster for us, I doubt we'll grow it again in this climate.
Not having to go to work has helped, Phuong.
DeleteOur corn has been given lots of water. So far we have picked two cobs which have been OK we will see how the rest go.
A wonderful harvest, envy you the cauliflowers, they have been awful in the supermarkets this year, tiny and discoloured. Marvelous harvesting the first sweetcorn. It has switched to autumn, berries are everywhere and the first beech leaves are falling.xxx
ReplyDeleteMaybe summer will have a second wind, Snowbird!
DeleteI planted out my psb in early July, Sue. After I've cleared the broad beans (which were a disaster this year!) and mulched the soil, the psb plants go in to that space. They didn't do much in the first few weeks despite regular watering (heat, I think) but have really taken off with the recent days of downpours. In fact, my job today is to get in there and stake the plants before they grow wonky!
ReplyDeleteOurs would have been planted earlier, Caro if caterpillars hadn't decimated the first plants whilst still growing on on the greenhouse.
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