What with the heat, hospital appointments, waiting in for workmen who kept cancelling at the last minute until 'tomorrow', and then the rain, we hardly managed to get to the allotment last week. We know that there are crops to be harvested, things to plant and flowers to deadhead but we were trapped. We managed an afternoon and a couple of quick visits at the beginning of the week to carry out one or two essential tasks and some watering in the greenhouse. On Sunday we had to brave the rain as we needed to harvest some vegetables. One of the disadvantages of growing on an allotment means you can't just pop in and out between showers to harvest a few things.
One urgent task was to cover the salad leaves that are growing in the grow bags on the old strawberry bed.
These are now safely tucked under enviromesh to protect then from the ever present wood pigeons.
Before they disappeared under cover, I thinned out the beetroot that is growing really well.
The spring onions are growing too so maybe we have found a way of getting spring onions to grow. It's early days so fingers crossed.
Unfortunately we don't appear to have the same success with swedes. Since the seeds germinated they have hardly moved.
We managed a quick visit to a local garden centre. I'd cut back a faded dicentra and it had left a large bare space in our new bed.
I wanted plants that would follow on once the dicentra had faded. It was a case of seeing what was available. We found a primula vialli and aster dumosis Island Tonga which I hope will fit the bill.
Our Mini Munch cucumbers, both in the garden greenhouse and on the allotment, are producing lots of fruits just large enough to eat fresh in our lunchtime sandwiches.
We managed most of our harvesting during quick visits to the allotment on Monday and Tuesday before the very mini heatwave, before the rains set in, before the workmen decided to play games and before hospital appointments put paid to an afternoon on the plot.
The sweet peas are now producing lots of long stemmed flowers. There are lots more to pick and no doubt lots of deadheading to do but we had to concentrate on grabbing vegetables and fruit.
The first lot of garden peas are just about over and plenty are now in the freezer.
I managed a couple of pickings of mangetout but due to not being able to pick them regularly they are a little beyond the mangetout stage and will need to be treated as petit pois which I am sure we will enjoy anyway.
Sunday we braved a downpour to harvest some fruit and vegetables that would spoil if left much longer. The calabrese had produced some huge heads that were on the point of flowering.
The heat combined with heavy rain meant that the courgettes have burst into growth. Many were more the size of small marrows. They grow so quickly when you take your eye off the ball. I picked as many as I could.
The four smaller fruits on the left are Mini Munch cucumbers. We also managed to pick a few strawberries by which time it was pouring down and I ended up soaked.
If you're interested I've posted a couple of videos of our plot on our vlog.
We are hoping to catch up with our harvesting next week but with more workmen related problems that may be just wishful thinking.
Suspected compost contamination - an update,
I also emailed Levington's to ask them to conform that they had received the sample of compost that we sent them for analysis . The reply that I received was surprising. I quote,
'Thank you for your feedback on our Tomorite Grobags. We would like to reassure you that all batches of green compost used at our manufacturing plants are tested against herbicide contamination before it is sent out to our customers. The symptoms you are seeing could be brought about by other reasons other than herbicide contamination, this could be stress due to underfeeding'.
My response was to ask them whether they were aware of our previous communications. So far I have not received any further replies but have forwarded their response to Corteva and CRD, both of which replied promptly. I have received no reply from the f=garden centre that we purchased the compost from either
One urgent task was to cover the salad leaves that are growing in the grow bags on the old strawberry bed.
We managed a quick visit to a local garden centre. I'd cut back a faded dicentra and it had left a large bare space in our new bed.
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| 22 July |
The first lot of garden peas are just about over and plenty are now in the freezer.
I managed a couple of pickings of mangetout but due to not being able to pick them regularly they are a little beyond the mangetout stage and will need to be treated as petit pois which I am sure we will enjoy anyway.
 |
| 23 July |
The heat combined with heavy rain meant that the courgettes have burst into growth. Many were more the size of small marrows. They grow so quickly when you take your eye off the ball. I picked as many as I could.
 |
| 28 July |
If you're interested I've posted a couple of videos of our plot on our vlog.
We are hoping to catch up with our harvesting next week but with more workmen related problems that may be just wishful thinking.
Suspected compost contamination - an update,
I also emailed Levington's to ask them to conform that they had received the sample of compost that we sent them for analysis . The reply that I received was surprising. I quote,
'Thank you for your feedback on our Tomorite Grobags. We would like to reassure you that all batches of green compost used at our manufacturing plants are tested against herbicide contamination before it is sent out to our customers. The symptoms you are seeing could be brought about by other reasons other than herbicide contamination, this could be stress due to underfeeding'.
My response was to ask them whether they were aware of our previous communications. So far I have not received any further replies but have forwarded their response to Corteva and CRD, both of which replied promptly. I have received no reply from the f=garden centre that we purchased the compost from either
Posts
Gardens, like time, wait for no man. Workmen who cancel are akin to a national epidemic. Hope all went well with the appointments. At least you managed to get out to bring in some harvest, and I like how you are growing your beets and spring onions.
ReplyDeleteOne of my hospital appointments was a waste of time too, Deborah. I went in and the consultant said that she wasn't sure why I was there- I didn't either- and she signed me off. An hour waiting to be told bye bye!
DeleteTradesmen who cancel are nearly as bad as delivery drivers who don't turn up despite confirmations via text or email! I'll be watching closely to see how your Spring Onions perform. I still struggle with them. This year I sowed the best part of a packet of them and only about three germinated (and died a short while later!)
ReplyDeleteIt's the last minute cancellations that annoy, mark where you get up especially early to prepare things for them and them get a test saying they are not coming. Surely they know the night before!! I'm not counting my chickens re. the spring onions but I'll update as and when,
DeleteStill some lovely (and most certainly appreciated) harvests, even though plot visits were few. Around here, it's the heat that is really thwarting my efforts - while some plants may be loving the 30+ degree temps, this gardener certainly is not!
ReplyDeleteWe had that 30+ heat for one day which was bad enough, Margaret. I sent Martyn off to the allotment whilst I hung around waiting which may be repeated tomorrow. No point us both being stuck at home,
DeleteThat vase full of blooms is spectacular. As usual you have whetted my appetite with all of this lovely fresh produce. I hope you are well.
ReplyDeleteWe are both fine, Lisa, the hospital appointments were for my eyes. The sweet peas are a lovely mix of colours this year so I'll probably go for the same varieties next year too
DeleteI struggle with spring onions too so I am hopeful yours do better than mine! Harvesting in the rain is no fun but I have done it myself when I had too.
ReplyDeleteWe struggle too, Dave but I remember in the past they seemed so easy. I don't understand what has changed.
DeleteYour plot looks like it is doing very well despite the heat and tradesman.
ReplyDeleteNow it's the rain battering everything, Julieanne.
DeleteInfuriating when you end up waiting and waiting. Those mini munch cucumbers look brilliant, I shall give them a go next year. You've reminded me I've always wanted to plant an aster. They have one at WWT Slimbridge and late in the season it's always absolutely covered in bees. I've looked for one before at the local garden centre but they just look at me blankly and tell me it's not the right season for them. I've been buying the odd plant and packet of seeds from Ebay lately - so far so good, and they all come without plastic pots as well which is nice. Just at the end of my Malwina strawberries now - they were brilliant this year.
ReplyDeleteAt least they have started now CJ. I'm glad that Malwina came good for you I would certainly recommend Mini Munch.
DeleteWonderful harvest, glad you managed to get to the allotment. Wonderful to see your spring onions growing, they grow well here, but I struggle with onions. It's awful hanging around waiting for people who don't show. I do hope all went well at the hospital.xxx
ReplyDeleteDo you grow onions from seed or sets, Dina? Fingers crosses that the spring onions keep on growing. The hospital appointments were OK. The first consultant didn't know why I was there as it repeated things other doctors were taking care of, so having sat around for an hour I was just signed off from that clinic. The second appointment ended up with me having more eye drops so I seem to be always putting drops of one sort or another in.
ReplyDeleteI really like your gardens. I may pinch the idea of planting beets and so forth in big plastic tubs and then covering with the mesh. I like that! My big issue, right now, is whitefly, though. It's a daily garden chore to search my tomatoes and get rid of the little monsters.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Merouda. Whitefly is a nuisance especially on brassicas. We cover with mesh mainly to protect from pigeons and butterflies but it helps against whitefly too.
DeleteOh I know exactly what you mean about not being able to nip out between showers to harvest at the allotment Sue. Just how far are away are you from doorstep to plot. It's about a couple of miles or so for me but sometimes feels further away especially as I don't drive 😂
ReplyDeleteOur allotment is 3 miles away Anna, so similar to you.
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