If you follow Martyn's blog you will know that the lack of rain has caused us a problem this year. The unplanted areas of the plot have been impossible to work.
Boy, that soil does look rock hard...thank goodness you had alternative areas to plant out your veg. Now that your transplants are in the ground, hopefully they perk up quickly. This would be great opportunity for one of your before and after shots in a few weeks.
Life is never dull in the garden! There is always some challenge waiting to be overcome. I'm glad you were able to plant out your leeks and brassicas. I hope you get your much needed rain.
Wish I had more of your problem Sue, here in the West at the foot of the Pennines the ground has never fully dried out from the winter rains and the water table remains high.
We have no rain for about three months. Some raised bed that haven't reloaded yet have a very hard like as concrete. I hope, you will lucky with your brassicas.
That sweetcorn looks really healthy- albeit a little crowded (to put it mildly) I do find dense planting in blocks gives good results with many crops when they get full light round the perimeter and are not shaded by other crops. Seeing your rock hard soil makes me glad I am a no dig gardener! We are suffering from drought too here in York
The weather has been awful for the veggies this year....struth, your soil does look dry and baked, so glad you sorted everything in the end....most of my carrots were devoured too....like you I'm hoping the remainder put a spurt on!xxx
There does seem to have been an explosion of white butterflies recently. But as all my first few lots of brassicas were eaten by slugs when seedlings I don't have to worry too much at the moment (always looking for the silver lining!) The soil here is really dry too but gets a cap on rather than big chunks of earth. It does crack sometimes too. As the slugs have been so bad they hide under any mulch though, sigh! I saw a video (can't remember where) where the lady regularly sprinkled short grass clippings thinly over her beds to add organic matter - seems like a good idea as there's nowhere for the slugs to hide.
It has indeed been a strange growing year, I've only just planted my leeks too. Glad you've had a bit more rain now, we are a bitter wetter here in Wales x
Lack of rain? Oh my, I assumed everyone was getting as much as us. We must have gotten your share too Sue :( We've lived here 12 years now and have never known such a cold wet summer as we have had this year. I've just been reading about the hot weather down south and saw pix of people on beaches sunbathing - it's cold here and currently piddling down - again!
It's been one thing after another this year hasn't it Sue? I hope you at least manage some veg to harvest. It would be so cruel if it was the opposite.
Once more your post didn't come up on my dashboard - I keep adding you to the list to no avail - mysterious! We have had a slug free year this year even though we have had quite a lot of rain - that's a mystery too.
Wow your soil is really hard and dry isn't it....it's a surprise you suffered from slugs-how strange. Thsi year has been just dull here, but we have had some rain, so I suppose we have been lucky then
My soil was like that the first summer I had a bit of an 'allotment' garden here at the flats. As I cleared the neck-high weeds, the ground underneath baked like concrete. My winter brassicas will go into the slot vacated by the broad beans - and this time, they'll be netted! I've been keeping an eye on those white butterflies, beautiful egg layers that they are.
Hi Sue, I'm glad I split the very clayey bottom section of my plot into "boarded beds" ( not raised beds!!) this year without losing too much growing area ,otherwise it would have been unworkable for most of the time like some of yours is. Already paying dividends especially where I've worked in some cheap soil conditioner (Aldi) which has helped with the germination of bean,salad and chard and got the transplanted leeks quickly on the move.I grew some of my spuds at home in pots of clean compost so that's also now available to recycle on the plot.
Have got some insect eggs on the back of the brassicas.Small whitish areas with a yellowish bubble going through to the front of the leaves. All netted and doesn't seem to be from Cabbage White butterflies which lay larger yellow eggs. Might be from Whitefly?
Large whites lay clusters of yellow eggs David. Was the netting sold as butterfly netting as they can get through the other type and they will find any gaps?
It's been dry and cold. I compare my harvest to my dad's who lives in Poland. He has been picking cucumbers for weeks now while I had only four! And don't know whether I will have much more as the powdery mildew has been spreading.
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Boy, that soil does look rock hard...thank goodness you had alternative areas to plant out your veg. Now that your transplants are in the ground, hopefully they perk up quickly. This would be great opportunity for one of your before and after shots in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteI hope any afters shots are different to the before shots Margaret,
DeleteUgh-I sympathize. I had soil like that when I lived in Illinois. Took YEARS to improve.
ReplyDeleteHope your plants recover!
Have a wonderful weekend
The soil actually isn't at all bad when it is neither too wet nor too dry Sue.
DeleteLife is never dull in the garden! There is always some challenge waiting to be overcome. I'm glad you were able to plant out your leeks and brassicas. I hope you get your much needed rain.
ReplyDeleteWe have had some rain since taking the first photo, Audrey so things have improved a bit.
DeleteI hope you get some rain. Here at least I can water the garden when nature doesn't provide.
ReplyDeleteWe have done some watering, Daphne but we can't compete with a good rain.
DeleteWish I had more of your problem Sue, here in the West at the foot of the Pennines the ground has never fully dried out from the winter rains and the water table remains high.
ReplyDeleteIt's all or nothing, Rick
DeleteWe have no rain for about three months. Some raised bed that haven't reloaded yet have a very hard like as concrete. I hope, you will lucky with your brassicas.
ReplyDeleteSo do I Endah and I hope that you soon have some rain too.
DeleteThat sweetcorn looks really healthy- albeit a little crowded (to put it mildly) I do find dense planting in blocks gives good results with many crops when they get full light round the perimeter and are not shaded by other crops.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your rock hard soil makes me glad I am a no dig gardener!
We are suffering from drought too here in York
We always plant it as close, Roger and it doesn't seem to mind.
Deletelove the cabbage white picture
ReplyDeleteUnlike the long tailed tits the butterflies stayed remarkably still but they were somewhat preoccupied
DeleteIt's been a tough old year. Slugmageddon (lovely word!) and too much rain.
ReplyDeleteNot enough rain for us Jessica which makes the plague of slugs more puzzling and the fact that we had treated the original carrot bed with nematodes
DeleteThe weather has been awful for the veggies this year....struth, your soil does look dry and baked, so glad you sorted everything in the end....most of my carrots were devoured too....like you I'm hoping the remainder put a spurt on!xxx
ReplyDeleteA strange year all round Dina
DeleteThere does seem to have been an explosion of white butterflies recently. But as all my first few lots of brassicas were eaten by slugs when seedlings I don't have to worry too much at the moment (always looking for the silver lining!) The soil here is really dry too but gets a cap on rather than big chunks of earth. It does crack sometimes too. As the slugs have been so bad they hide under any mulch though, sigh! I saw a video (can't remember where) where the lady regularly sprinkled short grass clippings thinly over her beds to add organic matter - seems like a good idea as there's nowhere for the slugs to hide.
ReplyDeleteThe ability to find the silver lining is is a good trait to have, Lou. :-)
DeleteIt has indeed been a strange growing year, I've only just planted my leeks too. Glad you've had a bit more rain now, we are a bitter wetter here in Wales x
ReplyDeleteThat that the leeks get a move on and grow quickly, Jo.
DeleteLack of rain? Oh my, I assumed everyone was getting as much as us. We must have gotten your share too Sue :( We've lived here 12 years now and have never known such a cold wet summer as we have had this year. I've just been reading about the hot weather down south and saw pix of people on beaches sunbathing - it's cold here and currently piddling down - again!
ReplyDeleteIt's been sunny here this weekend , Linda but warm rather than hot, I think that we have had the least rain of anywhere,
DeleteIt's been one thing after another this year hasn't it Sue? I hope you at least manage some veg to harvest. It would be so cruel if it was the opposite.
ReplyDeleteWe aren't doing too badly Angie
DeleteOnce more your post didn't come up on my dashboard - I keep adding you to the list to no avail - mysterious! We have had a slug free year this year even though we have had quite a lot of rain - that's a mystery too.
ReplyDeleteWe must have your slugs Elaine
DeleteWow your soil is really hard and dry isn't it....it's a surprise you suffered from slugs-how strange. Thsi year has been just dull here, but we have had some rain, so I suppose we have been lucky then
ReplyDeleteSome areas are worse than others Lisa
DeleteMy soil was like that the first summer I had a bit of an 'allotment' garden here at the flats. As I cleared the neck-high weeds, the ground underneath baked like concrete. My winter brassicas will go into the slot vacated by the broad beans - and this time, they'll be netted! I've been keeping an eye on those white butterflies, beautiful egg layers that they are.
ReplyDeleteThere are loads of whites around this year Caro
DeleteHi Sue,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I split the very clayey bottom section of my plot into "boarded beds" ( not raised beds!!) this year without losing too much growing area ,otherwise it would have been unworkable for most of the time like some of yours is. Already paying dividends especially where I've worked in some cheap soil conditioner (Aldi) which has helped with the germination of bean,salad and chard and got the transplanted leeks quickly on the move.I grew some of my spuds at home in pots of clean compost so that's also now available to recycle on the plot.
Have got some insect eggs on the back of the brassicas.Small whitish areas with a yellowish bubble going through to the front of the leaves.
All netted and doesn't seem to be from Cabbage White butterflies which lay larger yellow eggs.
Might be from Whitefly?
Large whites lay clusters of yellow eggs David. Was the netting sold as butterfly netting as they can get through the other type and they will find any gaps?
DeleteIt's been dry and cold. I compare my harvest to my dad's who lives in Poland. He has been picking cucumbers for weeks now while I had only four! And don't know whether I will have much more as the powdery mildew has been spreading.
ReplyDeleteWe certainly haven't had a 'proper' summer Aga
Delete