For various reasons, not least of which is the poor weather, our growing season has been off to a steady start.
We have, however, made some progress and the garden greenhouse and cold frames are taking on tenants.
We have onions and shallots at three different stages. The first lot planted are in one of the cold frames and will soon head for the plot. Some planted slightly later are shooting in the greenhouse and a third lot will be planted directly in the ground.
In the other cold frame our early brassicas - cabbage, calabrese and cauliflower - are waiting to be transferred to the plot. Hopefully they will not have to wait much longer.
The salad bed in the greenhouse is now growing well. This contains a mixture of pea shoots, coriander, radish and various salad leaves. In the Woodblocx the salads sown in there are moving along far slower. At least we have managed to get some spring onions to germinate, but the radish are slow and so far the salad leaves haven't shown any signs of germinating. We need the temperatures to rise soon.
In the greenhouse the broad beans have germinated but are not showing any signs of being in a hurry to grow.
Sweet peas are also pushing through. They are behind the recently potted lavender cuttings that were taken last year.
I have also sown the first batch of annual seeds for the plot cutting patch come pollen bar. There are about twenty different varieties. Another batch will follow on as these germinate. This way we should get flowers over a longer period.
It's a tense time on the soft fruit front. The apricot is loaded with fruit. Some is growing quickly and as expected smaller fruits are being cast. I have removed some of the dead flowers as these were showing signs of spoiling some of the swelling fruits. We need to assess whether we should remove any of the larger fruits. This will not be a problem we have with the peach and nectarine as although there are some signs of fruit setting there will not be very much.
We'll be content with a taster but the fruit will need some warmth if it is to ripen. Maybe we will need to invest in a sun lamp!
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Sue-everything is doing so well. I chuckle about the onions and shallots--they look so tidy! And those are THE HEALTHIEST brassicas I've ever seen. Mine "flop" all over the place.
ReplyDeleteAh, this is a FINE time of year, isn't it?
Have a great week
They are well protected at the moment, Sue
DeleteIn the context of your blogpost, "steady" means "slow"! I have had similar results here. My first batch of Radishes, sown under cloches in mid-March are still only just at the first leaf stage. On the other hand, the ones I sowed about a week ago germinated in only 3 days (under cloches though). First sowing of Carrots have germinated very erratically - only about 10%, I'd say - and generally everything is going slow. My Pear tree is just about to open its blossom, so I hope we don't get any more frost. I agree that your brassica seedlings look perfect, and unusually upright!
ReplyDeleteYes it's ready,steady, slow, Mark.
DeleteIt's apparently going to be warmer this week and then cold again at the weekend. I do wish Spring would turn up and then stay.. So fed up with this yo yo weather.
ReplyDeleteIt seems snow could still be on the cards for later, Jessica
DeleteLooks like everything is coming along well. I always have an issue thinning fruit and have not done it up until now as I'm always worried that the remaining ones will end up falling off or got at by pests. But our plums were not very large last year so maybe I should rethink.
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to make myself thin fruit, Margaret but will,if the fruit seems to be spoiling.
DeleteI've not sown anything yet. I'm hoping to get the runners sown this weekend then some salad bits the weekend after xx
ReplyDeleteWe are holding off sowing climbing beans at the moment, Jo.
DeleteOh my I can't believe how different our seedlings are. Your brassicas are so much bigger than mine and on the other hand my sweet peas have already been transplanted while yours are just pushing out. I guess brassicas enjoy your colder weather and sweet peas like my sun but I fear their blooming time will be much shorter here.
ReplyDeleteThe sweet peas were only sown at the beginning of April Leanan. We always sow them later than most people.
DeleteLooks like your greenhouse is definitely the place to be at present :-}
ReplyDeleteIt was nice on the plot Tuesday afternoon, Jayne. I even removed one of my jumpers
DeleteI just love your salad bar. I think all the seeds have been slow germinating this year, many of mine are well behind too,we do need higher temperatures. Oh...I do hope you get your taster.xxx
ReplyDeleteWe need the good weather to stick around, Dina rather than just an occasional day. I live in hope of a taster
DeleteAll looking full of promise, you just need some warm weather which it doesn't look as if we will have any this weekend.
ReplyDeleteOur next week for that matter, Brian.
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