For the third week in succession I can report on a first harvest. This time the first harvest came from our Casablanca potatoes.
Our first harvest of the week was on Wednesday - the day when we dug the first potatoes of the season.
It wasn't a huge haul from the one root that was lifted but there were some immature tubers that would have continued to develop as the foliage is still growing strongly.
This bed was always intended to provide early pickings for immediate use which is why they were planted without weed control fabric.
The strawberries were still battling on despite the weather and slug attack.
The varieties that gave the best harvest on Wednesday were Elsanta, Vibrant and Cupid. This was quite surprising as Elsanta and Vibrant were the most disappointing in terms of plant growth with some plants dying away completely. This also meant we were left with fewer productive plants. I'll save some runners from these varieties to fill the gaps in their part of the bed.
There were still plenty of green strawberries, I just hoped that they would survive - it's a rough world out on the allotment.
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| Cupid
We picked more cabbage which had a bit of slug damage on the outer leaves but at least the mesh had protected them from devastation by wood pigeons and caterpillars.
There is one batch of slug eggs that won't be boosting numbers and developing into munching machines.
It's a sign of the inclement weather that eggs are being laid above ground. This cluster was under the enviromesh but is there no more.
The second harvest of the week was on Sunday. The spells of sunshine seemed to kick start some of the varieties that had been slow to ripen earlier and we had a good harvest. Cupid was still one of the stars of the harvest. It tastes good too.   Two more cabbages were added to the harvest.  Our main cut flowers at the moment are roses. 
I am also managing to pick a few of our meagre sweet Williams and I also cut a few campanula persicifolia.
 We have a few clumps that are looking lovely at present so I decided to see how they performed as cut flowers.  |
Today I am linking to Harvest Monday over at Dave's blog Our Happy Acres
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Lovely blemish-free spuds, Sue! I'm sure the additional moisture will have been a benefit to them, even if the Strawberries don't like it.
ReplyDeleteI guess when you grow s variety of things, Mark there is always something that has to benefit from whatever the weather throws at us.
DeleteGreat looking potatoes you have there! You also have a lovely collection of strawberries. I don't think I've ever seen slug eggs before though. We do have lots of slugs, and a few snails.
ReplyDeleteThe slugs and snails usually lay their eggs either underground or under stones of other debris, Dave it is unusual for them to lay eggs in the open.
DeleteYour strawberries are coming on strong and your potatoes look so good. New potatoes are such a happy sublime thing.
ReplyDeleteThey are Phuong.
DeleteYour potatoes and strawberries look really good x
ReplyDeleteThey tasted good too, Jo.
DeleteIt must be wonderful to pick your own Strawberries . I only have some little wild ones at the moment . Maybe I should try again with Strawberries for next year .
ReplyDeleteIt is, Debs. You go for it and try a few.
DeleteRoses, potatoes , and strawberries! Love this time of year. For lots of slug problems, you're still managing nice harvests. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sue, we will.
DeleteWhat good looking batches of strawberries, it's strange how some do so well compared to others given they all share the same environment. Mine haven't ripened yet, I am on a mission to get to them before Sam does. I bet those new potatoes tasted gorgeous. I enjoyed my first new potatoes, they were lovely.xxx
ReplyDeleteSam likes strawberries does he? I thought I had problems protecting ours from slugs and birds.
DeleteP.s loved the posies! xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dina.
DeleteBeautiful harvests; I'm especially eying those lovely potatoes! Like Dave, I don't think I've seen slug eggs - where did you find them?
ReplyDeleteThe eggs were laid on the underside of some Enviromesh, Margaret. When I took the mesh off to weed that's when I found them.
DeleteBeautiful harvest! The potatoes look so fresh! it must be so delicious!
ReplyDeleteLuckily you found the slug eggs!
There will be plenty more that I don't manage to find Malar :-(
Deleteflower, fruit and vegetables, so complete. So lovely...
ReplyDeleteFood for the mouth and the eyes, Endah
DeleteImpressive cropping to my non allotment eyes, Sue, very impressive. How do you decide what to grow each year? Do you sit down together and quickly cast votes or do you deliberate the plan well in advance?
ReplyDeleteWe have a core seed list and then each of us may find something that we fancy adding. We chat about what we are growing and what needs replacing and what has done well and should be grown again. I suppose it just happens.
ReplyDeleteGreat harvest, and very interesting to see your strawberries. I'm on the first year of new Marshmello stock which is doing superbly but in a couple of weeks I will be digging up (and dumping) all the plants from the other fruit cage. I've been trialling Christine, Symphony and Sonata and whilst the yields are acceptable we don't like the flavour of any of them.
ReplyDeleteAre there any varieties you will not grow again?
It's too soon to tell, Jayne. Some crop later than others. Some sunshine would change the flavour as strawberries ripened in the sun always seen to have a more intense flavour.
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