Veg Journal - 2010 May
Lots more sowing and planting done this month, and also the start of harvesting some of the salad crops.
Again, emerging pests were something of a puzzle, and our method of sowing the brassicas in the actual beds rather than
a seed bed didn't really work - most of the seedlings died. Most of May was warm or hot, with very little rain,
which didn't really suit the greenhouse plants, but it did enable some work on the potting shed to be done, and our
bespoke netting cages were finally completed.
Week ending 8th May
1st - Nothing done in the garden, but something is severing leaves from the turnip & kale seedlings, even though
they're netted. Can't see what yet.
2nd - Finished the tall brassica netting. Put fleece over the greenhouse plants & soil over the early potatoes
(frost forecast). Started looking at renovating the potting shed.
3rd - Nothing done in the garden except for putting fleece over the greenhouse plants & removing the chicken wire
from the broad beans as they're getting too tall. Spring onions from the 2nd batch are coming through.
4th - Could it be slugs eating the seedlings? Removed some little caterpillars from inside the calabrese, broccoli
& autumn cabbage leaves - they could be tortrix moth caterpillars. Erected the tall brassica cage & transplanted
the calabrese; after checking for unwanted guests, put the netting on the bed. Went to Waltons (Sutton-on-Trent) to
look for sheds. Rocket from the 2nd batch is coming through. Started on the last netting.
5th - More done on the netting. New eaves cut & treated with knotting solution for the potting shed.
6th - More done on the netting. Eaves stained & new diamonds made. Latest batch of radishes & replacement kale is
coming up. Cut back branches overhanging the 3 beds at the rear of the plot.
7th - More kale sown as only two originals are left. First pods forming on the peas. Another round of twine put on
the broad bean supports. Canes put up for the runner beans.
8th - Nothing done in the garden (rained all day), but did some more netting.
Week ending 16th May
9th - Sowed the runner beans & 1st batch of French beans outside. Sowed some marrow seeds in peat pots in the
greenhouse. Put the last main crop potato in an old bird food tub & earthed up the earlies as frost is forecast.
Something is up-rooting the onions & another kale seedling looks doomed. Thinned out the beetroot. Did a bit more on
the netting & harvested the first of the 2nd batch of radishes.
10th - Nothing done in the garden. The 2nd batch of lettuces could be coming up. More done on the netting.
11th - Sowed the latest batch of spinach. Unearthed the early potatoes and put polythene over the top overnight
instead. Did some more netting.
12th - The spinach seedlings are being eaten so put chicken wire over them. Latest batch of peas coming through &
the main crop potatoes are almost showing. Put the aubergines in the greenhouse during day, back in the house at
night. Put polythene over the earlies again. The netting is finally finished!
13th - Latest batch of carrots coming up, and the asparagus is showing through. Planted 6 tomatoes (2 each of Roma,
Gardener's Delight and Alicante) & all 5 peppers in the greenhouse borders. The aubergines are still in the house at
night & polythene is still over the early potatoes. Put more peat in the celery tray to stop the seedlings from
falling over.
14th - The 2nd batch of replacement kale is coming up. The latest batches of peas, autumn cabbage, spring onions &
beetroot have been sown, also sowed the chard & the 1st batch of savoys. Finished the 2nd batch of radishes. Potted
up the herbs.
15th - Transplanted the aubergines & marigolds into the greenhouse. Sowed the 3rd batch of turnips & put the
netting cage over the bed. The first maincrop potato is showing through.
16th - Watered everything before going to Grasmere.
Week ending 24th May
23rd - Back home from Grasmere. The weather has been very hot & the greenhouse isn't really prepared for it. To
summarise the state of the produce: Lettuces, rocket & radishes are doing well. Calabrese, sprouting broccoli &
summer cabbages are doing well. Savoy & 2nd batch of autumn cabbages are coming through, but the kale seedling is
dead. The 3rd batch of turnips are coming through. The 4th batch of spinach, 2nd batch of beetroot & the chard are
coming through. The older spinach & the beetroot are doing well. Both batches of broad beans are doing well. No sign
of the French beans yet. All potatoes are doing well; the potato in the tub is through. Peas are all doing well; one
or two are coming through from the latest batch. Just one runner bean is through so far. The onions are getting
bigger. The carrots, parsnips & shallots are doing well. Leeks are doing well. Greenhouse: The tomatoes have grown
but are looking sickly. The aubergines have flowers forming, despite looking scorched. The peppers seem OK. The
tomatoes in pots look sickly. The celery & asparagus are doing well. The kale is dead! The sweetcorn is doing well
& the marrows are quite big.
24th - Nothing done today.
Week ending 31st May
25th - Put the sweetcorn & marrows outside during the day, along with the celery, to harden off. Sowed more
radishes, lettuce & rocket, & tried sowing some more kale & savoys in the other brassica bed. Transplanted the
broccoli & summer cabbage, and earthed up the early potatoes. Applied feed to the greenhouse plants. Harvested some
rocket from the 1st sowing.
26th - Tied up the turnips to stop them flopping & sowed swedes, & the next batch of carrots. Put chicken wire
over the chard & tied string round all the broad beans. There could be one French bean coming up. Weeded the beds.
Harvested the 1st of the 3rd lot of radishes.
27th - Put more netting up for the peas. Bought ring-culture-type things from Pennells for the tomatoes and put
them on the beds. Transplanted the remaining tomatoes into bigger pots, with bonemeal mixed in.
28th - Bought more compost from Focus, mixed some with the old John Innes & potted up the asparagus into 7" pots.
Also transplanted the 2nd batch of celery. Left the older celery, sweetcorn & marrows out overnight. Earthed up the
early potatoes a bit more.
29th - Rained all day. All the runner beans are through, only one French bean is through but it might be being
nibbled. Latest batch of spring onions & radishes are coming through. Yesterday, nipped off some of the broad bean
tops and cooked them. Also noticed flowers are forming on 4 of the tomatoe plants.
30th - Planted out the sweetcorn & marrows. Harvested all possible spinach. Earthed up the maincrop potatoes.
31st - The replacement kale & savoys are coming through.
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