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 Veg Journal - 2012 May

The weather is definitely continuing to be rather weird this year, so far, as it was very wet and cold at the beginning of May. We're sure that this is the cause of the poor germination rate for many of the root vegetables and peas - in fact none of the peas in the latest batch have come through. It has therefore been quite discouraging to continue with the sowing plan, and we've sown none of the seeds that we should have in the middle of the month. Hopefully we'll be able to make up for it in June. On the plus side, the month ended with a very hot spell, and the crops sown or planted last year (asparagus, peas, broad beans & broccoli) are doing well. We also planted out the tomatoes which we bought from Pennells into the greenhouse border - this is an experiment to see whether they do better than the ones we've previously raised from seed.


Week ending 8th May

1st - Seedlings of the new variety of autumn cabbage are coming up - rained all day again.

2nd - The last brassica seedlings have now emerged (the old variety of autumn cabbage). The first new potatoes are sprouting and the 2nd batch of turnips are coming through.

3rd - The sweetcorn is coming up. It looks like a few carrots are coming up along with beetroot from the 2nd batch, but not many - it's been too cold.

5th - The 2nd batch of celery is coming up. Covered the new potato shoots as frost is forecast. The 1st shoots on the 3rd batch of peas are emerging.

6th - Dug up the leeks (2½lbs trimmed) from the bed where the runner beans will be sown. Planted the 6 shop-bought tomatoes in the greenhouse and put the plum tomatoes & French marigolds in a mini-greenhouse within the main greenhouse. There are pods forming on the peas! Picked more broccoli. Covered the potatoes again.

8th - The 2nd batch of rocket is coming up. All batches of beetroot are coming up and some spinach - very sparse though.

Click on a photo to see a bigger version:

  • Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines & French marigolds in the greenhouse (6th May)

  • One of last year's leeks, about to be dug up (6th May)

  • Digging last year's leeks up (6th May)

  • Quite a good crop of leeks... (6th May)

  • ...especially when they'd been trimmed! (6th May)

  • A brave new potato shoot (6th May)

  • One of the first peapods (6th May)

  • The 2nd batch of broad beans (6th May)

  • The veg plot at the beginning of May (6th May)

Week ending 16th May

9th - The smallest broccoli has bent over - the stem is rotten.

10th - Moved the plum tomatoes and French marigolds onto the greenhouse floor and put the aubergines, peppers and 1st batch of celery into the mini-greenhouse. Put more string round the broad beans as the wind has snapped some of the stems.

11th - Had to tie up the supporting panels for the peas as the wind had blown them over. Added compost to the bed for the runner beans. Put up the netting over the peas. Our region is officially out of drought again.

12th - Sunny & warm. Took aubergines out of the mini-greenhouse and put them in the main greenhouse.

13th - Put canes up for the runner beans. Flowers are opening on the raspberry. Picked a bowl of broccoli. The kale is flowering! Put the brassicas and sweetcorn seedlings on the patio during the day and in the mini-greenhouse at night.

14th - Sowed runner beans in open ground and French beans & courgettes in peat pots.

15th - Planted up the rest of the greenhouse with the aubergines and peppers.

Click on the photo to see a bigger version:

  • The broccoli is about 6 feet high and still going strong (13th May)

Week ending 24th May

20th - Picked probably the last broccoli - it's flowering and getting aphids on it. Pulled the one up which had bent over.

22nd - Maincrop potatoes are coming through. A really warm day!

23rd - The potatoes in tubs are coming up. Weeded some of the beds. The courgette is coming up.

24th - Picked the first 3 radishes.

Week ending 31st May

25th - A couple of French beans are coming up. Did more weeding. Very hot.

26th - Something (a pigeon perhaps?) attacked and destroyed some of the sweetcorn and brassica seedlings. Put them back in the mini-greenhouse.

27th - Dug up the bean roots and remaining leeks - a few are still usable. Picked the broad bean tops off half of the plants.

28th - Earthed up the new potatoes. Put aubergines and peppers out to harden off.

Click on a photo to see a bigger version:

  • Broccoli & sweetcorn seedlings, just before they were attacked! (25th May)

  • Maincrop potatoes (25th May)

  • One of the maincrop potatoes planted in tubs (25th May)

  • Aubergines in the greenhouse (25th May)

  • French marigolds & shop-bought tomatoes (25th May)

  • Asparagus, growing enthusiastically (25th May)

  • Kale flowers - bees seem to love them (25th May)

  • Broad bean pods (25th May)

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