The veggie plots are moving along slowly...but progress is visible. I just do little jobs here and there as the weather and season dictates. The greenhouse lettuces are coming fast and furious now. I picked a couple of weeds and harvested some butterleaf lettuces. I have not yet harvested any of the icebergs. A little attention was given to weeding the Parsnip bed, as they were just beginning to come above ground. It may be of interest to blueberry growers to see the difference that using fleece makes on a night that freezes. With the fleece. Without the fleece. The peas needed to have their racks placed. Two to three weeks ago the peas were planted and now they have been weeded and are ready to have the racks placed. There are three different types that will grow to three different heights, so the racks must be constructed accordingly. In the first pic you can see how i planted double rows with room in-between them to place a rack. You can see gaps in some rows--this is due to mice raiding and eating my seeds. Gurrrr. You can see how I made racks with short sticks and a variety of wire fencing bits for the peas to climb up on. The shortest peas are planted furtherest south and the tallest-growing peas were planted the furtherest north. Here all three racks. And a close look at the peas as they begin their productive life. They look healthy to me. A few weeks ago I weeded and fed the strawbs and they bloomed profusely. The bees helped out too with fertilization. It really isn´t necessary for this fruit, but it helps to ensure that the fruits are not deformed. I am VERY happy with the new broad bean sort that I am using this year. I will have to check in my little black book, but I believe that they are called `Masterpiece`. Just look how tall they are, and how far up the stalk they are blooming! You can see a difference between them and the Aquadulce´s which are the ones on the right on this foto. Here is an aquadulce plant with it´s blooms on the lower stalk. The spuds are coming along just fine. I weeded them and will probably pull that hand plough through them to earth them up this coming weekend, if it isn´t too wet. All in all, the veggie portion of the allotments is doing fine and more or less on schedule (but just a few weeks late). I have some corn in the greenhouse which I plan to plant out this saturday or sunday. The flower garden is colourful, but is in serious need of weeding.
looking really good there sjoerd! i like how you did the peas. and the broad beans look marvelous! they don't need any supports? ours are starting to pump back up. they were hit by a bit of frost even tho covered, and then, with all the rain we've been having, they're doing nicely. can you tell me a little bit about parsnips and getting them to germinate? the butterleaf lettuce looks so good! and the blueberries and strawberries, oh my! what yummies!
It all looks fab Sjoerd. My broad beans were struggling, but since the rain, they have come on a treat. Yours however have so many flowers. I shall have to look out for Masterpiece in the nursery. I have 2 lots of peas on the plot, the first are in flower and pods are developing, the second row are still small, just starting to scramble, and I sowed a third lot at the weekend at home in trays and they are through. The darn mice are a nuisance, so I almost pre-germinate the peas at home and as they break the soil, I tip them into a shallow trench in the allotment and let them begin proper growth there. I believe the mice aren't interested once they have started to grow. Very envious of your 'snips. Mine haven't germinated yet, but it has been so dry. As back up, I have just purchased yet another packet of seed and will sow another drill full and see if they come through....I may end up with more parsnips than I know what to do with if they all come up. I do love seeing everything growing at this time of year, and it all moves along so fast.
Thank you BUNKIE--The broadbeans do not have supports, but if I hear that a big wind storm is on its way, I shall draw a string around the plot about half way up the length of the bean stalks. You asked about the parsnips. A parsnip is a thick, white edible root that one usually harvests in the late fall after the first frost...although you can leave them in the ground until they are ready (in some places...but not here--becauae they become sort of spongy and fibrous). I am now taking them out just before the first frost. Parsnips are notorious whenit comes to germinating, I have tried all sorts of techniques. Everything from chitting them is a moist paper towel to all sorts of exotic methods of planting in the full ground. --Now I simply work the soil bed where I will plant them outside until it is fine and loose. --I make a drill and water that in well. --Then I fill that drill with bagged compost. --Then I either sprinkle the seeds in the drill or I plant three seeds in a group and space them a little more thah a fist apart. --I cover them with an exceedingly thin layer of the same bagged compost and on top of that a layer of vermiculite. --then water the whole drill again very gently with a watering can with a "rose" on the end of the spout. --I just leave them until they come up. If I feel that it has been too long, I plant more in the same place. ** If you try the germinating indoors method you must check the seeds daily and the moment that you see the miniscule, white root barely peeking out of the seed--plant it out ASAP-- root down. Parsnips are very touchy about being transplanted and will frequently get dreadful forking when the root has been disturbed or the descending root comes to a stone, pebble or anything else hard. With parsnips I find that success is about 20% experience and 80% luck. I find all the fuss worth it though, as I am hopelessly fond of the carroty flavour. Thanks for your nice comment, EJ--Those Masterpiece broadies are sommink ehws. They are up to my mid chest and stillgrowing. They have blossoms from the ground right up to the top of the stalk. It is the first time I have tried them, so I do not know if the pods are the usual length, or if they are shorter. One would think they would be smaller because there are so many flowers. I usually plant my peas in root trainers, but this year I am planting 2/3rds more peas than normal, so I had to germinate some of them in the ground. I hope that hey will do well. The Kapucijners I am not worried about, but the regular green ones...wellll I have to see them in the freezer bag to believe it. I will tell you that the mice attacked my peas even after the skinny little shoots were up (but before the leaves unfirled). They bit off the green stem and discarded it then dug down to the pea and eate that--little devils! I have good hopes for the snips this seasin...thinning them out is a heartbreaker. Pity I can't just transplant them as I do the beets. ...May end up with more parsnips than you know what to do with.................hmmmmmm--a burdon that I would gladly have. Yes, it is wonderful seeing everything growing at this timeof year--the colour green is so lovely and hopeful-looking.
I only wish I had such progress in MY garden Sjoerd! I'm only able to access part of my garden due to a Kildeer nest with 4 eggs and watchful parents. (which, by the way I'm hoping will hatch this weekend as I'm approaching the 21-24 days of incubation) My strawberries are doing well in the other half of the garden and I've now picked 2 large bowls full. I've also been picking asparagus. The rest of the crops are doing well and I should be able to start picking Spinach tomorrow
NETTY--I recall that kildeer nesting in your garden. I can imagine that you want to put progress on hold for a time. I did too with my ducks. I saw on the Springwatch show (BBC) on the telly last night how the Jackdaws would raid the kildeer nest and pick off the eggs. Nature can be cruel sometimes. I don't like Jackdaws anyway, because they pick off my veg, if I am not careful. I hope that you will take some pics before and after egg hatching. Spinach...you'll be picking SPINACH!! Oh boy, am I ever jelous. My spinach plants only have two leaves each at the moment. :-o WAAAAAH! Thanks so much for your comment, B. It's been raining for a couple of days now, so I wonder how neat it will be when I go back. I fear the whole place will be overrun with weeds.
I can see the difference in climate very clearly from your photos, Sjoerd. Here, the carrots haven't started growing yet. But soon, maybe, with a bit higher temps. Wish I could transplant your plots to my garden. That would be nice for me.
That is quite a production Sjoerd. Strawberries, peas and beans...OH MY! Your lettuce looks so healthy, I am craving a salad . You are a wealth of information when it comes to vegetable gardening. I really enjoy seeing your garden grow.
Love it when you post the pics of your gardens growing! I like to examine each picture and see how you've done everything. I really do learn a lot from that, as well as from your writing. I'll bet your plots are looking very impressive when viewed from a distance too -- I just love seeing a happy healthy vegetable garden!
Well thanks DROOPY--We need some higher temps here in W-F too. Perhaps after the weekend. Thanks Gail--I'm glad you like seeing the progress of the veg plots here. They taste eve better than they look. hahaha. Say, I could go for a salad too, before bed. What nice things to say, DAISY--I appreciate that. I like seeing them from a distance too, as I walk around at their edges. I haven't had much luck in photographing the plots from a distance however. The gardens are too small for that I guess. Even taking pics from neighbour's gardens doesn't seem to work. I think that I need to take a hot air balloon trip and shoot down on them from above.
Sjoerd, I must say that those are some amazing looking Broad Beans. There's something about that 13th picture that just amazes me. I can't place my finger on it, but I think it reminds me of old TV shows because it is SO black and white. It really is a beautiful flower. I hope they produce many beans for you.
