Got Wind?

Saturday 7th June

Rising at 6-00am to a warm and very windy morning. It's been blowing hard for a few days now and, although there has been a few branches come down, the veg plots are virtually untouched.


This warm and damp weather has certainly helped a few things along but before we start........



...a breakfast of fresh eggs, toast, low fat milk and a delightful organic peach.



Breakfast reading (highly recommended publication)

OK, lets brave the breezes...................................

Plot 1
This is still being frequented by the Bluejays and the plot is littered with beetle shells. Word must have got around as they are now being joined by a few Blackbirds.
More birds = less beetles? I hope so.



The front row of onions have romped along and the sunflowers are now well over a foot tall. I staked them when they were small but may have to do so again as they get taller.

Plot 2
Pole beans abound! One plant has outgrown the cage already so I had to extend it by putting another cage on top......



....another keeps reaching out and trying to grab one of the sunflowers but I wrestle it back to the cage. Hey, who's running this garden?

The watermelons too seem to have a mind of their own...............



................reaching out towards the cucumbers and squash in the containers. I can't let the melon vines intertwine with them as the melons will become bitter if pollinated by either of these related plants. So, I keep dragging them back into place.

Plot 3
Not long ago this was the slowest moving plot of the six, now it's the greenest and best looking in my opinion.



The once feeble lettuce are now rampant and we need to get eating them. I pulled the radishes as they were not getting any sun, half the row was unformed and is now on the compost heap.......



.....but the best looking carrots are in here and the yolo pepper plants are covered in blossoms. Every plant is bearing produce though still too small to harvest. I gave this plot a feed of Fish Emulsion fertilizer before the sun got too high.

Plot 4
The 2nd crop of turnips has had a spurt of growth this week but the spinach is stalling.
I doubt that it's going to do anything so it's coming out and I'm putting in some more chard and radish. I'll need room.................



.....so I pulled a few red onions for the salad......



...and I'm suprised these have survived with all the rain thats been poured on them.


Plot 5
I'm worried. Lots of foliage loss, plant damage and general all round droopyness.....



....and it could be Late Blight (which, funnily enough usually comes before Early Blight).



And if it is, I'll have to cut back the plants to prevent it getting into the tubers which I KNOW are under there. Oh hum, one year the potatoes will grow perfectly................


Plot 6
I checked each plant this morning and trimmed off any suckers. All six plants are setting fruit.
The little weakling which snapped in half has made a complete recovery......



... and is the centre plant on the front row. Well done that plant !!!
I also gave this plot a dose of Fish Emulsion Fertilzer.

Containers
Hmmm, not sure here. I expected them to be a little more vigorous than this.



They seem to be languishing at the bottom of the cages. I gave them some fertilizer and a good talking to so we'll see what happens next.

Saplings
All looking great, I had one out of the eleven not grow which I think is pretty good.



The sapling that didn't make it was pulled and replaced by a few Basil plants I've grown from seed and were requiring a home. Seen here lower right hand side pot.


OK, it MUST be beer thirty?