the accidental smallholder :: diary archives

Planting plan progresses

Well, the implementation of the planting plan has progresed this week. The weather has been dry, sunny for the most part and warm during the day. It's been windy here, but it's always windy here.

It's amazing how much you can get done with a couple of hours concentrated effort. Dan and I spent Tuesday morning in the gardena nd got loads done. I get less done on my own because I get distracted - I take Smokey a carrot; decide to tidy the garage a bit; sweep up and so on. It's mostly productive in a way (or so I tell myself).

We spread some manure that wasn't well enough rotted, so we're having to remove it, mix it with horse poo and leave it to mulch under black plastic until the autumn. This is annoying, because it's extra work. However, we live and learn.

The onions (Sturon) went in early in the week. This was a mindless task although I got better at it as I wnet on and got a system sorted out. Preparing the ground properly helped too - trying to poke those wee onion sets into big clumps of earth was hopeless!!

The tomatoes seem to be doing OK, as are the cucumbers and courgettes. The aubergines have taken ages to show and look pretty pathetic so far. The peas and beans in the guttering have done well and we've planted some out. The broad beans are in with the early potatoes (Orla) in an attempt at companion planting. Some of the peas are in and some will go in this week. We direct sowed two rows at the same time as sowing two rows in guttering, so we'll see if there is any difference in performance. I've sown spinach between the rows of peas.

The climbing french beans are in guttering and ready to go out this weekend. I've just sown runner beans in the same way (Czar) and plan to use these in my Three Sisters bed.

I direct sowed beetroot yesterday - six rows of Forono, which is a cylindrical beet, for pickling and two rows of Boltardy, which I plan to sow successionally, for salads and roasting. In the greenhouse, I started cauliflower (Igloo) in modules - only nine as again, I plan to sow successionally to avoid a glut.

Our salad is looking awful. The stuff in pots in the greenhouse looks great. The stuff in the box and sink outside looks sick. I'll give it a dose of comfrey tomorrow.

So it's all go - and a big weekend ahead - potatoes, carrots and coriander to go in. And that's all I can remember this late at night.