The big news today was that we harvested our fist melon from the greenhouse. When Mark went in to water this morning there was a strong smell of melon, so he picked up the largest melon to check it for ripeness as it fell off the stalk in this process, it was safe to assume that it was as ripe as it was going to get. The flavour was not quite as strong as the smell suggested it might be, but it was undeniably a melon and a ripe one at that.
Lynn and the melon
Wet summer weather invariably means potato blight and this has been the case both on the allotment and on the farm where Mark has been working on the kitchen garden. The speed with which the disease develops once it has started is really quite depressing and it is crucial to cut down infected haulms as soon as possible to ensure that the tubers will be unaffected and OK for storage. We may not have managed this completely on the allotment as we have been busy enjoying an Olympic summer holiday, but ought to have acted in time for the harvest to see us through the winter. On the farm it has been more of an issue as the seed potatoes were planting about six weeks later, leaving very little time for the tubers to mature, so it was a gamble trying to leave the tops for as long as possible to feed the tubers, whilst hoping that the fungus did not reach the tubers.
We have not tried a preventative copper-based spray (in the incessant rain of the early summer it would have been quite difficult to find a spraying window) and this is an option for future years. However, Mark has seen extremely impressive blight resistance from Sarpo Mira as shown on the photo. This cultivar is definitely worth considering for areas where blight is a real problem most years.
Sarpo Mira Aug 2012
On the allotment a bit of sunshine has helped things to develop and the plot is looking good and as well as providing a steady stream of beetroot, beans and new potatoes, there is the promise of much more to come, with the tomato plants all looking vigorous and healthy, the cucumbers and melons and the “Big Jim” chilli starting to set fruit and the brassicas and sweet corn maturing nicely.
Looking South 9 August
Ripening Sweet Corn
Despite the worst efforts of the weather, an early spring drought, a cold late spring and fairly incessant rain during the summer so far, the plot is starting to produce thanks to some slightly warmer weather. This evening marked a key point in the year, the first dinner of entirely home-grown produce (new potatoes in garlic butter and a salad of beans, peas, beetroot, spring onions and Lollo Rosso leaves). The rain has made it difficult at times to get on to the plot, as we haven’t wanted to ruin the soil structure, but it has meant that a good reservoir of moisture has built up, which ought to lead to a more productive year than had we been facing a drought. That said a bit of ripening sunshine wouldn’t go amiss now.
Both updates and efforts in the allotment have been limited by the weather. With few opportunities to get into the plot for any extended periods and cold wet weather inhibiting growth we haven’t had much to say. However, a bit of early morning sunshine appeared during a morning visit to water the greenhouse, so we were able to get some updated shots, which show that things are continuing to grow, albeit slowly. The vegetative growth is OK, but we really need some sun and warmth to get the fruiting crops to start to set properly.
Sweetcorn and squash bed
Looking South 11 July
The sun finally emerged today, so we rushed down to the allotment to take some pictures. As you can see the plot now boasts a greenhouse and the summer crops are slowly taking hold. Hopefully some decent weather will allow these to really get going.
looking North West across the plot
Sweetcorn and Cucurbits
Beans and Peas
Strawberry Bed
How ironic that the last post should be about conserving water. To be honest the last month’s rain has been very welcome, but we probably still need more. Earthing up potatoes soon reveals that the underlying soil is still pretty dry. However, the wet surface has meant that there have been planty of days where we just haven’t wanted to get onto the allotment for fear of compressing the top of the soil and making it harder for water to get through.
The cold weather has also held back activity as we don’t want to put young plants into shock. We have got quite a lot of stuff hardening off in cold frames and cloches, but there are also many plants still on window sills living the soft life. Suggestions that things may get warmer over the next few days could start things moving down the conveyor towards planting out.