Grow Your Own Magazine

I guess it was inevitable...

...blight arrived in the garden this week.

True to form, it's gone straight for the San Marzano, knocking out a Golden Sunrise en-route.

So far, Brandywine and all the small fruited plants are unaffacted but they will be discovered sooner or later.

The good thing is that I started toms off really early, so we've been eating them for six weeks already. It's a damn shame to lose any, but it could have been worse...

Cutecumber

Often, my veg peak in July and tail off through August. This year, however, I've tried hard to keep sowing and things have stretched out really well.

At the moment it's peak harvest (volume wise) for tomatoes and courgettes. They can get rather tedious, it has to be said.

Today I harvested my first parsnip (Avonresister). I can't stand the things, but I've grown them for my partner and mother who are very keen. I've also pulled a few Autumn King carrots - they are...

Cutecumber

The regular sowing of small amounts seems to have worked very well this year.

I staggered sowing/ planting of:
carrots
beetroot
potatoes
lettuce
spring onions
cabbages
cauliflowers
cucumbers

If I had more space I'd love to be able to produce more than one crop of sweetcorn in a year, but it means that we savour those we get even more.

Cutecumber

I harvested my first two pots of shallots at the weekend.

They were Matador and Ambition, grown from seed, and look spankingly healthy.

To be honest, they're a lot bigger than I anticipated - twice the size of the ones you see in the supermarket.

Let's hope they taste as good as they look!

Meanwhile, harvesting is in full swing:
potatoes
carrots
lettuce
tomatoes
cabbage
chard
beetroot...

Cutecumber

It's been a great week - I've been able to harvest us enough veg for all our meals this week and given away a few bits and bobs, too.

Cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, courgettes, cabbage, spring onions, garlic, peas, carrots, lettuce, beetroot.

The strawberries in pots have finished at last and I can move them out of the way.

The shallots that I sowed from seed in February are nearly ready to harvest - the skins are beginning to dry a little...

Cutecumber