6th May, 2008

I planted out my broad beans this weekend after I'd moved them from the greenhouse into the cold frame. I'm not very patient at hardening off so they only had 2 nights, anyway broad beans are very hardy and it's warming up nicely. The plants looked pristine in their pots, they won't stay like that unfortunately. The blackfly is the main enemy; they prefer the growing tips so the cure is to pinch them out at the first sign, this encourages pod growth anyway. Bean weevils are the other pest, these take little semi-cricles out of the leaf edges but the plant seems to do alright.



I also planted out the kohl rabi.



I need to put some netting on these to keep the pigeons off. I mulched with the straw from the farmyard manure I'd collected in January. The clay soil is already drying out and turning into hard clumps despite a generous layering of compost through the winter.

One variety of the potatoes are showing at last, this is the Lady Balfour which is an early maincrop. Some of the asparagus is emerging too, but not all of it, I'm worried some of the crowns won't emerge but this current warm weather should help.

The courgettes are growing well in the greenhouse and were potted up into individual pots.



Finally, the peas were planted in one row of about 15 plants closely spaced to support each other.

One setback though are the melon seedlings which are now just one. Something ate them and I suspect a snail or slug.