12th May, 2010

I seem to like starting these blogs with a weather report. Well, it is quite crucial for the veg grower to keep a weather eye and what I thought was the last of the cold weather, turns out to be a return of northerly winds and frosty mornings. I was correct to leave the runner beans in the greenhouse. Here they are waiting patiently.



Harvesting

The first asparagus has been eaten and it was delicious. We've had 3 pickings so far and more to come.



Sowing

Cucumber, sweetcorn, dwarf bean, borlotti beans, more beetroot, more kohlrabi, more spring onion and turnips which I have all sown in seed trays or pots for planting out. I committed the cardinal sin and didn't label the trays so I will have to rely on my ability to recognise the seedlings when they emerge.



The greenhouse is filling up and I'd like to be planting some of the veg outside but it's just not worth risking a late frost. This is the sweetcorn.



I have had the leeks hardening off outside but they are painfully slow to grow.



Planting

Kohlrabi, rocket, lettuce, beetroot, more peas

These are the kohlrabi in the foreground with the onions and garlic in the background. I'm pleased with the onions they are bulbing up nicely. I'm making a net cloche for the kohlrabi from spare netting for the veg cage and wire frame of the old plastic cloches; the plastic finally became too brittle and it was ditched. I need to finish it soon before either the pigeons or the butterflies discover they are there. I've seen pigeons but it still seems to be too cold for cabbage whites.



I planted the rocket out in clumps from seed trays. Rocket is on the right, parsley on the left.



And some lettuce under domes. Maybe I should have removed a dome to avoid the reflections and show the lettuce properly.



In the garden the strawberry plants look very healthy with flowers developing.



I have let the purple sprouting broccoli flower, I don't need the space just yet and maybe the bees will appreciate them.



I spotted the first sign of the spuds but rather than wallowing in the glory of it, I should have covered them with earth to keep the frosts off.



The apple tree has plenty of blossom most of which is on the side spurs rather than the tips. So, I shall continue with the pruning method for spur fruiting. It's easier too.



The greengage is leafing up. There do not appear to be any dead bits which I'm pleased about given it was a bare rooted tree. There are no flowers though, so no fruit this year.