I just wanted to quickly fill you with what I’ve done in the garden so far this year, and to be honest it didn’t feel like much, but when it came to writing it down I created a mountain of words and so decided for everyone’s sake it would be better to break it up a wee bit. If I had my wits about me I could have done a quick round up at the end of each day, but with a head stuffed with a cold, I’ve not been thinking straight. If you haven’t checked out part one you can find it >here<.
So as part of my whip the garden back into shape after the festive season neglect, a bout of head cold and yet another storm, I broke the garden into its sector areas and just dealt with what was in front of me.
Sector Two
Zucchini: These haven’t been too bad. I think I have four too many plants. I have four plants. It is a shame you can’t just have a half a plant as this would be more than adequate for a harvest. We are currently having zucchini in every meal! One was semi snapped in the storm, but looks like it will limp along if I don’t touch it except to gently harvest. The rest are receptive to being tied to a post to grow vertically to save space. Although one has decided to have two growing points so there is a bit of a sprawl.
More Onions: In this onion / allium overflow bed, the elephant garlic didn’t amount to anything so not only do we have nothing worth eating but I’ve lost my seed stock. I have no idea why it didn’t work – last year it was enormous. The shallots are still hanging in there, but in the space the red onions were I popped in the left over corn seedlings. Having paid good money for them I wasn’t about to discard the ones that wouldn’t fit into the other onion bed.
Odds & Sods: In this bed the eggplants are ignoring all the neglect and stormy conditions and are just growing. Still no fruit but I don’t think it will be long. The peanuts got lost in the wild rocket seedlings from last season that have now become a weed because I stupidly didn’t deadhead them soon enough. So they are now free from their torment and can see the sun again. I had presence of mind to pop 3L juice bottles over the okra before Christmas, although this was more to save them as in the erratic weather all the leaves had dropped off! So I released them and they look like they might even bear fruit. There is also an overflow from the first lot of corn that survived the storm better than their friends a few beds over so all is not entirely lost.
Melons: This has been mixed bag, some are growing well and others are a complete disaster. There will be no honeydew melons this year. The sugar baby watermelons are touch and go and there is a chance for the rock melons. The country sweet watermelons – the big long fat ones seem to be running rampant. I guess if only one of your melons does well, it might as well be the biggest one.
Corn: I don’t really want to talk about it. The wind shredded it, just as the tassels were releasing the pollen onto the silks. I’ve left them in to see what happens but don’t have high hopes.
Peppers: The poor peppers. They have been nailed in every storm, it must be the location of that bed… in line of sight of the gate and beyond that the wind tunnel that is the side of the house. They seem to be rallying after a liquid feed. I think at the end of the season I will bring them into the dome and nurse them over the winter and replant them again next season to get a better start and make up for the possible lack of harvest this season.
Salad: I am pleased to say I have lettuce plants in various stages of growth – ready to eat, small plants and teeny tiny ones. It should be enough for us to keep up with.
That was a good day in the garden. I really thought I was beginning to make some headway and started to feel good about the garden again. I seem to have a bit of a love hate thing going on here. One moment it is breaking my heart and the next it is inspiring and encouraging me!
Come again soon – hopefully the next post will wrap things up in a neat little bow – but probably not.
Sarah the Gardener : o)
Hi Sarah. I saw you have tied back your Courgettes to a pole. I just recently heard about this. Mine gave been fruiting just a few weeks and are not enormous plants yet. Should i give it a go? What kind of ties do you use on them?
Zucchini are not natural climbers so you need to be very careful so you don’t snap the main stem. So start as soon as it gets a bit of length on it and wrap the cord around the stem, put a couple of twists in it – so it doesn’t rub directly against the pole and gently pull it towards the pole and tie it in tight. I use the stretchy tree tie cloth sold in balls at the garden centre – but use it doubled over for zucchini. Make sure you pole is sturdy and well secured as zucchini plants can get very heavy. I hope this helps. : o)
I just love the outlook of your garden! Despite all the odds, it’s great seeing where things are going with your garden!
I do love where we are, although at times I wish it was a little less challenging. : o)
Lettuce too! It must be nice. I grow very little. It happens to be another one of the few vegetables that takes a bit of extra work to do well here.
It can bolt or go bitter in the middle of the summer you you have to keep growing more. : o)
That is what we did at a former garden. We just kept cutting it while it was young, but had enough not mind cutting out the big ones. I have not grown it here yet. (I may just do without it in the garden, because there are so many other greens outside the garden.)