About my garden

Friday 1 September 2017

Adventures in a poly tunnel - August 2017

It suddenly seems more like Autumn in the mornings when go out. There are mists and heavy dew on the ground. 
The temperatures and weather in general has been hugely variable in August. Early on was cold and wet but it has improved vastly towards the end of the  month. It's still wet enough to be moving plants without worrying about whether or not they will survive. 

 I cut down these strawberries after they had fruited, watered them well and fed them and they have responded with lush new growth and even the odd flower, Any strawberries are eaten by mice. 


 Kohl rabi are swelling slowly, they have probably been too dry. I only  need a couple at a time so that is fine. There have been some caterpillars but I have managed to prevent complete devastation. 


 I have planted out spinach and rocket. 


 Cobra beans. I pick a handful every other day and they are tender and delicious. The plants have red spider mite and whitefly. Sigh. 



 View from the front. Many seedlings and tomatoes in the background. 


 Perpetual spinach enjoyed by humans and hens. Long red chillies, or at least they will be when they are ripe. 
 Radishes to the left. Small peppers, turmeric in front. This is grown from a fresh root bought in the wholefood shop. Salad leaves behind and spring onions in the pot.

 During June and July I failed to sow any salad so was not able to pick any. I sowed these in modules and they are now ready for picking some leaves. 


 Yard long beans. These seeds were given to me and I've not tried them before. They are growing well and flowering but will I get any beans?



The tomatoes are finally ripening. This picture was taken about a week ago and there is much more ripening since then. I don't think they liked the cold weather early in the month. I am very pleased that I have, so far, managed to avoid blight. My regime was:
Plant in bottomless pots using growbag compost. Some are, in fact, in bags when I ran out of pots, but that has worked. 
Don't grow potatoes
Spray with mix of water, aspirin and seaweed feed. Regularly, I have probably managed once a month sometimes two weeks. This is supposed to promote natural resistance.
Feed with molasses diluted with water. This is the only feed they have had. These last two are recommended by James Wong in Grow for Flavour. 
The tagetes are supposed to deter whitefly but the plants are covered in them and they have been in the tunnel since last year. I need to try some kind of garlic smoke bomb (organic) during the winter when numbers are reduced. 

Daytime high 42∘C
Nighttime low 7∘C

Harvesting inside and out:
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Lettuce
Salad leaves
Rocket
Courgette
Climbing french beans
Czechoslovakian beans - Borlotti type 
Spinach
Perpetual spinach
Spring onion
Onions - harvested and drying
Beetroot
Rocket
Kohl rabi
Chillis
Munchkin squash
Basil
Parsley and other herbs


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