I got to the allotment this morning to find that the potatoes are peeking through. I earthed them all up - I don't suppose for a minute that we've seen the last frost of the year, in spite of this being such a dry, and latterly sunny, month. This is Charlotte, always a favourite.
This is the trellis at the end of my half plot. I planted a boysenberry and a hildaberry. They didn't do much last year but grow a little. I think this year they have taken off!
I gave the plants a good drink at the roots and planted more Red Epicure broad beans and a few more cabbages - those that had been a bit too small when I planted out the first ones.The sweetcorn (Conqueror F1) that I sowed last weekend in pots is through. I had decided to sow it one day, opened the pack and realised what wizened little specimens I had. It's 2 years since I grew corn - how memory fails! I plonked it in a bowl of water and left it for 2 days (we were out for the middle day and it didn't get done.) I think the first one came through after only 4 days in the compost. Most are now poking through, although only a few centimetres high.
My out-of-date sugar snap peas are coming through thick and fast. I posted a request on The Grapevine and a friend offered a part pack which should have been used by 2005. I was happy to accept it and they have germinated very well. As she said, not quite King Tut but it's always worth a go germinating old seed. These are for my pea breeding. I didn't have a sugar snap pea but I have now!
My first sowings of Cherokee Trail of Tears and Bird's Egg beans are coming through now too and the True Red Cranberry pole beans are so well established that I took them from their root-trainers yesterday and gave them a 4" square pot each for the duration. They took the longest to ripen last year and as I want them for shelly and dried purposes, I decided to get them going early and keep faffing where necessary. My other pole beans will not be sown for another couple of weeks.
I also sowed achocha, turk's turban squash and courgette yesterday.
7 comments:
It's all looking very splendid (she says with only a tiny bit of envy), you've obviously been very busy.
Great to read of your success with out of date seeds, I have a fridge full of packets that will be approaching or passing the 'sew by' date when I eventually get to them.
My potatoes have just come up in the last couple of days too. It is so lovely and warm that I am trying to convince myself to be cautious, we might get a late frost but it seems unlikely.
Ah, last frosts. If only we knew. The last forecast I heard was for freezing night time temperatures again later this week. I always err on the cautious side. I've invested several months in my plants at this stage!
Really neat and tidy. Potatoes are looking good.
I have mine under fleece as we are still getting frost.
I am growing true red cranberry bush beans this year the I received in a trade. They are from the New England area and look similar to a borlotti bean. Maybe we could do a cranberry bean swap this fall.
Our nights have been relatively mild lately JBA - but as soon as I notice the potato tops I earth again to keep the frost off. Only another 2 or 3 weeks, I hope!
I'd love to try a cranberry bean swap in autumn Dan.
I will make sure to leave a few extra pods on for you.
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