27th August 2017 - how long since I last posted?!

I haven't posted for ages because the little L's keep nicking my laptop and so I don't get it until they go to bed and then I'm too tired!  Tonight however I've nabbed it before them so hopefully I'll get all the way through my update before one of them grabs it!

Primarily the plot is pretty much looking after itself; because I no-dig I don't have much in the way of weeds.  For those that don't know about no-dig; the concept is that you disturb the soil as little as possible.  You might remember that when I set up the beds in the first place I simply laid cardboard at the base of the bed and topped with a mix of top soil, compost and manure.  At the end of last season I put a thin layer of compost or manure on the beds (except the roots bed) and covered them.  My site suffers from bindweed and horsetail as well as the other normal perennials (dock, dandelion, creeping buttercup) and the annuals.  My potato bed had a small amount of very leggy horsetail but I haven't seen any bindweed on my plot at all this year and I've kept on top of the annuals by just pulling them up as I've seen them.  I have had some doc come through on the beds but it pulls up really easily.  

The Beechgrove Garden on 17th August did a review of their dig/no-dig beds (page 7 of the factsheet - link below) and showed that not only is it much easier to garden without digging but the crop yield is significantly better.  

http://www.beechgrove.co.uk/module_uploads/2/Factsheet_2017_-_Prog_18.pdf

My final comment on no-dig is to put to bed (no pun intended) at least one of the myths that I often read.  People say that you need loads and loads of compost/manure and they can't make enough to cover their plot.  When I did used to dig my beds I put compost/manure on the beds and dug it in.  I don't use any more compost/manure than I did when I used to dig my beds the only difference is that I let the worms do all of the work instead of me!

I'm still busily harvesting although I have now lifted all of my potatoes; I cut off the tops after some blight warnings in my area and was planning to leave them in the ground but unfortunately my little bushy tailed friends were digging them up and so to try and preserve them I have lifted them all and they're currently residing at the back of my pantry!  I grew pink fir apples this year and they appear to have been resistant to slugs and wire worm (both of which I suffered with last year).  They're not big potatoes, much to Mr L's disgust, but I'm hoping they'll be very tasty.  Pink fir apples are distinctly knobbly with pink skin and yellow, waxy flesh which means they're good for chips and roasting.  

One of the things that I haven't done so well with this year is my brassicas.  Although my cabbages in the polytunnel has done marvellously the swede, cauliflower and sprouts have been ravaged by cabbage whites, despite being netted.  Luckily my swede had already grown a good crop before the caterpillars decimated the leaves so I am just going to cut the leaves off and leave the swede in the ground to use as I need them.  The cauliflower however have bolted and the sprouts look like they've all be eaten so I might give up on them and sow some carrots into the bed instead because this will be my roots bed for next year.  I have been very successful with my carrots this year (that I sowed directly) but not so successful with the parsnips because I transplanted them and they didn't like it.  I completely put my success with the carrots down to a micromesh barrier which meant that I could happily thin my carrots without worrying about the carrot fly.  These have been so successful that in addition to the 2 I already had (thanks to my lovely neighbour Sian, who gave them to me) I have ordered some more for next year because I'm going to be using a slightly bigger bed and I already had a tiny gap that I had stuffed with scaffolding netting folded about 4 times to keep the carrot fly out.  I shopped around for the best price and found that Keen Gardener Limited had a very good price and could deliver quickly.  Whilst I didn't actually need them quickly I liked that if I had I could have had them within a couple of days.


https://www.keengardener.co.uk/haxnicks-micromesh-pest-wind-barrier-x2.html

My main focus at the moment is preparation for the end of the season and for next season.  I use a five year plan which works for me.  I have taken this from a four year plan that I found but this had onions and legumes in the same bed; which I don't do and so I added an extra level to include the separation I have on those beds.  I refer to this plan over and over again as I plan next years beds.  

I have continued to harvest the sweetpeas from my flower bed but I've also now been able to add roses, dahlias, cosmos and cornflowers.  I am so pleased with the displays I've been able to have in the house and there have been occasions when I've given them to friends and family.  This week as I harvested the flowers I was putting them into a watering can that I'd filled with flower power and I just thought it looked really pretty so I took a picture!  These flowers are now in my living room and they smell amazing.  The roses are David Austin roses (Lady Emma Hamilton) and they smell amazing as well as providing me with a fabulous display throughout the summer.  

I can't remember if I have already told you this but I have put my name down for another plot.  I want another half plot and ideally one that is very close to mine.  If I do get another plot then I am considering doing something slightly different.  I would like to have fruit trees and something more fluid.  There will be some beds because I would like to have a bigger strawberry bed and an asparagus bed as well as being able to grow more of the crops that my family like.  I will keep you updated and, if I am lucky enough to get a second plot, you will of course see the development of it from an overgrown jungle to a fully productive and working plot.  

Until next time then - happy gardening!

6th August 2917 - Hedges & Harvest

This weekend I wanted to get my hedges trimmed; it's important to make sure that there are no birds nesting in the hedges before you trim them.  It is against the law to disturb nesting birds and so it is recommended not to cut hedges between March and August.  I was absolutely certain that I didn't have any birds nesting in my hedges and so it was safe for me to cut my hedges.  I also wanted to leave some of the flowers because the bees love them.

The hedge next to my shed has been left thicker because at the start of the season you might remember that I thought something was going to nest in there but the nest ended up being abandoned and I suspect it was because it was a bit too exposed.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for next year but if they still don't like it I'll probably move the teapot nest somewhere else and see if they like that better.  It was the first time I'd properly had a chance to use the hedge-trimmer that I got for mothers day.  I am very impressed with it; I even managed to cut through some quite thick branches and the power was consistent throughout the time I was using it.  

In the last couple of weeks I decided that I wanted to do something about the back fence.  You may not have noticed on the previous photographs but the back fence has always been messy and my neighbour lets the weeds grow through from his side.  I try to keep on top of them but it's very difficult and I also don't like to spray if he has crops because I can't be sure that the weedkiller won't drift.  I should, at this point make it clear that I use weedkiller very sparingly and I only use Richard Jackson's from QVC which doesn't contain any glyphosate.  It works much quicker than the traditional weedkillers and it is more friendly to wildlife once it's dry.  I used a reed screen that I got from Poundstretchers.  It is about 6 feet tall and completely covers the old fence behind it.  The screen is £13 each or 2 for £20 and I used 3 to cover the whole lot so it cost me £33; I really love how it looks and I'm hoping that it will be easier for me to keep the weeds at bay from next door.  You might also notice the pride gnome against the fence.  I saw him and couldn't resist; he makes me smile every time I see him!

Speaking of bees, my neighbour has been doing a bee course for the last year and this week she has brought 2 hives to her plot.  It's only a short way from mine and I'm already seeing more bees on my plot.  I have always tried to plant things that pollinators will like but it's particularly lovely to see bees around.  I'm paying extra attention to make sure that I'm deadheading my flowers with the intention of having more of them available for the bees.

In the coming weeks I'm going to start thinking about what I should be sowing to plant over winter.  I've not been particularly brave with sowing seeds before but I've been inspired by my friend Sian and I really want to try to be more self sufficient in the future.  It's also a cheaper option if you can raise your plants from seed.  I also want to make better use of the polytunnel over the winter months and hopefully continue growing and harvesting throughout the year.  



Speaking of harvest, I have been busy this weekend.  I harvested a cauliflower that was about to go over and had, unfortunately, started to go pink from being exposed to the sun.  For anyone who doesn't know you can stop this from happening by pulling the leaves of the plant up and over the cauliflower.  I tied mine together but unfortunately somehow they came undone and were exposed to the sun.  

I also pulled up one of the swede, some potatoes, parsnips and carrots.  The parsnips are still very small and funny shaped but the carrots are the best I've ever grow,  I'm so happy with them.  I have used a micromesh barrier around the outside of my bed, which appears to have worked and kept the carrot root fly away.  The potatoes are funny shapes and I don't know why that is so some research may be needed.  I had cut off the tops of all the plants because of blight threats in the area.  I will leave the potatoes themselves in the ground until they're needed, or until I want to plant the winter onions and garlic in there.  

I have been harvesting the cucumber all summer, Littlest L is the only person who likes them so I only grew mini munch and she was adding them to her packed lunch but she is just as happy to eat them on their own.  I've also spoken before about the sweetpeas.  I am now harvesting so many that I'm getting 2 vases each week.  I am following Monty Don's advice to just harvest them all in one go and only once a week (he suggests every 10 days but I can't do that because I can't always get to the plot every 10 days).

I hope you're all busy harvesting and getting good success, until next time then...

Happy Gardening!