My conscience would not let me leave the main crop potatoes in the ground any longer. I have decided to go to the lottie whenever I have a free evening. The dock are starting to thrive and the myriad of other weeds, Chicweed, Creeping Thistle, Sowthistle, Groundsel, Rose Bay Willowherb, Fat hen, Shepherds Purse, Plantain, Henbit, String Nettle, Redshank, Toadflax, Red Dead Nettle, Pineapple Weed, Common Fumitory, Annual Meadow Grass, Spurge, Black Nighshade to name many but not all, are enjoying the party too. There is a good website that show pictures and describes the enemy. Click HERE for a link to the website.
I set about digging up the rows as usually but the job is slow since I am weeding as I go. I cut down the haulms when they showed signs of blight. Whilst this has stopped the blight getting into the crop it has also deprived the potatoes of the drivers to make them grow. It is not surprising that the potatoes are not nearly as well developed however they are as numerous as previous years . The soil is still dry despite my watering which makes harvesting harder than it needs be. The watering only served to encourage the weeds. It is take about a hour to harvest a single 14 foot row. I then pick over the spuds and give them a wash. I hope to leave the diseased spuds and blight spores at the lottie so that the harvest stores well through the winter.
No thing to do with gardening, My Fencing club went for a friendly team match against Leicester Fencing Club. We won all three competitions. That was harder than digging up potatoes!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Monday, September 03, 2007
Onions, Rabbits and Snakes
In and out of running L around the country and other fatherly and husbandly duties I have been able to get some quality time at the lottie. I have dug over a quarter of the plot which I am very pleased about. In doing this I have harvested the Onion, Shallots, Peas and Broad Beans. The Chic peas were a disater so they have gone in the compo bin. I also took a walk about beheading any weeds that looked in danger of seeding. The soil is still too hard to harvest the spuds but the weeds are starting to get going.
On the bright side I positioned the new black comp bins. They are doing a good job. I filled one to the very top, such is the weedyness of my plot, and in a week it had dropped back to three quarters full. So I topped it up again. The other bin is less than half full but then again the weeding is not finished. The bins have made a big improvement to the tidiness of my plot. Hazel played a blinder on the Aspargus bed. We discovered there were lot of spears of "Sparragrass" coming though anew. Unfortunatelty the rabbits had discovered it too. The rabbit[s] had dug under the crown and nibbled away at it from underneath. My lottie neighbours have spotted big excavations on their plots. I was invited over to look at them and ascertain if anyone was at home. I stuck my hoe down the hole, handle first. The handle of the hoe disappearred down the burrow right up to the blade. Thats about five foot. There was no squeaking or feeling of soft bodies in the burrow so we dug the burrow up only to find an enormous Toad. The Toad was evicted and let off into the under growth. The burrow was back filled in the hope that it would discourage the Rabbit from coming back. Another plot holder had a similar hole, a similar depth so that was dug up too. No one was found to be at home. We saw the rabbit. A big, bright eyed buggers, sitting under the peas on another plot. I shied a stone at it and missed by a enough to not worry the other plot holders but close enough to the make it run off. My lottie neighbours are in a turoil. They do not want the Rabbit bredding and living on the plot, eatting everything in sight and digging up what they don't eat and clearing them off without hurting them. The dilemea is their's. I have rabbit netted all round my plot, except for the sparragrass bed. I think I will be netting that quite soon.
Once the Rabbit and Toad wrangling had ceased I went back to digging the plot over. The Wheelbarrow filled again and the ritual of the comp bin was enacted. I had a bucket full of leaves to dispose of which were to go into the big short term compo bin. For whatever reeason I did not just throw back the cover us usual but picked one corner, I think I was in two minds over something. There was a movement under the cover. I got down on my knees and peaked under the tarp. There was a Grass snake coiled up in the warm and dark of the plants that went into the compo bin the previous week. I put the cover back down and called my Lottie nieghbour, Maria, over. A couple of the plot holders had seen the snake during the summer but did not know what sort it was. Maria and I had been talking about what we would do if we saw it. Maria came over, a little nervous at what I might have found. With Maria, phone in hand, I gentlly peeled back the cover to find the Grass Snake was still there. Whilst he was pretending he was invisble I grasped it behind the head as I had seen in any number of wild life films. The Snake was not that concerned. I think it was probably a bit cold. He was about an three quarters of an inch in diameter at the thickest part of the body and about twenty inches long. Definately a Grass Snake. The combined affect of being handled and get warmed from my skin made him start to wriggle , so once we had had taken a picture or two we put him back in the compo bin and off he slid.
On the bright side I positioned the new black comp bins. They are doing a good job. I filled one to the very top, such is the weedyness of my plot, and in a week it had dropped back to three quarters full. So I topped it up again. The other bin is less than half full but then again the weeding is not finished. The bins have made a big improvement to the tidiness of my plot. Hazel played a blinder on the Aspargus bed. We discovered there were lot of spears of "Sparragrass" coming though anew. Unfortunatelty the rabbits had discovered it too. The rabbit[s] had dug under the crown and nibbled away at it from underneath. My lottie neighbours have spotted big excavations on their plots. I was invited over to look at them and ascertain if anyone was at home. I stuck my hoe down the hole, handle first. The handle of the hoe disappearred down the burrow right up to the blade. Thats about five foot. There was no squeaking or feeling of soft bodies in the burrow so we dug the burrow up only to find an enormous Toad. The Toad was evicted and let off into the under growth. The burrow was back filled in the hope that it would discourage the Rabbit from coming back. Another plot holder had a similar hole, a similar depth so that was dug up too. No one was found to be at home. We saw the rabbit. A big, bright eyed buggers, sitting under the peas on another plot. I shied a stone at it and missed by a enough to not worry the other plot holders but close enough to the make it run off. My lottie neighbours are in a turoil. They do not want the Rabbit bredding and living on the plot, eatting everything in sight and digging up what they don't eat and clearing them off without hurting them. The dilemea is their's. I have rabbit netted all round my plot, except for the sparragrass bed. I think I will be netting that quite soon.
Once the Rabbit and Toad wrangling had ceased I went back to digging the plot over. The Wheelbarrow filled again and the ritual of the comp bin was enacted. I had a bucket full of leaves to dispose of which were to go into the big short term compo bin. For whatever reeason I did not just throw back the cover us usual but picked one corner, I think I was in two minds over something. There was a movement under the cover. I got down on my knees and peaked under the tarp. There was a Grass snake coiled up in the warm and dark of the plants that went into the compo bin the previous week. I put the cover back down and called my Lottie nieghbour, Maria, over. A couple of the plot holders had seen the snake during the summer but did not know what sort it was. Maria and I had been talking about what we would do if we saw it. Maria came over, a little nervous at what I might have found. With Maria, phone in hand, I gentlly peeled back the cover to find the Grass Snake was still there. Whilst he was pretending he was invisble I grasped it behind the head as I had seen in any number of wild life films. The Snake was not that concerned. I think it was probably a bit cold. He was about an three quarters of an inch in diameter at the thickest part of the body and about twenty inches long. Definately a Grass Snake. The combined affect of being handled and get warmed from my skin made him start to wriggle , so once we had had taken a picture or two we put him back in the compo bin and off he slid.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Hi Hoe..
H came with me. The visit to the lottie was supposed to be for testing the new Hoe or Swoe as it is rightly named. As you see from the picture it is shaped like a sand iron golf club. It is made from hefty gauge stainless steel and comes with a 25 year guarantee. The shape is supposed to help you work round plants. We will see. I have knack of clipping plants with the blade of the hoe.I put just the necessary in the back of the car, Swoe, boot and the fork. When I got the lottie I found a ton of horse muck had been dropped on the plot near the muck bin. H and I decided to look about the lottie first. It is a dismal sight. The prolonged wet spell has drowned most things. Then a fortnight of sun which has baked the soil. Even the weeds are struggling but not enough to stop them and something is eating the plants. Despite this the first two sowings of Peas are ready to crop which H set about with a will. I, on the other hand felt it necessary to shift the horse poo. But first I loosened the Onions and bent the necks over to start them drying. Even as I did this thought to myself the dry spell is over. I am not careful I will loose the Onions to rot.
The poo bin was half full already so using the fork I set about the poo pile. The tines are too far apart.for shifting dry horse muck. I eventually found a spade on one of the allotments which was just the job the clear up the poo. When the bin was full I got in and stamped in down a bit more. After three or four poo pressing sessions the tipped poo pile was neatly contained in the poo bin.
I emptied the 40 gallon drum that acts the site's brazier. I used it last so it had a couple of inches of ash from the weeds and wood that I had burned. I tossed some of the ash on the poo pile, some on the compost heap and the remainder in one of the plastic compost bins. Next I set about the dock pile and put the worst offenders in the black compo bin to get it going.
It was getting dark by now. H had a basket full of Petite Poit pods and had tried out the Swoe. The ground was rock hard yet it made a impact. I had a go round the sweet corn. It seems to work but it flexs a bit. It might be just because the ground is like concrete and I am on the other end shoving like something possessed.
I heard myself say to H that I would not do any more weeding until we had some rain to soften the ground. I asked for rain!! I woke up this morning to find that it had been raining during the night and, indeed, was still was raining, if only lightly. Fencing tonight, picking Plums on Wednesday, going to Devon again on Friday. That only leaves Thursday evening for weeding. I can wait.
As soon as we got home I shelled the peas. I got about two pints. H has a recipe for Pea and Mint soup so guess what for tea tomorrow? There are still lots and peas at the lottie so if I can get to them before the beasties there will be plenty for the freezer. I saved the pods and put them in the freezer to make a pea pod Burgundy when I get a minute.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
The best laid plans.....
Yesterdays blog shows the great plans I had for last night. I had agreed to meet my buddy at the lottie and then to go onto the Railway Inn for a chat and perchance, a small libation. On my arrival at home from work H prepared a couple of Gin & Tonics. Well that hat was the end of the plans. H and I went and sat on the patio and chatted. Then onto a light tea [dinner to you southerners] by which time the appointment at the Railway was looming.
Once I made it as far as the rendezvous with Steve I was ready for the outing. We had very convivial evening. A major part of the chat was about where we are going to get our hedgerow fruits from this year and what we would do with them. The front runner at the moment is Sloe gin or Sloe vodka. We might do Damson Vodka if we can get enough Damsoms. I have this idea to bottle the Sloe Gin near Christmas for presents. Steve told me where I can get small, fancy shaped bottles. I have to run my daughter to Devon to stay with her cousins this weekend. A four hundred mile round trip. Steve gets to go sea fishing at Aberystwth. He has promised me and few Mackerel went he returns. I look forward to that!
Once I made it as far as the rendezvous with Steve I was ready for the outing. We had very convivial evening. A major part of the chat was about where we are going to get our hedgerow fruits from this year and what we would do with them. The front runner at the moment is Sloe gin or Sloe vodka. We might do Damson Vodka if we can get enough Damsoms. I have this idea to bottle the Sloe Gin near Christmas for presents. Steve told me where I can get small, fancy shaped bottles. I have to run my daughter to Devon to stay with her cousins this weekend. A four hundred mile round trip. Steve gets to go sea fishing at Aberystwth. He has promised me and few Mackerel went he returns. I look forward to that!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Back from holidays to...........
Blight. Potato blight. The five rows Charlottes were in flower when I left and on my return they were just stalks. I dug them up the very next day. To my surprise the crop was largely unaffected. There was just a beginning of softness in perhaps twenty tubers. The five rows yielded 50lbs and they taste great. The remainder were fine. I washed the spuds before I left the lottie and picked over them again when I got home. I hope this will mean they will store well. The twelve rows of the main crop were starting to show the first chocolate spots indicating blight. I chopped the haulms down to a few inches above the ridges and cleared away the debris. I hope that this we provide me some time by preventing the blight spores getting into the tubers. I am in a spot at the moment as I do not have anything in which to store the main crop. There are likely to be bags and bags of spuds.
During me holidays it was reported to me that there had been a lot of rain. The garlic was in poor condition so I harvested what was was available. The bulbs where small but in good condition. The bulbs have put to dry in the greenhouse. The Onions have a little rust so I am holding off pulling them to see if the warm weather we have been promised helps them. The Chick peas are a complete disaster so they will have to be dug up. The early broad beans are not to bad but need picking and bed clearing. The Saporo broad beans that I put in later have flowered but not set pods which is probably to do with the bees not being able to get about.
The brasicass bed is a mixed lot. The Chard, Broccoli, Swede and some of the cabbages are doing well but the seedlings I put in before my holidays have disappeared and the caulis are rotting. So that is another area that has to be cleaned up.
I seem to growing Carrots for the first time. They need a more weeding which is not so good but it is a result. Sweet corn is doing well but the Gherkins and Pumpkins less so.
I found a small leak on the central heating system at home so I had to spend almost all Saturday repairing it and as it is a little over year since it was installed I flushed the system and treated the system with an inhibitor. In case that was not enough the fruit tree border is three feet high in weeds. It seems I am the only one with a strimmer that is powerful enough to tackle the weeds. So that is what I did last Sunday morning. The strimmer can not cut the grass so I will have to go over it again but with wire attachment. The wire cannot handle the heavy stuff but chops the grass a treat. I though I would do some hoeing as the Pumpkin patch is looking a little tatty. More or less with the first stroke of the hoe the handle snapped. End of hoeing. It is a good excuse to buy a new one. I have never been happy with the old one but I have had it a great many years. I hope to buy a Swoe. It is a hoe that looks like a sand iron golf club. It is supposed to be good for getting up close the plants. It is stainless steel so I imagine it will last a long time.
Just before my holidays I picked up a couple of plastic composters from the council. I have this plan to use them for the long term composting of Docks and other weeds. I have always run a pile of Docks athe end of the plot that does, in time, rot down to a useful compost. It takes a year or more. With the two composters I hope to reduce the time it takes to convert them into something useful and keep the end of the plot tidy as well. The black plastic really gets hot which I hope is going to be the key to speed up the process. I think I might fill them from the Dock pile this evening.
Because I broke the hoe I decided to spend a few minutes to tidy up the end compost bin. The bin has turned into a collecting point for bits wire, part rolls of chicken wire, plastic bags and useful bits of fleece. All those bits that are too big to throw away but might be useful in the future. They might "come in" as H says. I reorganised the bin so as to make room for the composters and re-positioned all the spares to be neat. I even took somethings home for the dust bin men.
As it stands I have done precious little on the plot. I am going the the plot this evening the job list is:
Start composters
Clear away Chick peas
Clear away manky Caulis
Use the new Swoe!
During me holidays it was reported to me that there had been a lot of rain. The garlic was in poor condition so I harvested what was was available. The bulbs where small but in good condition. The bulbs have put to dry in the greenhouse. The Onions have a little rust so I am holding off pulling them to see if the warm weather we have been promised helps them. The Chick peas are a complete disaster so they will have to be dug up. The early broad beans are not to bad but need picking and bed clearing. The Saporo broad beans that I put in later have flowered but not set pods which is probably to do with the bees not being able to get about.
The brasicass bed is a mixed lot. The Chard, Broccoli, Swede and some of the cabbages are doing well but the seedlings I put in before my holidays have disappeared and the caulis are rotting. So that is another area that has to be cleaned up.
I seem to growing Carrots for the first time. They need a more weeding which is not so good but it is a result. Sweet corn is doing well but the Gherkins and Pumpkins less so.
I found a small leak on the central heating system at home so I had to spend almost all Saturday repairing it and as it is a little over year since it was installed I flushed the system and treated the system with an inhibitor. In case that was not enough the fruit tree border is three feet high in weeds. It seems I am the only one with a strimmer that is powerful enough to tackle the weeds. So that is what I did last Sunday morning. The strimmer can not cut the grass so I will have to go over it again but with wire attachment. The wire cannot handle the heavy stuff but chops the grass a treat. I though I would do some hoeing as the Pumpkin patch is looking a little tatty. More or less with the first stroke of the hoe the handle snapped. End of hoeing. It is a good excuse to buy a new one. I have never been happy with the old one but I have had it a great many years. I hope to buy a Swoe. It is a hoe that looks like a sand iron golf club. It is supposed to be good for getting up close the plants. It is stainless steel so I imagine it will last a long time.
Just before my holidays I picked up a couple of plastic composters from the council. I have this plan to use them for the long term composting of Docks and other weeds. I have always run a pile of Docks athe end of the plot that does, in time, rot down to a useful compost. It takes a year or more. With the two composters I hope to reduce the time it takes to convert them into something useful and keep the end of the plot tidy as well. The black plastic really gets hot which I hope is going to be the key to speed up the process. I think I might fill them from the Dock pile this evening.
Because I broke the hoe I decided to spend a few minutes to tidy up the end compost bin. The bin has turned into a collecting point for bits wire, part rolls of chicken wire, plastic bags and useful bits of fleece. All those bits that are too big to throw away but might be useful in the future. They might "come in" as H says. I reorganised the bin so as to make room for the composters and re-positioned all the spares to be neat. I even took somethings home for the dust bin men.
As it stands I have done precious little on the plot. I am going the the plot this evening the job list is:
Start composters
Clear away Chick peas
Clear away manky Caulis
Use the new Swoe!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Ready for the holidays?
H and I are off on holiday at the weekend so it has been something of a trial to get the lottie ready to left alone for a fortnight. It is the same each year. Busy at work preparing things to continue whilst I am away and busy at the lottie ensuring that I don't come back to a weedy jungle. The main problem has been the weather. When it was raining steadily you knew where you were. But recently the weather has changed to heavy showers. Unfortunately is seems to shower on me as I get to the lottie.
Last week was relatively dry. Friday night stayed dry as did most of the day. Unfortunately I had to go to see my in-laws in Chapel en le Frith to organise their website and email. They have finally got consent to let their apartment in Croatia. Click here to open their website. That took up most of Saturday althought we were treated to a lovely lunch. I was determined to get to the lotttie on Sunday to do weeding, clear out poorly plants, harvest some veg and plant out the seedlings from the greenhouse. H joined me at the lottie to help. H turned up about 11am having dropped the daughter in town. I put the two seater bench on the community patio and took a few minutes for a brew from the flask H brought with her. She is a gem. We drank tea and looked across the plots for ten minutes then back to work. Whilst weeding on our hands and knees we spotted lots of tiny toads. About the size of your little finger's nail. Brownish red things.
The snake has not been seen for a while. Perhaps he has found another home!
By 1.30pm the plot was looking ship shape and the back of the car was full of potatoes [Ulster Prince], cabbage [Hispi], Calebrase and spring onions [Lisbon]. I took my lottie buddy Steve up on the offer of PYO red currants. They went very well with the Strawberries, Raspberries and Blackcurrants from the fruit bushes at home together with some Greek yogurt and dribble of honey. When we got home we had bacon butties for lunch and then went for a stiff walk as part of our training for the walking holiday.
Over the weekend other items were checked and fettled such as:
The Parma style ham that I am getting ready for Christmas had its second dressing. It is looking good. It is getting darker in colour by degrees and lighter in weight as the moisture is drawn out. The one that is ready and hung up in the shed is slowly disappearing, shaving by shaving. The thinner it is cut the better it seems to be.
The worms in the wormery have settled down at last. They kept try to escape. Have you ever tried rounding up dozens of wiggly worms that are making a bid for freedom in all directions? It ticklish business trying round them up without damaging them and persuade them to remain in their new home. They seem to have come to terms with their new home and look busy. I can not ell how many worms are left but they are supposed to be prolific breeders so I hope to have happy colony before the winter sets in.
The Tomatoes in the greenhouse have really started growing. Some fruits have set on the Shirley's. The Beef tomatoes are in flower. If the plant is anything to go by the fruit will be enormous. The Cucumbers are growing as well. There are flowers as well as leaves but they just don't look really vigorous. I will have to investigate cucumber husbandry over the winter ready for next year. We seem to have cornered the market in massive frogs. The only trouble is they seem to be match by the size of the slugs. I have been tripping over the buggers. The salt and pellet patrol will have to be re-established.
The sparrow have discovered the blackcurrants so we have harvested all the ripe currents and are going to make them into jam or cassis. We won't have time to eat them all before our holidays so I will turn them into something that will keep.
I was at the lottie last night to check on the seedling I put in over the weekend. I had a fright as I walked passed the spuds. A Partridge shot out the rows straight past me. Unfortunately for him he crashed straight into the netting that is supposed to keep them out. At the second time of shooing the bird spotted the open gate and flapped off into the distance just short of a few feathers for his troubles. I have been blaming beetles for the nibbles taken out of the brasiccas leaves but it might have been Partridge all the while.
Last week was relatively dry. Friday night stayed dry as did most of the day. Unfortunately I had to go to see my in-laws in Chapel en le Frith to organise their website and email. They have finally got consent to let their apartment in Croatia. Click here to open their website. That took up most of Saturday althought we were treated to a lovely lunch. I was determined to get to the lotttie on Sunday to do weeding, clear out poorly plants, harvest some veg and plant out the seedlings from the greenhouse. H joined me at the lottie to help. H turned up about 11am having dropped the daughter in town. I put the two seater bench on the community patio and took a few minutes for a brew from the flask H brought with her. She is a gem. We drank tea and looked across the plots for ten minutes then back to work. Whilst weeding on our hands and knees we spotted lots of tiny toads. About the size of your little finger's nail. Brownish red things.
The snake has not been seen for a while. Perhaps he has found another home!
By 1.30pm the plot was looking ship shape and the back of the car was full of potatoes [Ulster Prince], cabbage [Hispi], Calebrase and spring onions [Lisbon]. I took my lottie buddy Steve up on the offer of PYO red currants. They went very well with the Strawberries, Raspberries and Blackcurrants from the fruit bushes at home together with some Greek yogurt and dribble of honey. When we got home we had bacon butties for lunch and then went for a stiff walk as part of our training for the walking holiday.
Over the weekend other items were checked and fettled such as:
The Parma style ham that I am getting ready for Christmas had its second dressing. It is looking good. It is getting darker in colour by degrees and lighter in weight as the moisture is drawn out. The one that is ready and hung up in the shed is slowly disappearing, shaving by shaving. The thinner it is cut the better it seems to be.
The worms in the wormery have settled down at last. They kept try to escape. Have you ever tried rounding up dozens of wiggly worms that are making a bid for freedom in all directions? It ticklish business trying round them up without damaging them and persuade them to remain in their new home. They seem to have come to terms with their new home and look busy. I can not ell how many worms are left but they are supposed to be prolific breeders so I hope to have happy colony before the winter sets in.
The Tomatoes in the greenhouse have really started growing. Some fruits have set on the Shirley's. The Beef tomatoes are in flower. If the plant is anything to go by the fruit will be enormous. The Cucumbers are growing as well. There are flowers as well as leaves but they just don't look really vigorous. I will have to investigate cucumber husbandry over the winter ready for next year. We seem to have cornered the market in massive frogs. The only trouble is they seem to be match by the size of the slugs. I have been tripping over the buggers. The salt and pellet patrol will have to be re-established.
The sparrow have discovered the blackcurrants so we have harvested all the ripe currents and are going to make them into jam or cassis. We won't have time to eat them all before our holidays so I will turn them into something that will keep.
I was at the lottie last night to check on the seedling I put in over the weekend. I had a fright as I walked passed the spuds. A Partridge shot out the rows straight past me. Unfortunately for him he crashed straight into the netting that is supposed to keep them out. At the second time of shooing the bird spotted the open gate and flapped off into the distance just short of a few feathers for his troubles. I have been blaming beetles for the nibbles taken out of the brasiccas leaves but it might have been Partridge all the while.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Dare we speak Summers name?
The rain seems to be easing off. There are still heavy down pours but they are very localised. Any persistent rain is relatively light compared with what we have had this past two or three weeks. The forecast is for the weather to abate by mid July The First early potatoes "Ulster Price" are performing very well. I started harvesting them, two or three plants at a time, about two weeks ago. Day by day the spuds get bigger giving a bigger crop. They are very tasty. I think I will have them again. The second earlies, "Charlotte" are in flower. A very pretty purple with a white centre. I go on holiday on the 14th July and I am undecided weather to harvest the Charlottes before I go or to leave them in until I return. The Ulsters will be gone by the end of next week so I hope to have prepared the soil and sowed some green manure before I go away.
I have had a few Hispi cabbage which are very nice. The spinach has boltted though which is a disappointment. I have more in the green house to out in the next few days. Finally I have carrots! They seems to be doing quite well. So it would seem that all I have to do in future is keep them really, really wet and warm. The second lot of young french bean have taken a beating. They have another week to show signs of recovery or they will be assigned to the compost heap and others planted in their place. The Swede planted in cells started really well and have established themselves outdoors.
We are eating the air dried Ham. I feel like leaving it a little longer as the drier it gets the finer it can be cut and more delicious it is. I have another one started, perhaps a month old and has just had it's second application of cure.
I have had a few Hispi cabbage which are very nice. The spinach has boltted though which is a disappointment. I have more in the green house to out in the next few days. Finally I have carrots! They seems to be doing quite well. So it would seem that all I have to do in future is keep them really, really wet and warm. The second lot of young french bean have taken a beating. They have another week to show signs of recovery or they will be assigned to the compost heap and others planted in their place. The Swede planted in cells started really well and have established themselves outdoors.
We are eating the air dried Ham. I feel like leaving it a little longer as the drier it gets the finer it can be cut and more delicious it is. I have another one started, perhaps a month old and has just had it's second application of cure.
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