Pigeon Problems to Pumpkins, Last of the Broad Beans

It is a little warm!

The hot spell we’re having is breaking the site into two shifts, the early morning shift and the evening shift.. I’ve never been much of a morning person, so I’m on the late shift.


Pigeons


I’ve been growing on some cauliflower seedlings in the garden and it looks like the pigeons have got to them. They were sitting on top of the coldframe behind some tomatoes, which gave shade as well as hiding them, but pigeons have keen eyes for a meal.


With 3 cats that rarely leave the garden, you would think our garden would be a bird free zone. The truth is that our elderly cats aren’t really interested in hunting anymore and the birds are safe. Our oldest cat left his shady spot under a bush to amble down to the patio as a young blackbird was on the lawn. The silly bird almost walked into him and his reaction – to chatter at it as he continued on his way. I don’t know why cats chatter at birds ? it’s a weird ‘che che che’ sound they make ? but they do it when they can’t catch them for some reason. My theory is that it is akin to swearing.


Anyway, surviving cauliflowers got moved into larger pots and transferred to the plot where they are under the onion drying rack that has net sides ? so they should be safe there until they get planted out.


The plan is for these to go onto plot 29 where the broad beans were. Hopefully the very fertile soil there will give better results than I’m getting on plot 5


Broad Beans


Harvested the last of the broad beans ? just half a carrier bag full ? and cut of the stalks level with the ground, leaving the roots in the ground along with their nitrogen.


I need to run the rotovator over but shorts and sandals is not the best dress to use a rotovator. Perhaps the end of the week when I think the weather will cool a little.


Courgettes


I’ve got four plants, two each of Golden Dawn and Black Beauty. Already we have a glut, so next year just one Golden Dawn. I expect I’ll forget as usual and grow too many. It is amazing how they jump from too small to too large overnight.


Pumpkins


The pumpkins are giving me a big problem. They are huge, the leaves popping out from the sweetcorn and trying to swamp everything. I want to reduce down to about three pumpkins per plant but they are so intertwined that I cannot tell which plant is which and how many fruits are on each plant. Neither can I get to one of the courgettes. Trimmed it back a little because it was threatening to cover the path but I think I need to try and figure this one out before it covers everything.


Compost Bins


I’m joining the ‘Posh Bins’ club with a large compost bin for plot 29. I wanted two 420 litre bins for ?10.00 each but they were out of stock so settled for one 700 litre job. More on this when it comes.


Water


The leaking tap by plot five is getting worse. When I arrived the path was like a swamp. I know we haven’t got a hosepipe ban but I don’t like waste and this must be wasting a fair old amount. Gave the beans a good watering today. Some people seem to go for the little every day method but I prefer to give a good soaking to an are each day.


Carrots, Turnips, Swedes and Beans


The new sowing at the top of plot 5 does get a watering each day ? seedlings not having any deep roots and being sensitive little things. No sign of a carrot yet but the turnips and swedes have shown as have the borlotti beans. No sign of the other dwarf French beans yet, fingers crossed.


Monday promises to be another scorcher so I expect I’ll head for the plot around six.

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