Hard to believe it’s late August here. Yesterday the weather was so awful. It rained all the day which is bad enough but the high winds, gusting to 50mph, made it ten times worse. The rain was literally horizontal, like being sprayed with a hosepipe in the face when I went up to the hens.
Leeks
Leeks planted in Raised Bed by Polytunnel
Finally got most of the leeks in outside. Only a couple of months late! They went into the raised bed by the polytunnel which had had potatoes. I’d fertilised it with nitro chalk and a good barrow load of compost from the hotbin.
Although very late, it’s not as bad as it could have been. I’ve grown them in Bustaseed modules where they’ve done very well. I also grew some in deep modules, 18 to a seed tray. Bustaseed provides 35 modules per tray.
Remaining Leeks in Bustaseed Modules
Although the tray modules gave some more compost per leek than the Bustaseed modules, the tray module grown plants were only slightly larger. I’d say around an inch or less taller on average. Considering the extra space and effort, not worth it.
Because they were transplanted with a basically undisturbed root ball, the leeks won’t experience a transplant check and should shoot away.
Basil
Basil in Bustaseed Modules Ready to Plant
Strawberries
Last Batch Strawberries Propagating in the Polytunnel
I’ve propagated about 30 strawberry plants from runners into pots. These will be used to replace the plants that are getting a bit tired after three years of cropping. I may have more than I need but I’m sure I’ll find someone who’d like a few strawberry plants.
In some ways strawberries grown outside seem to be better than the ones growing in the hanging baskets. Larger plants with more and healthier looking foliage. But, and this is the point, few fruits. That’s despite pelleting and removing fruits before they’re fully ripe to finish off indoors. Most have ended up feeding slugs.
Cabbages
Red Cabbage Ready to Harvest
I’ve got a dozen red cabbages about ready to come up. Red cabbages don’t seem to get attacked much by slugs and bugs. Whatever the reason; texture, toughness, colour, I’m not complaining.
As long as the ball is tight, they should keep for at least a month on the slatted shelving above the potato store. If the weather gets colder, they’ll keep for longer.
Potatoes
The patch in front of the brassica tunnel wasn’t planted up this year. By the time I got ready to do something it had rows of potatoes growing from tubers missed in last year’s harvest. I didn’t spend any effort on them, no weeding and no fertiliser either, so totally free potatoes.
From about a quarter of the patch we’ve ended up with about 15 kg of decent potatoes.
Sweetcorn
The sweetcorn planted outside looks set to actually give a crop. It’s sheltered on two sides but that does reduce the amount of sun it gets. Not like back in Crewe when the corn was further along in early July than it is here in late August.
It’s the micro-climate, of course. We’re much higher now and far more exposed to wind. Not to mention living in one of the wettest areas of Britain.
Hi John,
Completely new to sweetcorn growing this year, so how do I know when to harvest the heads?, Hope that’s not a completely stupid question ….
Thanks
Trevor
See https://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/sweetcorn-growing/
hi trevor, sweet corrn, wait until the tasales on the end of the cob start to turn brown, stick you finger nail into the cob , and if it is a milky colour, then it is ready to eat, cook in boiling water, but don`t add any SALT. did you plant them in a block, and not in a row? they germinate better in a block than rows, due to the wind/breeze pollinating the plants
I’ve been putting spent coffee grounds around my Dahlia plants. Seems to help keeping the slugs/snails away But how often can I do this as I don’t want to acidify the soil too much?