Parsnip Surprise, Sweet Potatoes, Watermelon, Mast Year

I’m continuing to get the plot back into some semblance of order when the weather allows. Whilst we’ve still got the builders in renovating the bathroom, the disruption isn’t great. We seem to be past the stage that caused all the dust – phew!

Happy Autumn Equinox

The official, ancient start to autumn is the autumn equinox – so now the season is officially drawing to a close as we lead up to Winter. The wheel of the seasons, turns again.

Polytunnel

The polytunnel is a refuge when the weather isn’t that good, so I made a start sorting the left-hand border on a cold day.

I’ve got three large (50 litre) pots that I picked up from Elixir Garden Supplies. The benefit of them is they’re moveable – just so long as I’m careful because of my glass back. They can be positioned in front of the rear doors and just moved if the weather gets scorchio and they need to be opened. Currently, they’re living by the bench at the front of the left border.

Two had sweet potatoes planted and one had a watermelon given to me by a friend. They’ve all done incredibly well, especially when you consider the only care they’ve had is being watered. And that was pretty spotty!

Watermelon

The watermelon, which went in far later than optimal, had produced a lot of tendrils that had flowers, but the only fruit I could see was about the size of a golf ball. Since the season’s ending, decided to write it off and clear it.

Well a surprise was in store for me. Hidden under the sweet potato foliage, there were two small watermelons. So, not a dead loss after all, despite my neglect.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes attempting to take over all the polytunnel

The sweet potatoes planted in the tubs and in the raised beds seem to be making a bid to take over the whole polytunnel. If the tubers are as good as the foliage promises, we’re going to have a bumper crop.

I’ve never had any luck with sweet potatoes, but the really hot summer might have done the trick.

Parsnips Surprise

A rather large parsnip growing in the polytunnel

Being both late and rushed, I direct sowed some parsnips in the raised bed and barrel segment at the far end. Germination was very patchy and growth was not good. In the barrel segment it appeared we had just one plant growing.

As time went on, the parsnip in the barrel shot away to the point where I thought I must be mistaken and it was some sort of weed. Brushing a bit of the compost away confirmed we do have a very large parsnip growing.

Mast Year

Apples, Watermelons Tomatoes harvested – there are a lot more tomatoes to come,

2025 is apparently a mast year. So I can’t claim credit for the massive harvest of apples we’ve had this year. We’ve already had a great harvest of black and redcurrants, jostaberries and, unusually, two flushes of blackberries.

It’s not just us, obviously, – our local chemist has a box of apples in his shop with a notice to ‘help yourself’. Still, without the trees we’d have no fruit at all. So I can claim some small credit.