Catching up on a few tasks as Sunday was a fairly pleasant day. So, got the last of the garlic planted, a few volunteer potatoes harvested, did some pH testing, tidied up a bit in the Vitavia greenhouse, clearing a tomato plant and harvesting a few more.
Vitavia Greenhouse, looking quite bare as plants that have finished are removed
Clearing Tomato Plants
Most of the tomatoes in the Vitavia have finished now. As we get to the end of the season, the botrytis hits them in the cooler, humid air and the lack of sunshine means growth slows. It’s a judgement call with the tomatoes, when to call it a day.
I’ve still got a few plants going, quite how long for depends on the weather. Two Bloody Butchers, a Nagina, a Purple Cherokee and two Crimson Crush. At least Crimson Crush is what it said on the packet, but I’m convinced they’re actually Crimson Cherry. Fruits far too small for Crimson Crush.
A couple more plants were finished completely, so chopped up and added to the hot bin composter. The ones that were left got fed and watered, probably the last time for them.
Checked the pH in the border, I’m estimating it at just below 6.0, so some dolomite lime will be added when it’s empty of plants and I sort it to take it up to around 6.5
Volunteer Potatoes
Up in the walled vegetable garden cleared a raised bed. I thought it had some potatoes growing, but it turned out much of the haulm was some self-seeded tomatoes. Must have been a tomato in the compost. One had a couple of small fruits, but not developed enough to properly ripen.
Half a bucket of volunteer, free potatoes.
Still, a bucket of mixed Sarpo and Estima came out. We’re not short of potatoes this year, but never look a free gift in the mouth to mangle a saying.
Planting Rest of the Garlic
Scattered some chicken manure pellets before planting to compensate for what the last crop removed.
The pH surprised me, I think it’s around 7.00 which is higher than expected. That’s fine for garlic, so the remaining Solent Wight went in at 15cm spacings, with the rows just 20cm apart.
Garlic planted in the bed up to where the bucket is. Sticks in the ground indicate the position where the garlic finishes.
They’re not getting a mulch so I can see if mulching the main garlic bed gets better results than not bothering. See Planting Elephant and Standard Garlic
Nights Drawing In
I don’t really like this time of year. Dark mornings followed by early nights – and it’ll only get worse until the winter solstice. I always get caught out as it goes dark. After planting the garlic, I thought I’d take five in the polytunnel before doing some pruning.
Then I realised the sun was near sinking into the sea and it was getting distinctly chilly. Time to go in, and it was only a quarter to five.
Planted out my garlic and two bulbs of elephant garlic (so expensive!). Apprehensive as garlic devastated last year by bad rust. Bulbs were very small as the badly rusted leaves could not make food. No, I did not water them from above, thus spreading the rust. There seems to be no solution to rust. Here’s hoping this year will be better. ??