Planting Out

I’ve not posted an update on the plot for some weeks. It’s not that nothing has been done, it’s just that I’ve not kept up with the diary. A sign of getting old, I suppose. After a day on the plot, I’m bushed.

Over in the new greenhouse, finished filling the border with rich soil from the vegetable plot. Mixed in some multipurpose potting compost and some organic fertiliser and soil improver as a base dressing.

Lettuce, Little Gem, planted in the greenhouse border. Dripper lines installed.

Next I planted some lettuces. Really got too many but what we don’t eat, the chickens will love. They’re in rows at the back and front of the border, leaving space to plant out the tomatoes in between.

Tomatoes planted in Greenhouse Border. Climbing string set up.

Having got the lettuce in, planted tomatoes in the long border.

• 2 Consuelo
• 2 Black Opal
• 2 Purple Cherokee
• 2 Sungold
• 1 Draig Goch (Red Dragon)

A cucumber, Carmen, went in the short border.

The Nagina and Crimson crush will go into the Quadrows, which I’ve yet to set up.

Flowery Things

Val took me to the garden centres where she bought plants for the patio pots and troughs. My job, apart from being the chauffeur, was to re-pot as required so they can grow on a bit before going out.

Initially they were given heat at night, just set to 10ºC, but that was switched off as she hardened them off. After that Val started planting out.

Deep Raised Beds

The deep raised beds in the main veg plot were filled with the sheep manure mixed with torn cardboard to add a bit of carbon. The manure has some straw, but it’s short of ‘brown’ to help it decompose.

Cased with around 10cm of sieved soil above the manure to plant in. I’ll measure the soil temp to see if the manure is providing any heat for me as it rots.

Alliums

Planted out from Bustaseed modules:

• Leeks, Bulgarian Giant
• Onions / Shallots, Zebrune
• Onions, Ailsa Craig
• Onions, Red Giant

Pricked out leek Giant D’Inverno seedlings from the tray and close planted in troughs which are in the greenhouse to bring them along for planting out in six weeks or so.

Brassicas

Planted out 15 Greyhound cabbages in a raised bed, basically 45cm apart each way with some extras in the blocks. Once they crowd, the extras go to chicken feed where they’ll convert into eggs. They didn’t take well, the leaves developed a purple tinge, so fed them with a carrot fertiliser that’s very rich in phosphorus. Fingers crossed.

Oh, and a ewe got in and ate most of one before I chased her back into the field. Surprisingly, it looks to be recovering.

In the brassica tunnel, planted out from pots:

• Cabbage, Copenhagen Market
• Cabbage, Earliest of All
• Cabbage, Red Acre
• Cauliflower, Earliest of All
• Cauliflower, Graffiti
• Cauliflower, Barcelona
• Brussels Sprouts, Doric
• Brussels Sprouts, Groninger

In a side bed, in front of broad beans; Chinese Cabbage, Michihili. They’re fast growers, so should be ready before the cabbage whites get them.

All the potatoes are in: Sarpo Mira, Sarpo Axona, Orla, Estima, Casablanca, except for some Charlotte, which are going into 50 litre pots.