Keeping on top of the watering
With the hot weather the main task at the veg plots has been watering and we are just about keeping on top of it.
Just as the sunflowers are really putting on some growth we had some extremely strong winds which has, unfortunately, knocked a few of them over - some have broken completely but we’ve tried to resurrect some by attaching them to stakes. However by doing this the sunflowers may not be strong enough to hold up their large flowerheads – we’ll have to wait and see.
The sweetcorn was also blown by the wind and we have earthed up around the bases of the plants to help them stand up to the strong winds by producing more roots.
The main pest and disease problem at the moment is blackfly, which is covering the nasturtiums - preferable than it covering the vegetables. The worst infected nasturtiums have been removed and the ladybirds and their curious larvae are feasting on the rest.
- The courgette plants are producing an endless supply, as are the raspberries.
- The tomatoes on the straw bale are starting to ripen up and we tried the unusual round Cucumber ‘Crystal Lemon’ which was very tasty.
- There are the first signs that the pumpkins and squashes on the mound are beginning to fruit which should hopefully be an addition to the Taste of Autumn display later in the year.
- The leek and beetroot displays are both underway; the leeks just need watering and weeding now and the beetroots have been thinned to 10cm spacing.