Saving Seed for Next Year

Christmas Potatoes

Its been a couple of weeks since I planted some held back seed potatoes for a Christmas crop and they have just began to show through. Since then I have found some old shop bought new potatoes which have started to chit so I'm going to put them in as well as a back-up.

Two rows of Garlic

No sooner have the spuds gone and the garlic goes in.

I don't know what success I will have this is just ordinary shop bought Garlic

Last of the Potatoes

The last of the spuds were lifted today. Here they are trying off in the sun.

Late Potatoes for Christmas

You can get special seed potatoes from most seed suppliers or you keep back a few main crop like I have. done here

The Harvest Continues

Longest Runner Bean

I'm going to enter the longest Runner Bean class this year, so how's my prize winning bean doing?

Onions

A bare plot now all the onions have been lifted while there drying off in the greenhouse just 4 remain for next years seed.

Once the flowers have been pollinated I will place a brown paper bag over the heads to catch the seed for next year.

  

Butternut Squash

Now there going they are growing at a fantastic rate.

Butternut Squash!

Suddenly the Butternut Squash make an appearance. Lots of little green butternuts everywhere

Broad Bean Harvest

This little haul yielded 2.6Kg of beans which are now in the freezer.
What to do with all those pods, is there anything more creative than composting?

More Spuds !

Another 60Kgs lifted this weekend.

Sorry no pictures but one sack of spuds looks like any other

Potatoe Harvest

A good yield per plant

A bucket full drying in the sun

A total haul of 35Kg! from just one and a half rows

At Sainsbury's prices that sack would have cost between £40 - £50 

not a bad ROI for a £3 investment.

Black Fly !!!

Spotted Black Fly one the Broad Beans this morning.

Hopefully picking the tops out will sort it out

Its all growing well following the rain.

Potatoes

 

 

Peas

Rain Gauge

I have installed a simple rain gauge on the plot made from a funnel, an old soft drink bottle and a couple of plant pots.The plant pots from a sleeve and hold the funnel in place. Knowing the diameter of the funnel the volume of 1mm of water can be calculated. This value is then used to determine the rainfall from the measuring cylinder values obtained.

New Mobile Site

This blog is now available in a mobile friendly format.

Just use the existing url from your Android, Blackberry or iPhone

Mulching

This weekend with help from Rob & Izi I got the bark chippings down round the fruit trees and the poly tunnel

Chillies & Tomatoes

A Video Update