It’s better late than never with my crops (From Blackpool Citizen)

It’s better late than never with my crops

11:02am Thursday 13th September 2007

• Print
• Email
• Share

I am excited this week as I spotted one of my cabbages seems to be developing a head.

You may think I'm prone to getting excited at little things like cabbage heads - and you would be right.

When you've planted veggies and watched them grow, die or just stagnate, to then see signs of life in something you thought might not make it is good news.

Other people I know who are growing vegetables say their cabbages are huge and ready to be picked whereas mine, apart from one, look as though they're frozen in time.

However, my decision to leave plants in place to see what happens has turned out to be the correct one.

The corn plants are looking slightly the worse for wear and I don't think the cobs are ready to pick just yet - perhaps another week to 10 days.

I picked a couple of beetroots, one of a reasonable size and another smaller one which came up with the first one. They look quite good but the rest are very small. I think I have perhaps planted too many too close together, a problem in the garden in general.

I have also picked some carrots this week and was surprised to see some carrots of a reasonable size while others are tiny, shrivelled or bent.

I thought carrots only grew twisted if they came up against a stone in the soil, or something similar, but in my barrels there's only compost and vermiculite.

Maybe the soil is too compacted and that has forced the carrots to kink, but I thought the vermiculite would help keep the soil loose enough for the carrots to grow straight.

I also took some more leeks but they are still at the baby leek size, although the lower stems have blanched nicely and they do taste very nice.

But once again, with both barrels of carrots and leeks, I think I have planted too many too close together and will make adjustments when I replant them next year.

I still have some large spring onions I picked last week and they look great with green stems and large white bulbs. There's still a few left in the garden.

I also had a root around the runner bean plant and found another good handful of beans. This plant has been very prolific and there are still lots of smaller beans growing.

The strawberry plant is giving up less fruit now, noticeably so since the weather became cooler, so I suppose I will have to wait until next year. Supposedly the second year is when the plants produce the most fruit.

• Print
• Email
• Share