• Dwarf Beans - 'borlotto',
• Broad Beans - 'the sutton',
• Peas - 'ambassador',
• Pak Choi - 'riko white'.

Today I Will Mostly Be Harvesting:

• New Potato's - 'lady christl' and 'charlotte',
• Cabbage - 'spring hero' and 'advantage',
• Dwarf Beans - 'borlotto',
• Dwarf Beans - 'ferrari',
• Lettuce - 'balmoral' leaves,

Vegetables in Progress

• Tomato's - 'Green Zebra',



• Cucumber's - 'Marketmore',



• Broccoli 'tenderstem',

Plot Progress - Week 23

Plot 1
Carrots, red spring onion and beetroot are growing stronger from sowings made on 1st June 2008. Runner beans are slowly wrapping themselves around the canes. Parsnip foliage is going wild. Sowed Pak Choi into the gaps.

Plot 2
Tenderstem Broccoli nearly ready to pick, cabbage resolution savoy and golden acre are growing well after transplanting, still a few sacrificial cabbages of 'advantage' variety to attract the cabbage white butterflies to lay their eggs on (and not on my newly transplanted ones - seems to be working so far).

Plot 3
Broad Beans and Mange tout removed after harvesting. New sowings of peas, broad beans and dwarf beans under cloche (mainly due to cats digging bare soil). 2 x butternut squash plants doing well after transplant. Brussels sprout plants wedged in between dwarf beans but are growing steady.

Tomato and Cucumbers (outdoors)
Tomato's have been tied to the canes and pots placed into upside down propagator lids. This has helped as this fence is a sun trap and dries the plants out daily, I pour water into the lids so the plant takes the water from its roots when necessary and doesn't dry out. All tomato plants are flowering and some are fruiting. Cucumbers are rambling over the decking and are producing flowers and fruit.

As for the vegetable plot everything's producing very well.

First up is my very first Dwarf Borlotto Bean:

Butternut Squash's (Hawk F1) which I thought was never going to emerge from the soil in their pots, two eventually did and have now been planted out in to Plot 3 and are growing on well.

My Runner beans have finally made it through the soil on my second sowing away from the slugs in Plot 1:

My Tenderstem Broccoli is flowering - all very pretty but not good for eating it will be very stringy now so onto the compost heap.

Finally in my opinion the most understated vegetable I have grown this year is the humble Mange Tout. They have produced more pods than my peas and just keep on producing them. Also they do not cook up slimy like the supermarket ones either, they are crunchy or tender (depending on how you like them) and a lovely accompaniment to broad beans.

I was looking around my fruit and vegetable section of my back garden when the word perseverance popped into my head. Let me explain...

Redcurrant Bush

I bought the above redcurrant bush from Wilkinson's end of season sale in March 2007 for £2.99. The first summer a few leaves appeared but no currants and it soon turned back into a few twigs again for the winter. I was disappointed to say the least. Looking back though I shouldn't have expected much for the price. It did cross my mind to get rid of it however I decided to put it in a corner of the garden and forget about it.

When I bought it I repotted it but since 2007 it hasn't had any more compost, only rainwater and has been mulched by moss. Somehow this year it has produced currants for the first time as well as lots of leaves. I am ecstatic. I shall be watching every moment waiting for them to turn red now, thats if the local bird life don't get them first!

Broad Beans - The Sutton

My lovely broad beans were sown in November 2007 directly into the plot. I knew I was taking a bit of a gamble and had read a lot of message boards that said frost may kill them off over-winter. I always like to give things ago especially as the plot was looking a bit bare I wanted something to retain my attention through winter and spring.

I have loved growing broad beans for their tall stature (and The Sutton is a dwarf variety), sweet scented and unusual flowers, watching the bees pollinate them and then the growth of the beans with furry pods.

After 29 weeks (approx 7 months) of perseverance, here are my broad beans:

Lettuce - Balmoral

Lettuce has always been a struggle against the slugs for me. A year ago I would not be hand picking slugs off my plots (I was still a bit squeamish then) in the early morning before work, but now I am, just to get some god damn lettuce! It certainly works and gives the lettuce all day in the sunshine/shade to grow some more strength for the nights attack of slugs.
Here are my slow growing ball head lettuces (slowly growing out those slug holes):-

Parsnip - Countess F1

I had heard that the germination of parsnip seed was problematic. However when did that ever stop me from trying something? I'm quite proud that the first time I attempt to grow parsnips (straight into the plot), that they are growing great guns. I have two rows 7 weeks apart on growth. First row sown on 9th Feb, second row on 30th March 2008.

Spinach - Tiraz F1

Of course there's always a few vegetables that have a mind of there own like Spinach. With every other vegetable a bit of warm weather perks them up no end but with spinach its bolts and runs for the hills! Typical its taken 8 and 13 weeks to grow to a few small leaves and then they start to flower and are useless.

My spinach has bolted, so I will persevere and pull them out and sow some more or buy a non-bolting variety or I might even sow some Perpetual Spinach (the larger leaves) which are cut and come again and keep going all summer without bolting.

Gardening and vegetable growing just wouldn't be the same without perseverance.

Today I was mostly overhauling Plot 1 as I have a lot of empty space now the slugs have been in and eaten my carrots, spring onions and beetroot. However I will not be beaten, I will just have carrots to harvest later in the year.

I used a hand fork to break up the soil as the topsoil and compost had been compacted together. I forked around the lettuce, spinach and parsnip rows careful so not to disturb their already established roots. I then raked the soil to a fine tilth and sowed 1 row of red and white spring onions, 3 different varieties of carrots (amsterdam forcing, james scarlet and autumn king) and beetroot (boltardy).

I also thinned the parsnips, holey lettuce and spinach and set up 4 sunken cider traps for the slugs.

Plot 2 - Transplanted

I definitely have cabbage fever this year!

• Spring cabbages are hearting up nicely,
• Unfortunately the tundra and golden acre seedlings died as the leaves of the the other cabbages were overshadowing them. Still have pots of golden acre cabbage in mini greenhouse,
• Savoy cabbage 'resolution' plants were transplanted from plot 3 to gaps in plot 2.

Plot 3 - Harvest

This is the most productive plot packed full of beans and peas.

• Broad bean pods growing larger,
• Pea pods being harvested,
• Mange Tout out grown bamboo cane supports,
• Borlotto beans producing lovely lime coloured leaves and climbing well,
• Tender stem broccoli plants transplanted into plot temporarily until room in Plot 3.

Plot 4 - Slugs

• Runner bean lower leaves eaten by slugs but are still growing, they will not be beaten either!

Today I was mostly harvesting....

Upon closer inspection on Plot 1, the baby slug family have obliterated my carrots, put holes in my spinach and munched through some lettuce seedlings. As I've just read a startling fact that 95% of slugs are underground, its time to get tough and order the nematodes.

Nematodes are a type of parasite that feed on the slugs underground. It is sent in a packet of powder which is mixed with water and using a watering can applied to the plot or soil. Each packet lasts 6 weeks and re-application is necessary. Each standard pack is approx £9.49 and treats up to 40 square metres. There is a large pack for bigger areas. Click here for more info about nematodes.

Plot 1 - Root Vegetables and munched Salads
- Both rows of Parsnips (back rows) are doing brilliantly!

Plot 2 - Cabbages and Broccoli

Plot 3 - Beans and Peas
- Tiny Broad Beans now forming and a few pea pods harvested (I couldn't resist!)

NEW - Plot 4 - Runner Beans
Last week I realised that I had no room to plant out my runner beans hence a new plot was cobbled together. Plot 4 is not as smart as the other plots with raised wooden planks as I didn't have any left. So it is a mound of earth with rocks round the edges. The beans don't seem to mind it.

Veg of the Moment - Broad Beans

Whilst I was creating a mound of earth underneath my broad beans to keep them supported, I was watching a bumble bee pollinate the broad bean flowers and it was lovely to watch an insect that close whilst it goes about its business. The black and white broad bean flowers do give off a alluring scent so I can understand the bumble bees attraction. There are a few tiny bean pods forming on the plants which means the bees are doing their worthwhile job pollinating the flowers.
Keep up the good work bees!

Bamboo cane support for Dwarf Beans
I cut 4 x 6 foot canes in half and put them in the soil opposite each other in the shape of an X. I put four of these in with enough space to plant a bean to a pole or cane. I then put another 3 foot cane across the tops of all the X shaped canes to stabilize the structure. I then used garden twine to secure the two upright and top horizontal bamboo canes together. (See picture above for more details). I planted one bean to each pole or cane but you can plant 2 to a cane if you want.

Heres what it looks like now:-

Ferrari Dwarf Beans at the back of the plot and Borlotto dwarf beans at the front.

As you can see from the picture above, I have not left any room for my runner beans, big oops!

It's a bit of a logistical nightmare this year as I've decided to grow new crops and haven't quite researched the correct harvesting dates. I had planned to put the runner beans in Plot 3 after the broad beans and peas had finished their crops, however the broad beans and pea pods are only just forming in May and my runners are a week away from needing to go into the ground, doh!

Nothing came up out of the soil with my first sowing of brussels sprouts so luckily i've managed to squeeze my dwarf beans into the last scrap of space left so at least thats something.

Solution
I have decided to build another narrower raised bed plot just for the runner beans this year. This will be done next week so I can get then runner beans into the ground.

My lovely dwarf beans will be planted out soon on Plot 3. I'm growing varieties Ferrari (same as last year) and a new one - Borlotto. I can't wait to see the mottled red and white pods on this variety. Then my runner beans won't be far behind.

Below are some comparison photos of my plots so you can see the progress in just 2 weeks. The first picture is 2 weeks ago on 19.04.08 and 2nd is a current picture of my plots on 03.05.08:-

Plot 1 - Roots and Salads

• Sowed 2nd row of Carrots (James Scarlet)
• Whilst weeding I found the culprits of my nibbled radishes, 2 baby slugs erh!

Click here to view the progress of Plot 1 since 09.02.08.

Plot 2 - Brassicas

• Planted out 3 Calabrese (ironman) plants into top left of plot.
• Sowed 2nd rows of Cabbage (Winter Tundra)
• Pulled up 1 cabbage (advantage) to make way for Calabrese

Click here to view the progress of Plot 2 since 09.02.08.

Plot 3 - Beans and Peas

• Broad Beans and Peas have put on a spurt of growth and are flowering,
• Mange Tout seedlings have appeared.

Click here to view the progress of Plot 3 since 09.02.08.

Blog Page Updates

1. Click here to view my new slideshows on the Plot Gallery Page including cucumbers, cabbage and mange tout.
2. Click here to view My Master Plan of seed sowings which has been updated as of 03.05.08.

These Broad Bean (the sutton) flowers are so stunningly different with black eye's on white petals. If you have never grown them before, like myself, there is nothing quite like these unique flowers. They certainly brighten up my all green plot.

Whilst the excitement is flowing, I couldn't help but show a picture of my first pea pods of 2008 which are just forming on my over-wintering peas (douce provence).

After 24 long weeks of growth over the winter season (sown back in November 2007) I can't wait for the pea to form, there's nothing quite like the taste of fresh garden peas and they usually don't make it to the house as I eat them off the pod like sweets.

Just a quick message, I sowed my very first seeds in my newly built timber raised beds on 10th April 2007 which was 1 year ago!

I'm hoping for an even better crop this year and look forward to a new set of experiences when I try growing different vegetables like butternut squash, beetroot, mange tout, parsnip, savoy cabbage and broccoli.

Heres my very first blog post about seed sowing on my 3 raised plots on 10.04.2007: Blog Posting 10.04.07.

Please click here to view my harvest of vegetables over the last year.

Current growth on Plots 1 to 3 - 10.04.2008

Heres a picture of my snowy vegetable plot:

Mini Greenhouse Update

Tomato's
There's not been a lot of movement in the last 2 weeks. All the seeds growing in the unheated wooden mini greenhouse are not having a good time. I potted on 6 of each variety (golden sunrise and green zebra) from the first batch sown on 9th February 2008 and these are now growing on nicely.

The second batch sown 15th March 2008, 3 weeks ago have not come up out of the compost and I'm really frustrated with the merry-go round of weather and temperatures! I'm thinking of sowing some more tomato's and cucumbers on the windowsill indoors as I don't think I'll have much luck with the snowy weather this week either.

Peas and Squash
Saturday I sowed 8 seeds of each Pea (Ambassador) and Squash (Hawk F1) into square pots in the mini greenhouse. The first batch of squash seeds rotted in the compost as I kept them too wet, a lesson learnt for next time.

Plot Update

Plot 3 - New Sowings
I made 2nd sowings of Brussels Sprouts and 1st sowing of Cabbage Resolution. I'm having to sow cabbage (resolution savoy) in the beans plot 3 as there is no room in Plot 2 at the moment, when I harvest the spring cabbages in May there will be a row free to transplant these savoy cabbages into their rightful place. Planting the cabbages in Plot 3 is a bit of a gamble as it isn't covered in netting, but I'm doing it as an experiment. We shall see how they get on.

Note: Just in case anyones wondering the sticks, rocks and pots in the picture of Plot 3 above are a cat deterrent!

Harvest

On the upside I managed to start picking some spring green leaves from the spring cabbages on Plot 3, its nice to be able to harvest something so early in the year.

Master Plans

Heres the latest updated master plans in PDF Formats, please click on the link to view the pages:

• Seed Sowing Plan 2008 Updated 05.04.08
• Plot Plan 2008 (A diagram of the location of vegetable rows on the raised beds)

This weekend the wintery weather has continued with heavy snow showers here in Essex, it did settle briefly on my broad beans and then turned to slush.

Update on Raised Beds on Week 6

Plot 1 - Root and Salad Vegetables - Current Progress:
(These seeds were all sown directly into the soil in the raised beds.)

• Radish - french breakfast: Seedlings in 4 weeks, currently growing bigger leaves.
• Lettuce - balmoral: Seedlings in 2 weeks,
• Carrot - amsterdam forcing: Seedlings in 6 weeks,
• Parsnip - countess: Seedlings in 6 weeks,
• Spring Onion - paris silverskin: Seedlings in 6 weeks,
• Beetroot - boltardy: No sign yet after 2 weeks,
• Spinach - tiraz: No sign yet after 2 weeks,
• Spring Onions - north holland red: No sign yet after 2 weeks.

Plot 2 - Brassicas - Current progress:
(These seeds were all sown directly into the soil in the raised beds.)

• Cabbage - spring hero: 32 Weeks progress as sown 24 August 2007 - leaves are getting larger due for harvest April/May 2008.
• Cabbage - advantage: 32 Weeks progress as sown 24 August 2007 - leaves are getting larger due for harvest April/May 2008.
• Cabbage - tundra (winter): No seedlings yet after 2 weeks.
• Cabbage - golden acre (summer): No seedlings yet after 2 weeks.

Plot 3 - Peas and Beans - Current progress:
(These seeds were all sown directly into the soil in the raised beds.)

• Peas - Douce Provence: 18 Weeks progress as sown 17 November 2007 - due for harvest April/May 2008.
• Broad Beans - the sutton: 18 Weeks progress as sown 17 November 2007 - flowers forming, due for harvest April/May 2008.
• Brussels Sprouts - genius f1: No seedlings yet after 2 weeks.
• Squash - hawk f1: Sown in pots in mini greenhouse with view to transplant to plot 3 later on, no seedlings yet after 2 weeks.

Plot 1

• 1 Row of Beetroot Boltardy
• 1 Row of Spring Onions Paris Silverskin
• 1 Row of Lettuce Balmoral
• 1 Row of Spinach Tirza F1

Plot 2

• 4 short rows of Winter Cabbage Tundra F1
• 2 short rows of Summer Cabbage Golden Acre

Plot 3

• 1 Row of Brussels Sprouts Genius F1.

Please click here to view My Plot Gallery Slideshows which have now been updated for progress pictures of my plot up until today.

Outdoor Seeds
On 9th February I thought I would get a head start on the season hoping to having tomatos and carrots earlier in the year by sowing a few rows in my raised beds. However the frost and fog descended and now 2 weeks on I have no change in my raised beds and I don't blame my seeds for not popping their heads above the surface in last weeks night temperatures.

Indoor Seeds
On the upside my seedlings have shot up and almost everything has germinated apart from the Sweet Pepper (romano). Mid week they were brought into the house due to the frosty temperatures and this has definately helped them germinate. See pictures below for updates. Today I have returned them to the mini-greenhouse otherwise they will get too 'leggy' (stems will grow too long and fall over), they need cool temperatures and high light levels outside to continue their growth.

Tuesday 19.02.08 - Calabrese seedlings appeared (13 out of 13 sown)

Sunday 25.02.08 - Tomato - green zebra (16 out of 18 sown), Tomato - golden sunrise (17 out of 21 sown), Cucumber - green fingers (2 out of 2 sown) have appeared.

Oh how different the weather has been last week and this week since my last posting where I said and I quote:
it is sometimes a risky strategy to start sowing this early in February due to there possibly being more frosts before March. How true so please take note!

I felt really sorry for my first sowings of seeds in the mini greenhouse as there has been frosts most nights. So sorry I brought them into the house and put them on a windowsill above a radiator.

Hey presto over night there was some movement and I now have little green calabrese seedlings. I check on them daily and spray the soil with water as the central heating will dry out the soil quite quickly.

I will update my blog on Saturday 23rd Feb with whether there has been progress or not in the outdoor raised beds with my seeds sown Feb 10th 2008.

Today I will mostly be sowing:

In Plot 1 - Root Vegetables:-
• A row of Carrots (Amsterdam forcing 3 sprint) Sow Jan - Jul, Harvest Apr-Oct.
• A row of Parsnips (Countess F1) Sow Feb - May, Harvest Oct - Feb.
• Half a Row of Spring Onions (North Holland Blood Red) Sow Feb-July, Harbest July-Oct.
• Half a row of Radishes (French Breakfast 3) Sow Feb - Sept, Harvest 4 weeks later.

In my Mini Greenhouse:-
• 2 seeds of Cucumber 'Green Fingers F1' (Sow Feb-May, Harvest Jun-Sept),
• 21 seeds of Tomato 'Golden sunrise' (Sow Jan-Apr, Harvest Jun-Oct),
• 18 seeds of Tomato 'Green Zebra' (Sow Jan - March, Harvest Jun-Oct),
• 18 seeds of Sweet Pepper 'Romano Mixed' (Sow Feb-Apr, Harvest Jul-Oct).
• 13 seeds of Calabrese 'Ironman F1' (Sow Jan-Jun, Harvest Jun-Nov).

Update on Vegetable Plots

Plot 1 - Root Vegetables
There are approximately 8 Autumn king carrots left in the middle of Plot 1. My chicory and other carrots have been harvested. The soil was forked over with a hand fork and raked level. I then added some multipurpose compost to the top of the bed to sow the new seeds in.

Plot 2 - Brassicas

The Spring Hero and Advantage cabbages are continuing their growth in Plot 2 and will be ready in April. I carried out a bit of maintenance to the cabbage plants by carefully removing yellowing leaves and any which have been eaten. Then I added some multipurpose compost around the base of the cabbages.

Plot 3 - Beans and Peas

My 9 broad bean (The Sutton) seedlings are growing well and my overwintering peas are tall enough to cling to the bamboo canes.

Progress pictures of all my seeds and seedlings will be updated on my Plot Gallery every two weeks.

Heres What I bought:

• 2 x Pack of 4 Tenax Cane Joiners (or Build-a-ball's) £3.49 per pack from Ebay,
• 2 x Pack of 10 - 6" ground cover staples (or tent pegs) £2.99 per pack from Ebay,
• 10 Garden Canes (already had in garden),
• Environmesh cover (already had over 2 raised beds).

How to build the support cages:

1. Cut 4 bamboo canes to the same height for the uprights of the support cage. I was restricted by the amount of enviromesh cover so my bamboo canes height reflected this.
2. Put the cane joiners carefully on top of the bamboo canes and place into your raised bed soil, one in every corner.
3. Slide the longer canes (and cut if required) into the holes on the side of the cane joiners to make the square above the uprights, you should now have now built your cane support cage.
4. Throw over the environmesh or netting/fleece cover of your choice and secure into the soil at intervals with the ground staples.
5. Then place copper tape (slug protection) around the top of your raised beds on the wooden planks to prevent slugs from entering your raised bed.

I have also realised that the square cages of netting and bamboo will keep cats off my beds and tennis balls off my cabbages! so it was well worth all the fiddling with the cane joiners.

BEFORE

AFTER

Cabbage Plot 2

Before Thinning (Wk 38 28.12.07)

After Thinning (Wk 40 12.01.08)

My cabbages showed signs of whitefly which is a good time to create some space in the plot by thinning so that the pests don't infect all plants. I thinned and destroyed the ones that had whitefly. Thinning also encourages growth as we will see in a few weeks time.

Bean and Peas Plot 3

The progress of my Broad Beans and Peas has been brilliant considering they have not been covered with fleece or cloches since sowing. These having been growing since 17.11.07 (8 weeks) see pictures below.

Plot 1 - Root Vegetables and Salad

Update: My Mini Leeks have been completely infested with greenfly all around the tops just above the soil level so I pulled them all up and destroyed them.

The last of the turnips have been harvested and pak choi, chicory and carrots are still being harvested.

Blog Pages Updated

Plot Gallery,
Master Plan,
Sow and Harvest Dates.

Today I will mostly be updating you of the current growth on my 3 back garden vegetable plots.

Plot 1

Still Growing and ready for harvest: Pak Choi, Turnips, Chicory and Carrots.
Not ready for harvest yet: Mini Leeks.

Plot 2

Still growing and not ready for harvest yet: Spring Hero and Advantage Cabbages. (Due to harvest March/April 2008 - Cabbages currently require some thinning as they are too close together).

Plot 3

Still Growing and ready for harvest: Pak Choi.
Not ready for harvest yet: Lambs Lettuce, Overwinter Peas and Broad beans.

Broad Beans and Overwintering Peas Update

Here is an updated picture of my 'The Sutton' Broad beans which were sown on 17 November 2007 (6 weeks ago), they have just broken through the surface of the soil and the first leaf is opening on most of the seeds. I'm quite happy to see them appear as Plot 3 is not covered with fleece and we have had some severe frosts recently.

Heres my overwintering peas as well.

Roundup 2007

I have really enjoyed growing vegetables, writing the updates for my vegetable plots and taking the photos for the stages of growth for my blog. It has all been very valuable experience starting out from scratch with my three raised vegetable plots in April 2007. I have learned alot by just jumping in and trying things out for myself.

I highly recommend anyone tries growing their own vegetables. My advice is just give it a go!

I was surprised that within a few months of sowing, that the harvesting of vegetables begins and then continues throughout the summer. My most memorable vegetable grown this year was the Runner Bean and the massive harvest that was still going for months, we ate loads of them, froze them, gave them to away to family and there was still loads left.

Look Ahead to 2008

So I have now turned my attention to what I will be growing next year in 2008. I will shortly be publishing on my blog, a schedule of months that I will be starting to sow some different vegetables like parsnips, brussel sprouts, barlotti beans and different varieties of potatoes in buckets, so stay tuned or click here to subscribe to my blog to get updates via email.

I would like to say a big thanks to all readers, subscribers and people who have commented on my blog/posts this year.

Best Wishes and happy growing for the New Year!
Regards Tracey.

I also sowed some Pea First Early Douce Provence Seeds in a small quarter in Plot 3 as well.

Week 32 - 17.11.07 - Vegetable Growing Updates:

• Cabbages - Both Advantage and Spring Hero varieties showing good growth,
  
• Pak Choi and Turnips are still being harvested, theres only so much I can do with a turnip!
  
• Lambs Lettuce - Growing well without a fleece cover.
  
• First Autumn King 2 Carrot of a reasonable size harvested today but I will leave the others in the ground to grow larger.
  
• Xmas Potatoes in Buckets/Pots harvested - A good small bagful of Maris Peer New Potatoes from 3 patio buckets. I had to harvest them as the soil in the buckets was getting too wet which caused the foliage to rot. I think the frost killed the foliage as well. Note for next year, put buckets in a sheltered pot and not out in the open.
  

Blueberry Bushes
I bought two blueberry bushes 'Goldtraube' varieties from the local garden centre which should produce some lovely giant blueberries next year for me. I planted them in pots with Ericaceous (acidic) compost and have placed them by the back of the house wall to protect them from harsh weather.

Click here for Week 32 Pictures of my 3 Plots to see how they are progressing.

Today I will mostly be wrapping up my veggy plot and potato tubs in horticultural fleece. With the windy weather this was not the most easiest of jobs. Once I finally got the fleece down over the plot and pegged it down with large rocks, I realised I would need a way of removing it in the mornings without it blowing away from me.

Top Tip- When removing your fleece from the plot or raised bed in the mornings, remove the rocks/pegs and use a length of bamboo cane to roll the fleece up onto the cane so that you can store this at the side of the plot or upright in a shed if removing completely. It is then easy to re-lay over your plot before nightfall.

Heres my plot before, mid-fleece and after fleece.

Updates on Plot

• Cabbage caterpillars have gone and my cabbages have put on a spurt of growth for winter.
• Whitefly have moved from my cabbages onto my turnip leaves which I'm not worrying about as the turnips will be picked as and when I need them.
• All sweet baby peppers have been picked and eaten. They were lovely. I will definately be growing some better and bigger varieties next year.
• I'm still waiting for my broad beans and pea seeds to come through the post.

Frost bitten Potatoes in pots

My poor potatoes in buckets on the decking have been frost bitten. I completely forgot to cover them over with fleece this past week. I have now covered them with fleece for nights and fingers crossed they will be ok now.

Find out How To Grow Potatoes in Pots for next March here (buy the tubers Dec - Feb from online suppliers).

I have mostly been harvesting this week:

• Baby Turnips - Atlantic (as pictured at top of this post) Sow to Harvest: 8-10 weeks,
• Radishes - French Breakfast - Sow to Harvest: 4 weeks
• Pak Choi - Riko - Sow to Harvest: 8-10 weeks
• Sweet Baby Peppers - Sow to Harvest: 25 Weeks
• Chicory - Pain de sucre - Sow to Harvest: 10 weeks harvesting leaves
• Lettuce - Tin Tin (from summer sowings)

Plot Pictures Update
Click here to see my Plot pictures update for week 28.

Today I was mostly cutting down my runner bean mountain.

It has come to the end of the runner bean producing cycle. The beans left on the plant are stunted, yellow and are showing no signs of fattening up anytime soon so this has forced me into cutting down the structure to make way for my broad beans (Sutton variety) and overwintering peas (If I ever get them as they are currently floating around the postal system somewhere).

As the beanstalks had curled themselves around the canes, the best way I saw to remove them was to cut the plants off at the base of the plant near the bottom of the cane and then cut the stems near the pole going upwards and pulling off the plants.

I have left the runner bean roots in the ground so they can fix all the nitrogen and give the soil a nutrient boose overwinter. The roots are doing the hard work for me otherwise I would have had to dig more manure into the bed for next years veg. Its all very clever really.

Whitefly Pest News

Cabbages
I am still quite concerned about my holey cabbages, I have found fewer green caterpillars on the plants this past week but now I have a problem with whitefly and it is all over the backs of the leaves.

Carrots and Turnips
The whitefly is now congregating on my carrot leaves and on the underside of my turnip leaves. This pest is becoming a real pain to deal with by picking off by hand.

Solution
I went through the plot picking off and squishing whitefly and now I am trying an organic solution which I have seen on a few forums now. I have put a 2 squirts of washing up liquid into my 7 litre watering can and stirred well. Then watered over the affected plants in plot 1 and 2. I will keep you posted if this worked or not.

Mini Vegetables

Heres my mini vegetable feast:

I had estimated my carrots to be ready to harvest this week but when I picked one out of the ground I realised they were no where near ready. I don't think I calculated the harvest date correctly and definately didn't take into consideration the less light and heat at this time of the year! So I picked a few turnips and a radish to add to my mini veg harvest. Just think, in a top restaurant these slim pickings would be used in a gourmet meal!

Please see below for pictures of the current status of my 3 plots.

I left some runner beans on the plant for weeks (longer than usual) so the beans inside the runner pods can form, you can actually see and feel the seeds for size after a while. Wait until the seeds are large then they will be mature. I then picked the beans and peeled back the outershell to harvest the bean seeds ready for sowing next year. I also need to dry them so I will put them in a brown bag in the airing cupboard and according to Garden Organic - See link here, the seeds last up to 3 years.

Pest Problems
Leatherjackets, cranefly, daddylong legs have been all over my plot these last two weeks and they are all congreagating under my environmesh netting and in my runner bean mountain. They are a bit of an annoyance as I have to herd them out but they don't seem to be doing any damage to my veggies so thats ok.

Heres my plot update pictures for week 25:
I thinned my Pak choi and Turnip last week (Plot 1 - 2 rows at the bottom of the picture) and the rain this week has helped them grow stronger.

Also updated are my slideshows of individual vegetables and their stages of growth, check out my Pak Choi, chicory, mini leeks and autmn carrots progress and more here.

And heres the pepper colour change update:

My tomato plants dispite looking very dishevelled because I have occassionally forgotten to water them are still producing a harvest of red and yellow fruit.

My Maris Peer xmas potatoes have loved the recent warm weather and have shot up above the pot with just 3 weeks of growth. I have now earthed them up with compost to the top of the pots.

Crops Progress

• Mini Leeks - 10 weeks growth and growing strong as they are protected behind the chicory. Estimated Harvest Date: 27 Oct after 15 weeks growth.
• Chicory - 10 weeks with lots of leaf growth and no slugs!.... yet. Estimated Harvest Date: 13 Oct after 13 weeks.
• First sowing of Autumn King 2 Carrots - 10 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: 13 Oct after 13 weeks.
• Second sowing of Autumn King 2 Carrots - 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: 17 Nov after 13 weeks.
• Turnip (Atlantic) - 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: 27 Oct after 8-10 weeks.
• Pak Choi - 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: 17 Nov after 13 weeks.
• Cabbage - Advantage (spring greens) - 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: December after 20 weeks.
• Cabbage - Spring Hero - 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: April/May 2008

Reminder of Cold Weather on the way.

After watching BBC1's Countryfile on Sunday I saw the temperatures over the UK would be tumbling this week which reminded me to buy some fleece. I bought some Horticultural Fleece for the vegetable plot and my potato buckets 3m x 6m for £5.28 incl P&P from Ebay seller 'All Seasons Gardener'.

Below are the Week 23 picture updates of my 3 vegetable plots.