A Good Year in the Garden

[kenneal - lagger]

Just dug up some spuds for dinner and they are rooting. The buds on our willow trees are breaking and we have some leaves, albeit very small ones.

Spring is here!!!

I spoke too soon there on January 26th! We are just about catching up after spells of cold and extremely dry weahter. Things have probably averaged out but it hasn't been good for growing at all.

[BritDownUnder]

A frost today in the garden. Not a bad one but a frost nonetheless. I don't think there was one last year.
Minimum air temperature in the greenhouse was +3.6C - maximum is still over 30. I put some spinach and potatoes in on Saturday and a cat pooped on the freshly dug potato bed. Thanks.

[Catweazle]

This year is a strange one. Grass is growing like mad, local farmers have already done 2 cuts for silage, and their pyramids of wrapped round bales are the biggest I've seen. My fields which I don't usually cut until August are just about impassable with grass, dock, and thistles growing about 5 feet tall in places. Rushes are taking over the pig enclosure, but enough grass is sprouting to keep them fed.

The path to our small orchard is impassable for the first time, nettles and brambles have eaten it, so I had to jump the pig fences to check it today. Raspberries seem to have "reset" after the May frost and decided to start the year again - there is masses and masses of new green growth on the bushes of the early varieties, and the late variety which should fruit in September is ripe now. Apples and pears are getting colour, but way too small to eat. Some plum trees have no fruit at all, some are covered.

Grass has all but swallowed my herbs, due to me not weeding for a month, in my defence I've never seen grass and weeds grow this quickly before.

I don't think I'll be harvesting much this year apart from hay.

[Catweazle]

In the nick of time, the scythe finally arrives:

[Potemkin Villager]

Yes the grass and weeds are thriving. Doesn't look like there will
be a glut of apples this year after last years bumper harvest.

Having to water my spuds which is becoming a more common activity every year.

[clv101]

In the nick of time, the scythe finally arrives:

You could have just popped over to Phil to pick it up.

[Catweazle]

In the nick of time, the scythe finally arrives:

You could have just popped over to Phil to pick it up.

I know, I suggested that but my son ordered it online. He tracked the package, it went from just down the road to Swansea and back here again.

[Catweazle]

I'll admit to being surprised at how efficient the 75cm scythe is. One problem though, I'm only 5'10 and my lad is over 6'6. One scythe does not fit all

[adam2]

Reports from various neighbours.

1) Large scale free range beef farmer, Animals are putting on weight at a good rate, plenty of grass in upper fields. Lower field still waterlogged but will make good grazing later in the Summer.

2) Market gardener, grows strawberries and other produce under glass reports an excellent year so far.

3) A family living on the Exmoor borders, own garden pretty much a failure, but it never was any good. Local dairy farms on which family members work, reported to be doing well.

[BritDownUnder]

Summer is well on the way down under and I put in a new (actually replacement) raised bed today and yesterday. Potatoes planted in mid-June are doing well but got knocked over somewhat by some otherwise welcome rain. Spinach and tomatoes continue to be eaten by the wife although she has declined to eat the rocket I planted in the greenhouse. The tomatoes are now on the wane for some reason but lettuce thrives.

I took carrots and cabbage out of the raised bed I replaced (wood was rotting and needs drying and repainting) and replaced it with an Australian made steel one. They were not fully grown but tasted OK but the carrots were not as orange as the ones in the shops - maybe a different variety perhaps?

A bumper season of citrus with my son eating up to six mandarins a day since mid June and they have just ran out. Oranges and lemons OK too but not used as much.

Peas grew well but beans not so much during the short winter. Not sure why the beans were not so good. Asparagus has just started sprouting new shoots.

[Catweazle]

Caterpillars have absolutely decimated my cabbages in three days. Never seen so many in one place, little black ones and fat green ones.

[kenneal - lagger]

We have been very lucky with butterflies and brassicas and have no problems at all, probably because we put the plants out very late on. Hopefully not to late so that they don't get big enough to eat.

I've seen what I thought is a Black Rat around one of our polytunnels in the last couple of days. It's quite small and definitely black.

Our tomatoes in said polytunnel are huge but taking an age to ripen. I'm about to take all the leaves off the plants to get the light to the fruit.

[clv101]

Caterpillars have absolutely decimated my cabbages in three days. Never seen so many in one place, little black ones and fat green ones.

Yep, we've had more caterpillars on the cabbages, kale, PSB this year than ever before.
We've also had more bird damage. Pesky biodiversity!

[Catweazle]

When my young grandchildren were here a couple of weeks ago they were amazed at the number of butterflies on the buddleia, I travelled back to Kent with them and was amazed at the lack of butterflies on buddleia there. I guess we have a very butterfly friendly setup here, which is nice, but I can't help feeling a bit miffed about my cabbages, they've been stripped back to the bones.

Next year I'm going to net them.

[BritDownUnder]

I have had butterfly problems and from about now onwards is the time of year when they become an issue. Spraying is required with a supposedly natural-based chemical spray. Netting the plants and also some work running round with a butterfly net catching them can help too and gives one a sense of satisfaction crushing them underfoot. I also have a 'gun' that you pack with sand and can shoot them and blow their wings off.