Veg September
Life is a Roller Coaster
So summer has been a non event and at the time of writing we still await Team GB’s first gold medal. So here are a few highs and lows from the allotment plot.
A few weeks ago the blight did for my tomatoes. Brown patches appeared on the leaves and stems. I did not wait to see how far it would develop and as I share tunnel space (not wishing to be the cause of further infection) I took the drastic step of removing the forty or so plants and burning them.
Normally blight tends to infect tomatoes and potatoes grown in open ground. My plants were under cover but with this wet and humid summer the blight virus is so active it is affecting plants grown indoors.
All was not lost as I had a dozen pepper plants ready for potting up, so the ground was cleared and prepped and the peppers planted. I will also sow a mixture of winter salads and herbs to grow on for use later when the weather outside gets too cold.
It would seem that this summer has been a wash out and all of the things we hoped for on the plot have not neccesarily worked out. First of all, small seeds would not germinate and, even when vegetables like spinach did start to grow, they soon ran to seed.
But this can be turned into a plus; allowing some herbs and flowers to do this can be a positive, such as with caraway, dill, fennel and poppies whose seeds can all be harvested, dried and either used next year for sowing or be used in the kitchen.
All is not lost as the wet weather has helped to settle in the new raspberries planted earlier this year. Now is the time to remove spent canes on summer-fruiting raspberries and loganberries and train in the new for next year.
Autumn-fruiting raspberries can be cut back later after fruiting.
Also new fruit trees have been able to get their feet well in and are set to grow away next year.
This year I have grown all of my onions and shallots from seed and though the start was slow they are now beginning to move away. I sowed three or four seeds per module and did not thin but planted out each cluster, 6 inches apart. I am now very gently pulling the largest for current use and allowing the others to grow on for lifting later to eat during the winter.
In the past I have grown onions from sets; these are heat treated baby onions and in general yields have been good but they tend not to store to well and they do rot.
This technique of growing is a method I learnt from Charles Dowding, the new vegetable guru. So far it appears to work. I shall let you know if we are eating onions through the winter.
Sowing and planting
• There is still time to sow quick maturing salad crops such as summer lettuce, radish, sorrel, chicory, fennel and rocket. These can be sown between rows of winter vegetables like leeks and kale.
• Continue to sow spring cabbage, turnips, oriental vegetables.
General care
• Irregular watering can lead to problems with blossom end rot in tomatoes, splitting of root vegetables and flower abortion in runner beans. Help prevent this by watering well during dry spells.
• Weeds can also compete with vegetables for water, and act as hosts for pests and diseases, so remove regularly by hoeing and weeding.
• Marrows should be raised off the ground slightly, to prevent them rotting from contact with the soil. Some older leaves can be removed, if necessary, to maximise sun upon
First Published August 2012 By The Dart
