September, Spud Harvest Time

September is Spud harvest time, so far we have been harvesting them as needed, but all the maincrop potatoes should be harvested over the next few weeks now ready for winter storage. A sunny, not too wet September will keep us happy, the squash will ripen, the tomatoes and peppers in the polytunnels will keep cropping and we can harvest potatoes anytime we're not harvesting and packing orders.  

Potato harvester in action at Ripple, with one tractor pulling the machine, one driving alongside filling wooden bin as the spuds come off the belt, and 4 workers on top, sorting the clods and stones from the spuds.



Plenty of wooden bins still
to be filled, the 'Long Plantation' woods in the background.



'Amorosa' - reds and 'Valor' - whites



The harvester goes back to the workshop for minor repairs, Wye Crown claerly seen here looking up from 'Orchard Field' spinach, late sown leeks and kales under cover bottom right.

Stripy spinach - the central darker green rows are true spinach, and the outer, lighter green are perpetual spinach

Early leeks, irrigated back in the drought of April/May, and now ready to harvest,
looking pretty as a picture amongst the poppies

This year's squash crop is not looking so good after a relatively cool summer, many plants died in the cool conditions after planting, and those that are there still need more sun to ripen up.



Crown Prince squash, not yet ripe...



and butternut..

Whats Happening July 2011

First it was too dry, then too wet (no pleasing us vegetable growers!) but then conditions were just right, so the last couple of weeks have seen us transplanting in every spare moment, (well, when we're not harvesting, packing or weeding that is) and we're almost caught up now.

These leeks were transplanted (and then irrigated) during the 'drought' and are now doing well



We finally got good enough ground conditions to plant our squash (not too dry, not too wet),
what they need now is lots of sun

Less watering to do as the number of plants still in plug trays lessens

The 'Hungarian Hot Wax' Chillies get going

And the tomatoes start to redden.

Rainbow and Green Chard plants just transplanted, we should be able to harvest chard from these plants through to next Spring, as long as thwey survive the winter (once they get a bit bigger that is!)

Our frindly 'Hawk Kite' bird scarer keeping the pigeons off our kales.

Lovely, almost weed-free rows of Cos lettuce

What we should be doing - June 2011

It's almost the end of June, and we still have hundreds of squash plants ready to be transplanted, but dare we say it, it's been a bit wet and cool over the last couple of weeks!!

But here we are in action, transplanting courgettes and sweetcorn a few weeks ago before the rain came, both these crops like a bit of sun, and the courgettes particularly dislike cold nights and windy days so aren't doing too well at the moment.

Courgette plants in plug trays

David Brown tractor loaded up with plants

Martin driving and checking the transplanting is going OK

Jane enjoying her work!

Jane and Sam on the transplanter feeding the sweetcorn plants in.
 For crops that we grow 3 rows to a bed, there will be a third person on the transplanter

Lovely, neat rows of transplaneted sweetcorn and courgettes