A few pics from July 2012

The courgettes and sweetcorn have been enjoying the end of July heat-wave



Another month to fill out and these cobs will be ready to harvest, come on sun!



But only a few days for this courgette to be ready!



Good to see some weed free crops at last, (although I don't get to see my husband and weed-free crops, it's one or the other!)
the wet spring/summer has meant lots of weeding this year



And rainbow chard looking lovely too!



Looks like a lovely patch of wild flowers full of bees and other wildlife,
 but it's actually 2 beds of carrots that didn't get weeded (can't win them all)

Brassicas in 'Prescott' field
 (these fields used to be part of Wye College farm, and 3 of the fields are named after former principals,
as well as John, there's also  'Holmes' and 'Lucas')
These plants survived the wireworm, sadly many of the squash plants didn't.



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's Happening in May (part 2)

No significant rain now since March 17th and over the last week or so only the occasional shower giving us the odd mm or two of rain we can't put off transplanting for any longer. We are using T-Tape (trickle tape) laid along rows of crops for irrigation. This is a long process as our water pressure only allows us to irrigate 2 or 3 rows at a time. We do usually have to do this for selected crops, depending on the weather, but with no significant rain due yet we're going to have to continue irrigating all transplants for now 

Irrigating kale



and leeks




Young plants ready to be transplanted





onions in Olantigh Fields, newly transplanted leeks to the right




New Season's rainbow chard soon ready to harvest

 

2nd outdoor sowing of carrots, in need of hand-weeding (they have already been weeded between the rows using a tractor mounted hoe

...and here are the carrots after hand-weeding

Cucumber, peppers and aubergines recently transplanted into a polytunnel



Working very dry ground for llek transplants