October Picture

The harvest is coming to an end. The sweetcorn has been eaten - yummy, and the runner beans are coming to an end - just a few more and that'll be it. Good thing too since some of the poles snapped in the recent winds and the whole lot have collapsed against the fence!

Just a few beetroot ans the winter squash to be fetched in. And last will be the parsnips but they need to wait until we've had a good hard frost!

Winners and Losers

Some things are doing really well in my patch of dirt - as you can see from these pictures - I've even added one from a different angle this month for you to see my main successes so far - my legumes and potatoes coming on a treat! With a bit of luck I'll be eating peas and broadbeans and maybe some new potatoes in only a matter of weeks!



My parsnips and sweet corn are also doing allright, even though they are still quite small.

But I have also had a couple of resounding failures. My carrots are a disaster! They germinated but now I only have a couple of plants! I've no idea why. Did something eat them? And I have only one cauliflower plant. I put them outside the greenhouse to harden off and the slugs munched them!!! Death to slugs!!! And as for my courgettes and squash - it was really sunny here on Monday and they were sat in the greenhouse while I was at work and when I got home they were all scorched and brown. Anyway, I've planted them out so we'll see what happens.

So to try to fill the gaps I've popped in a row of beetroot and some onions. I'll let you know what happens to them :-)

May Update

Here's what my patch of dirt looks like this month.

On the left you can see my legumes - broad beans, peas and runner beans, all coming on nicely. Behind them the potatoes are breaking the surface. You can't really see them but trust me - the carrots and parsnips are germinating, as are the onions. The sweet corn and squash will soon be ready to go in and in the greenhouse I'll be growing melons, peppers and plum tomatoes.

I feel hungry already. :-)

Rotations

My loyal slave calls round and I show him the progress I’ve been making with my veggie plot. I’ve been busy planting.

“Here are the potatoes,” I say. “And here are the broad beans and peas that I’ve just planted out.”

He nods approvingly.

I continue, “I’m using a four year rotation, so I’ve divided it into quadrants. I’ve just planted a row of carrots and a row of parsnips in that quarter and there’s enough room for a row of something else and I’m going to put sweet corn and squash in the last.”

“You mustn’t plant things in the same place two years running,” he says.

“Yes, that’s why I’m using a four year rotation.”

“It’s very important that you move things around. If you plant your carrots in the same place next year they won’t do well at all.”

“Isn’t that the point of a rotation,” I say.

“I think you should use a four year rotation here,” he informs me. “Next year you should plant your potatoes over there and your legumes over here.”

I give up.

“Thanks,” I say. “I’ll do that.”

Paul's Parsnips

"Would you like some parsnips?" says my mate Paul over a cup of tea at work.

Never one to turn down free food I nod. "Yes please."

"All right, I'll bring them up to your office."

When I finally get back to my desk my office mates look up.

"Paul was in looking for you," Nigel says.

"Oh good, did he leave me some parsnips?" I look around. There's nothing on my desk.

"Well he left you something," says Nigel.

He's pointing at a huge sack which has been propped up against my cupboard.

I go over and open it up. It's full to the brim with parsnips - but not any old parsnips. I pull one out.

"Good grief," I say. "Have you lot seen the size of Paul's parsnips? They're absolutely enormous."

I hold one up. It's massive.

"That's a parsnip?" exclaims Nigel. "How come mine are only half the size of that!"

The others snigger.

Definitely a case of parsnip envy!