Update

It’s getting a bit exciting now….5 days to the Champions League Final……c’mon you reds!

I wish things were a little more exciting in the veg garden. My re-sown long carrots have come through very sparse and patchy so that’s one crop I may well be struggling with this season. My first batch didn’t germinate because of the cold nights in early April and this second batch struggled because of the heat as I couldn’t keep the surface of the sand permanently moist. Out of 46 ‘stations’ only about 25 or so have come through so far. I lost 3 of my leeks to some strange little maggots that were eating away below soil level but the rest appear to be growing away quite strongly.

On the plus side all of my stump rooted carrots (Sweet Candle) came through in the first two beds and a 3rd bed I sowed last weekend should be through soon. My onions growing in the greenhouse borders look healthy enough and are starting to swell. The pots of shallots that I reduced to two are swelling and ripening nicely after a potash feed. All my other crops (cabbages, celery, tomatoes, brussels, peppers, runner beans, potatoes, parsnips) are pretty much where I’d expect them to be.

The next few weeks will be very busy as I try to get everything hardened off and planted.