Its tropical!

Wautoma cucumber

   Over the last week or so the weather has been tropical! On average the temperature during the day has been in the mid to upper 30C and at night in the low 20C and humid. Not good for transplanting lettuce as I found out to my cost. The plants just shrivelled up and turned to dust, almost literally, within twenty four hours. Anyway, other plants loved the hot weather. Courgettes, pumpkin, squash, melons, tomatoes all have grown well. There have been some days where I have not been able to work the garden and others where I have just "melted".
   In the poly tunnel the Wautoma cucumbers have gone mad and I expect to pick the first one by the 6th July. The sweet peppers have flowers and Nigel's Green chili has chili's! The tomatoes are doing well but I fear blight is 

Nigel's Green Chili

beginning to take a hold. Fingers crossed the tomatoes are advanced enough to produce fruit unlike last year where the blight very quickly wiped them out. The Wautoma cucumbers are looking fantastic.  I had to resow my savoy cabbage and swedes after the original sowing ended up in the bottom of one of the water butts! I have grown a new herb this year called Pipache (Mexican coriander) which I have now transplanted to pots and expect to plant out in the poly tunnel. I have taken advantage of the hot weather to dry some herbs and make some mixed herbs for the kitchen (Common thyme, marjoram, blue sage, golden oregano). I have another lot drying this time to include basil and parsley. 

   In the outside garden the chickens continue to play havoc with some crops. My beetroot took a hit and the small row of spinach. They love to make dust baths and their current favourite spots are at the end of a row of tomatoes and at the side of one of my butternut squash plants. I have tried to cover crops up but they are persistant and at the end of the day they do need to dust bathe so I tolerate it to a degree. I noticed that Troubadour and Black water water melons have set as have courgettes, pumpkins and squash. Early days but I am keeping my fingers crossed! There are lots of tomatoes and I am hopeful of a good crop from the outside plants. Of course the weeds are growing well but the grass has slowed up.

  As I come to finish this entry the weather has become more cool and thunder storms are passing over. Not a lot of rain has fallen. The garden could do with some even if only to ease my need to water!