The dip

   The previous owners of my property kept weather records which I also carried on doing for a good number of years. They recognised that in our little micro climate we get a dip in the temperature at the start of May. This week end has seen that dip again although this year no frost. The approach of these couple of days I have to ensure any sprouting potatoes covered up and it can be a challange to find enough dirt! Lol.

    So what has been happening this week? The early purple sprouting has been removed and the ground they occupied weeded and forked ready for sowing probably haricot vert. One of the onion/shallot beds, a big one, was weeded. Greyhound cabbage sown in the poly tunnel have been transplanted to the brassica bed to join the french variety Poet ones. Both are a "pointy" summer cabbage. Mangtout is up and the peas are starting to climb! The initial sowing of early purple spouting, Great Lakes lettuce, Di Jesi cauliflower and Evesham special Brussels sprouts failed and I have resown outside the poly tunnel. Fingers crossed! Champ Jens Orange and Champ Noire Crimee tomato seed sown in the poly tunnel also failed. I have resown using a propagator module and am hoping that it is not the seed that are past their best! The most successful tomato this year has been the Auroa bush tomato. Looks like I will see lots of bush tomatoes in the garden this season. Blackwater Mountain water melon have been a propagator success and I have many now in pots in the poly tunnel. Being in the poly tunnel will slow them up. The sweet corn sown last week in modules in the poly tunnel are already up.

   Due to the fact that chicken love to scrabble in piles of dirt I have shut my main flock in. They still have a large area to explore etc. This is because I know they will demolish my efforts at covering up the potatoes. It will only be for a few days until we get past the last threat of frost and I am happy to let them out. Egg production slightly down, average of 5.86 eggs a day this week.

Potatoes starting to show