I'll admit it - just like every year, I've fallen behind with my vegetables. I have grand plans when it's February and I have all the time in the world. But when the sun appears, the weeds start to grow and life gets in the way (especially going from self employed to a new 50+ hour a week job), my vegetables tend to suffer.
Still....I HAVE managed to get some stuff growing.
My raised beds are mostly devoted to salad crops this year. It wasn't as I intended, but it's come to be. I have six crops at the moment; two in each bed. Radishes, rocket, Tom Thumb lettuces, tomatoes, Salad Bowl Red lettuces and spring onions.
Half-decent radishes this year. The key is low fertility.
Spring onions almost ready to pull.
I have tomatoes both outdoors and in the greenhouse.
Salad Bowl Red lettuces look fab when mixed with other greens.
The wonderful thing with raised beds is that it keeps weeding and pests to a minimum. The downside? Irrigation. Boy, those things dry up fast. At the moment not only do I not have an automated drip waterer but I don't even have a hose because of the shortage of appropriate taps in the house. So every night, it's me...up and down the garden with a 10L watering can!
My vegetables aren't solely contained to the raised beds. I have a thin bed with the broad beans in. They're now going over and ready for picking and I think I'll put carrots in their place. They'll be late starting but I should get a crop of smallish carrots by the end of the year. I also need to put in some overwintering kale and cabbages, as well as leaving space for spinach.
In the greenhouse I have more tomatoes and on top of the chick hutch I have my aubergines and sweet peppers. It's the sunniest spot in the garden and they're thriving. There are also some young red-veined sorrel, parsley and lambs lettuce plants in the conservatory. Lastly, I also have a number of French beans that I've just transferred. Oh, and I have cucumbers on the pergola's in the drive.
Young lambs lettuces, red-veined sorrel and parsley to be transplanted.
All being said, for my lack of care, I don't think 11 types of vegetable is a bad haul, especially as I have more planned.
But now...for you? I'd love to hear what YOU'RE GROWING. Pop me a comment with your vegetable successes this year and let me know where in the world you are too!
Thanks for reading,
Geoff
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