Flowering

Produce is in full flower at the moment. Mange tout and the potatoes in particular. Everything is struggling with the dry and very hot weather. (24 degrees!) Been watering every other day to keep everything tip top. Bloody hard work with watering cans but that's allotment rules.

My broad beans are still dying rather rapidly. I haven't got the foggiest why they seem to be wilting so badly but I have managed to get a half decent crop from them. Probably the only crop I will get this year unfortunately.

The latest spell of fantastic weather also means that I can't dig any more for planting. That means no squashes this year unless the weather cools a bit. It is unbearable enough just weeding in high temperatures so I'm definitely not digging! Ugh!

I've planted some sweetcorn and some very late runner beans but hopefully they should do okay. Fingers crossed!





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Funny beans

I'm concerned about my broadbeans. I have pulled up 2 plants as the leaves have all died and look like they have a disease. I've gone through all my books and can't fathom out why they look burnt. There is zero blackfly on them so it can't be that. Funnily enough the pods aren't affected so I really am at a loss to figure out why they look so dead! It's a mystery!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Birds, beans and berries

Well the birds have certainly taken a liking to my produce again. They are probably at the top of my enemy list along with dandelions and slugs. Although the latter are yet to make a significant impact on my crops yet. Only a hint of them on the strawberries so far.

Unfortunately I have to keep replanting my climbing French beans as they have been nibbled too much by the birds. The same with my red currants. The birds completely trampled my netting to get to the fruit! Vicious animals! They really are a nuisance.

On the positive side my potatoes just look amazing. I think the added compost really helped this year. The broad beans have no sign of blackfly which is just short of a miracle and only one mange tout plant has sufffered in our recent heatwave.

Going to try and get some space ready for the runner beans today. I'm very much behind everyone else in planting those!

























I passed this cage full of brassicas on the way out of the allotment. Someone had put a tyre and a stuffed monkey hanging from the inside with a polite notice to "not feed the monkey". Allotment humour!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone