Disclaimer: I’m a professional anaesthetist, not a professional gardener. I do a bit of gardening and cycling in my spare time. I have grown veggies for many years and have learnt what works for me (sometimes!). These are my ramblings! I would be honoured to be corrected / advised by those with more knowledge than me!
So that’s me back from a week away at work.
Before I left last weekend, I had sown the vast majority of my various crops for this year and some of them were just starting to sprout. This is a very delicate stage of the plants life, as even a day or two of extreme heat or cold, or too much (or too little) water can murder these delicate little plants and kill an entire crop. This would mean having to start from scratch all over again and re-sow all of the seeds. Yes, I have to admit, this has happened a few times in previous years and can set back the growing schedule by a few weeks or more. Much grumpiness then ensues. When you live in the far North of Scotland and have ridiculously short growing season this delay can be the difference between a crop not ripening before the first frosts and a complete failure of harvest. I had left my entire crop in the care of “The Boss”, along with suitable instructions as to the required care. So, I think you might be able to understand that it was with some trepidation that I went outside on my return to see how my “wee plants” were doing (or not!). I think that I have to clarify here, for the sake of my health, that the trepidation was not related in any way to the abilities of “The Boss” but rather to the potential of a crop failure!! 😉 😜
I am delighted to report that all is well, perhaps even better than I could have kept it (No – “The Boss” did not instruct me to write that! 😂🤣) – maybe I should retire from gardening as well! Ah! – that has just been vetoed by the Security Council!
So, a wee tour and update then!
Firstly, in the Greenhouse:
The early potatoes (Casablanca) in the growbags are coming along really well and looking very healthy indeed.
This is a new variety which I am trying this year, as for some reason I could not get hold of our favourite (Winston) seed potato – I presume there has been a problem with the production process this year, disease or some other such disaster!
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Casablanca is a new, multi-purpose first early potato with a smooth white skin, shallow eyes and a creamy flesh. It is a handsome potato, that is rapidly becoming the exhibitors favourite, while chefs are lapping it up because it is a dream to chip, bake or boil. It shows an excellent resistance to blackleg and it has been said that it can produce an edible crop just 62 days after planting.
The RHS has awarded Casablanca the prestigious “RHS Award of Garden Merit (RHS AGM)”.
The Casablanca are certainly miles ahead of the other variety of potato I am growing this year, Picasso.
This is also in a grow bag in the greenhouse and was planted at exactly the same time as the Casablanca.
Picasso has also been awarded the RHS AGM. An impressive, improved variety derived from older Cara variety. It is a main-crop potato with a yellow skin, prominent red eyes (hence the name) good common scab resistance and suitable for long term storage. It produces huge yields of waxy fleshed tubers with good all round disease and drought resistance making it a garden and allotment favourite. A versatile variety in the kitchen,particularly for baking and mashing.
The onion sets continue to grow nicely and will be ready to plant out into the garden in the next couple of weeks.
Strawberries in the greenhouse are also way ahead of the ones in the garden. Looking really healthy and even some flowers already. Might have some delicious strawberries soon!😋
Microveg is looking brilliant and tasting just as good. We will be having some of this for lunch!
A week makes all the difference!
Last week, I showed the photo at the top of seed trays in which I had sown various seeds.
This week, the miracle of nature has happened. They are alive! Seedlings have sprouted from bare soil. It never ceases to amaze me!
In these seed trays, we have: Beetroot (Boltardy = red and Burpees Golden = yellow) and some peas (Early Onward) to, hopefully give us an early crop of peas. I will plant further successional showings of peas directly into the garden to hopefully give us a longer cropping season.
Again most of the Brassicas have sprouted during this week.
The Brussels Sprout (Marathon) and summer cabbage (Caraflex) are both looking great. The winter cabbage (Tundra) is a bit slower – hopefully within the next few days 🤞
In this seed tray, to the right, there is also a row of Chard (Bright Lights) and a row of Perpetual Spinach. Both of these have germinated well 😁
The two pots with Leeks (Musselburgh and Below Zero) have grown on nicely since last week and are looking much stronger.
Today, I’ve sown a bowl of Spicy Lettuce to continue the succession of salad leaves
In the Garage
Yes! In the garage……
………. because I have run out of space and electrical outlets in the greenhouse, I am trying an experiment this year.
I have sown all of my squashes etc in their propagator in the garage. I would normally put the propagator in the greenhouse. Because it is dark in the garage, I have added special plant lighting to the top of the propagator. Here goes: 🤞
So 10 days on, and the magic is happening. Most have sprouted and are looking great. My only concern is that they are perhaps a bit on the leggy side. This might indicate a lack of light, however they are a good strong green colour which I think counters this argument. I will watch them closely 👀 🕵️♂️ 🔎
In the Veggie Garden (Allotment)
Garlic – I promised you a photo last week, so here you are. Two different varieties, all looking good. Super-granny (my mum) and Super-Nanny (Helen’s mum) both love their garlic and this is their bed in the Allotment – tended to by me, of course!
Potato beds for 2023
So today, I prepared three 2.4 x 1.2 meter raised beds for the potato crop to be planted into for this coming year.
The photos in the top row shows the beds after winter. Still looking pretty good. Some moss, a few weeds, slightly compacted but OK.
I use the no-dig method for my veggie growing because it is less work and better for my back 😂🤣. Well yes, but also, apparently you get better crops this way and it’s better for the soil.
So, just a light hoeing of the superficial layer to aerate, get rid of weeds etc and we have pictures in the second row.
I then put a layer of black weed-control fabric over the soil. This serves three purposes: it looks neat; it reduces weed growth, and probably most important at this stage, it warms the soil. Now, being the North of Scotland with frequent severe winds, the fabric is stapled to the wood of the raised beds and large pegs are driven through it into the ground – I really don’t fancy chasing off down the road after a billowing tent of fabric.
The potato’s are chitting in the greenhouse (see last week’s blog). I hope to get them planted out into the beds in a week or two.
Strawberry beds in the “fruit cage”
In the top picture are the over-wintered strawberry beds. It’s all looking rather tatty with all the dead leaves etc. I find it’s best to clear away all of these dead leaves etc before the new leaves get going. This allows better aeration of the plants and fruit and hopefully better crops with less fungal rotting.
I have also added a good layer of compost / mulch this year as our crops were dwindling over the last year or two despite adding some new plants – I think due to depleted soil. The mulch will serve two purposes. Obviously 🙄 it will feed the plants, but it has also acted as a good medium for the strawberry runners to root into at the end of last year. So helpfully we will also get a good number of young fresh vigorous plants coming through to provide us with better crops as the older ones fail. This seems to happen to plants in a similar manner to humans as they age!
And finally – couldn’t resist! Just outside the Veggie Garden!
Daffs! Magnificent!
It’s a busy, but exciting, time for veggie growers. Lots happening!
See you next time!
Dr Doug (Douglas) McKendrick 