Wednesday 29 July 2009

Rain Rain Go Away


I thought it was too good to be true when the Met Office issued their prediction of a long, hot summer. Apparently, they are now poised to revise this forcast. I had an idylic vision of spending day after day of the summer holidays down at the allotment, but so far, it's been a miracle if I've managed to get down there for half an hour without any rain. I made a quick dash to the allotment today, yes it was raining at the time, to harvest some courgettes and French beans for tea. The pumpkin on my son's patch has grown again since I was last there, and I didn't notice at the time, but if you look closely on the photo you will see a largeish piece of glass lying right next to it. I must remember to move this when I go down again, or else we'll have pierced pumpkin! This is the first year for years that we are not holidaying abroad. My hubby is a sun worshipper so we usually always head for the sun. This year I have persuaded him to stay in Britain, and on Friday we head off for Cornwall. After a week, we will be swapping this destination for North Devon for a second week. I'm really looking forward to it as I have never been to either county before, but if this weather continues, which looks likely, it doesn't look as though we'll be going back there in the near future. I can just imagine already what hubby will be saying - "We should have gone abroad"!


Last weekend we managed to get some serious weeding done, although it doesn't look like it in the photo. The brassica cage was opened up and that bed was cleared of weeds. It's definitely slugs which have been eating the brassicas. I found hundreds of those horrible tiny little slugs all over the leaves, and they have created quite an intricate lacy pattern on most of the leaves, great! The sweetcorn bed was also given a good weed. I underplanted the sweetcorn with squash as a variation on the three sisters system, thinking that the squash would suppress the weeds. It hasn't quite worked out though, as the squash don't really seem to have got going, and therefore, there were weeds a plenty.


I have harvested some of my potatoes, but all is not good. The smaller potatoes were fine, but any which had grown a little larger had small holes tunneled into them. A quick google has me thinking that Keeled Slugs may be to blame. I shall lift the rest of the potatoes before I go on holiday if I get the chance, to prevent any of the smaller tubers growing larger as it seems the bigger they get, the bigger the problem.


Work has started on the top end of the plot, which until last weekend hadn't been touched. The first job we have embarked on is clearing an area for the compost bins so that we have somewhere to put the spent plants once the harvest of each crop has finished. The ground just needs levelling off now before the compost bins get moved to their new home.

8 comments:

  1. Fingers and toes crossed for some good weather for you. But if you go in the sea, and I did, it doesn't matter if it rains!!!

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  2. Have a lovely holiday - I bet the rest of the courgettes will be big by the time you get home.

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  3. You have been busy with your veg plot. The weeding does take up time - our allotment has gone completely mad with all the rain and of course its a haven for slugs - the little blighters!
    We too are having a holiday in the UK this year - to Cornwall in September. We usually go to the South of France or Italy - oh well never mind, there is still a chance the weather may improve. In any case have a great holiday!

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  4. You sound like running up down with all the activities in the garden. it would be nice if rains come in as drizzles ... just enough for the grass and plants. Yes, sometimes not always.

    Hope for better day
    ~ bangchik

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  5. Wishing you good hols...we went away in britain last week and only had 1 day of rain where we stayed though I'm told it only stayed dry 1 day in my village but my allotment wasn't too bad after a week away from it!! Your plot is looking great and I will keep checking to see how you're getting on..

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  6. Hope the weather cooperates better for your Holidays than it has for your garden. I have some fun memories from Cornwall. We are rainy here today too.
    Good luck with the bugs.
    Kat

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  7. Doesn't look as though it's going to get much better, rain here again today.

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  8. The weather was very kind for us, Libby. We had a couple of days of rain, but it didn't spoil anything.

    Thanks, Allot Of Veg. Yes, everything has grown so much whilst we've been away.

    We had some good weather in Cornwall, Cottage Garden. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the sun in still shining for you in September.

    It's getting the quantities right, Bangchik. We need the rain for our plants, but we don't want too much of it.

    Thank you, Allotments4you. I'm glad to hear that you had good weather on your holiday too.

    The weather wasn't too bad at all in Cornwall, Kat. We had two days where it rained, but it didn't spoil it, we still found things to do.

    Hope you're getting some sunshine now, Re. The weather wasn't too bad at all in Cornwall and Devon so I hope things picked up for you.

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