Sunday 6 May 2012

Some Things Are Doing Well

Even though many things have been held back in the garden this year due to the cold spell we've experienced, it's not all doom and gloom. These are the potatoes which I'm growing in containers. As you can see, the foliage has reached well above the top of the container and looks nice and healthy. These are Arran Pilot, a variety I grew last year which did very well for me, but I've also got a few Nicola. I'm hoping that things are growing just as well below the soil, and that I get a decent haul.

Last weekend, I sowed my sweetcorn and squash. These are quite tender so I've kept them indoors on a windowsill rather than outside in the cold greenhouse. I'm pleased to say that most of the sweetcorn has now germinated, though I'm still waiting for any sign of the squash. It's early days yet. The sweetcorn I've gone for this year is Sweet Bounty, this is one I haven't tried before. The squash I'm growing are Sunburst, Uchiki Kuri and Blue Kuri.

It's bright and sunny today, and much warmer than it has been just lately. Ideal gardening weather, though we won't get much done as we're in the middle of decorating at the moment. It's typical that the weekend we decide to give the hall, stairs and landing a make over, the weather decides to play ball.

20 comments:

  1. Hi Jo, it is raining here again so no gardening, the girls are looking like drowned rats! Hopefully things will start to improve soon it is driving me crazy not being able to get out in to the garden!

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  2. Hurrah for potatoes - at least something is actually growing. Most other things I have planted are fairly static, the same size as when I put them in. Today has been lovely - a bit of warmth will help I'm sure.

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  3. Still waiting for signs of my squash and courgettes too Jo. Fingers crossed they'll be up soon. Your spuds are looking great. It won't be long before you're tucking into them.

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  4. the good old dependable potato, what would we do with out it!, my sweetcorn are going outside in the green house this weekend as the weather here although wet the tempratures are not to bad.

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  5. It has been good to have a couple of fairly goode days isn't it, Jo?

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  6. Where's all this sunshine you write about? Not here, that's for sure. It's been grey, wet an COLD here most of the last week. Some of my potatoes are looking nearly as good as yours, so I think we can agree that potatoes (or at least their foliage) like wet conditions!

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  7. Bright and sunny? That's not right! Please send our south coast weather back.

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  8. Well done, at least there are some things on the go so to speak.
    You've seen my post so know how little I've done again last week. Flighty xx

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  9. Those potatoes look great....mine are only just starting to show above the ground. I sowed my sweetcorn a couple of weeks ago and still waiting for some to germinate!!

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  10. Those potatoes are looking great - hopefully the same can be said for the below the ground action. I always find potatoes like more food than I think they do, my best results are always those ones that I actually feed....actually its not that strange is it? Hope the weather stay nice and sunny for you - its beeen grey here for the past week and I'd love a bit of sun.

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  11. Those spud plants are looking very good. Mine broke ground just last week, so I've started to earth up. I'm assuming all this rain is going to mean a bumper harvest? My squash seeds were sown a week or so ago. All up bar the Uchicki Kuri. Currently debating with myself whether to go for a furtle or just sow a couple more. Rain has started again today so it's college work and household chores for me!

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  12. We've been really lucky this weekend, Wigglywoo. It was a gorgeous day yesterday, and although it's raining now, it's been fine all morning. Your poor chickens will be looking forward to getting out in their run without getting wet too.

    I had a few things germinate yesterday, Elaine, a little sunshine works wonders. Potatoes like a good watering though so I hope we all get bumper crops this year.

    I can't wait for the first home grown potatoes of the year, Wellywoman, cooked with a little mint and lashings of butter. It won't do my diet any good but I can't resist.

    The potato is so good on so many different levels, Stacy. I'm hoping to get my sweetcorn planted out sooner than I have other years as I haven't had a proper harvest since I got my allotment. I hope this year's going to be different.

    It's been great to have some nicer weather, Sue. I wish I could have taken better advantage of it, but we've managed to get a few things done in the garden so all's not lost.

    It's only the last couple of days that our weather's picked up, Mark, the rest of the week has been very similar to the conditions you describe. We may have seen the last of the sunshine again now though, it's raining again.

    It's not typical for Yorkshire, John, I agree. Especially when the rest of the country isn't having similar weather. Looks like we drew the long straw this time.

    I'm with you, Flighty, I haven't done much either for quite a while now. I think we're all in the same boat though this year.

    My sweetcorn has surprised me, Tanya, it was up within days. It's on a windowsill though so it's tucked up nice and warm at the moment. Some of my potatoes haven't been planted yet, I'm staggering them so that the harvests will be staggered too.

    I never feed my potatoes in containers, Liz. My theory is that I'm adding more compost, both bought in and home made, as they grow, and this has extra nutrients in it. I've always done well with my container grown spuds so far. It's raining again now, but the sunshine we've had over the last couple of days has been very welcome.

    Potatoes do like plenty of water, Jules, so I'm hoping it will be a bumper spud harvest this year. None of my squash seeds have germinated yet, but most other things have taken much longer than usual to germinate this year so I'm leaving well be for the time being.

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  13. Oh your potatoes are looking happy and healthy Jo :) Mine at the allotment are just beginning to break through the ground. Was there yesterday where the ones that escaped me last year have surprised me by coming into growth - must have a missed at least a couple of meals worth. Still to get my sweetcorn in - on the to do list for this week.

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  14. They do look lovely and healthy. I'm hoping that things will catch up soon after all this cold weather.
    Hope the rest of your weekend was good!

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  15. I'm feeling a bit behind as my squash and sweetcorn are still safe and warm in their seed packets. Perhaps I might risk some this week.

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  16. your potatoes look great!
    was earthing mine up today as this weather has them putting on a major spurt...
    my sweetcorn seedlings coped with being left in the cold for a week as my grow house blew away so i am currently considering putting them out into the plot, we shall see.

    read your blog through for the first time today and it is lovely, thank you!

    http://sylvansomethings.blogspot.co.uk

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  17. Isn't it reassuring when leaves start to appear, if only on the spuds? I'm also growing potatoes in containers; I've got a few of those green sacks plus some big pots. I put a couple of spares in the ground as well so that they break up the soil a bit. All my spuds are growing really quickly and the first lot have been earthed up in the sack 3 times now! I read the more you earth them up, the more you force a greater number of potatoes to grow? Sounds good anyway! Fingers crossed for your sweetcorn this year; my seedlings are just growing in modules and I'll wait for the weather to warm up a lot before they go out...

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  18. Healthy looking spuds! ;)
    I feel as if we're in limbo. I'm dying to get stuff out into the garden but each time I decide to make a move the weather goes bonkers. Everything sat in waiting in the polytunnel is going nuts and taking up space I want for indoor crops. Think I'll have to bite the bullet.

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  19. What a lovely sight - those potatoes look so healthy!

    I am so pleased to discover a fellow sufferer of "the sun only shines when I have to be indoors" syndrome.

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  20. It won't be long before I'm tasting the first home grown potatoes of the year, Anna. It's something I always look forward to. It's good to see that something's doing well in the funny weather we've had just lately.

    I think most things will catch up, Su, though some things may be later and we'll end up with a later harvest. I don't mind providing the plants do go on to produce.

    Both my squash and sweetcorn have now germinated, Martyn. I just need the weather to cooperate now.

    Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, Sylvan. I'm sorry to hear about your grow house, I hope you didn't lose anything. Potatoes like plenty of water so I think they're one thing that's doing good in the weather we're having.

    I'm not chancing my sweetcorn outside yet either, Caro. The weather needs to warm up a lot before I'll chance putting them out. Potatoes are great for breaking up the soil, they helped me out on my allotment.

    I think we're all in the same boat, Mo. If only the weather would warm up a little, at least some things could then go outside.

    It's happened again today, The Gardening Shoe, I'm indoors and the sun is shining. Fingers crossed that it holds out in to next week this time, I might be able to get a bit of gardening done then.

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