Sowing... A very quiet month as far as planting and sowing is concerned - a few 'follow on' salad seeds to make sure we have a continuous supply of lettuce, radishes, etc.
Harvesting... A full basket most days, and friends and neighbours who pop round usually collect a marrow to take home with them. We harvest the French dwarf beans frequently to encourage more to grow, similarly so for the runner beans. Most vegetables taste nicer when they are small, and whilst the carrots are growing very close together they still taste delicious - and the green tops are a treat for the pygmy goats who wait patiently outside the polytunnel door each time we harvest produce!!
Jobs... Whilst quiet on the sowing side, this month is very busy keeping on top of the rapid growth of the courgettes, pumpkin, squash, beans and peas. We 'pinch out' the top of the broad beans (literally pinch the soft top 5cm or so between finger and thumb) to stop them growing too tall, and to encourage them to 'set' more pods. We are also keeping a very careful eye out for potato blight - a serious and widespread disease which can destroy a potato or tomato crop. If we see the foliage of the plants going blotchy brown we will remove the infected leaves and stems and burn them. As for the potatoes, we will soon be removing all the foliage and leaving the tubers (the potatoes themselves) under the ground in dry conditions, lifting them as we need them. Watering is necessary each day, and the caterpillars are frequently found and disposed of, with the worst of the spoiled greens going to the goats.
Comments... Our butternut squash and pumpkin are developing well but are not ready for harvesting yet. Both fruits are green and not yet ripe, they are picked when they go yellow/orange later in the year. Time to start seriously thinking about repairing the polytunnel for the coming winter!
