At last, the plot is fully planted up and payback has started. Not much so far, the dry weather has slowed down growth but we have had a few courgettes (Defender) and a head of calabrese (Chevalier). With the promise of some much needed rain in July there will soon be peas (Hurst Green Shaft and Onward), early potatoes (Pentland Javelin, Concorde and Winston) and possibly a summer cabbage (Minicole). Transplanting in dry weather can lead to some losses. So far only one summer cabbage and one calabrese have failed. The gaps have been filled with winter cabbage (Celtic). One plus is that the dry weather has put a stop to lots of weeds from germinating.

I keep changing the time and  way that I sow carrots (Flakkee, Chantenay and Autumn King) but even with watering the germination has been poor. Next year I’ll try sowing a lot earlier in the hope of avoiding dry weather. Apart from the carrots, section A is thriving. The peas began to flower in the middle of the month and, in the hope of defeating the Pea Thrips,  I’ve been using an organic pesticide on the growth points of the plants. So far, no sign of thrip damage but time will tell.

We still have some potatoes in store from last year’s crop so there has been no need to lift any of the “Catch Crop” in section B. They will be lifted in a week or two and the leeks (Musselburgh) in the seed bed row will take their place. That will finally end this year’s planting and sowing. Parsnips (Countess), leeks and carrots are the only seeds that go direct in the ground. The parsnips are sown in little pinches of seed every eight inches and they have now been thinned down to single plants.

The brassicas in section C had their final planting of winter cabbage (Celtic) and swedes (Angela) on the 24th with no failures so far. The sprouts (Maximus) and some of the successional sowings of calabrese have now grown too big for their pigeon protection so that has been removed. Over the next few weeks the same  will happen to the other brassicas.

Not much to say about the potatoes in section D. Earthing up is finished and the canopy has closed with all the crop looking healthy.

The two black currant bushes (Ben Conon) have such a heavy crop of berries that the branches needed tying up to stakes.

Next month harvesting will continue. The rain forecast for July will almost certainly cause a spurt in weed seed germination. Removing the weeds before they seed is important, their seeds can lie dormant in the soil for years before they germinate.

B. A. Plotter