broad beans | horticultural 'obbit

Today. The sun came out. And I had a little wander.

Today was the day where having languished for weeks, potatoes and broad beans were planted and transplanted. The broadies, may however be a casualty. They were all very gangly looking, with some starting to flop over and being root bound. So Aquadulce Claudia broadbeans were transplanted. With another-fava de orto-being sown direct. It will interesting to see which one of these two groups will come off.

The major mission today was to get the potatoes sunk. And what a variety we have:
Kestrel
Cara,
Sante,
Orla
Lady Balfour
Maris piper
King Edward

The king eds have a bed to themselves; with cara and Sante being risked in open ground. This wasn’t what I wanted, but with only a few beds full of poo and space at a premium; this couldn’t be avoided. This would the poop that was gathered some time ago. I realised too late that there was no tato fertiliser. Will have to identify at which point they will come up. Even drew a diagram to make sure I know what is where.

With the autumn sown onions more or less being eaten by rain and clay; endeavours were add today to sow spring sowing onions. Many Red Baron were sunk, as well as half a bag of golden ball. I was defeated but the other half of the bag and a bag of mixed red, white and brown sets.

Most of what I wanted to achieve today has been done so. As ever, beds do need to be topped up. The next task will be to sow DFB’s into paper pots at the end of the month.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

It is meant to Spring. Yet, we have the white stuff again.

With the Easter break, I had anticipated transplanting beans and planting potatoes. That will not be happening due to the inclement weather. A third and final sowing of chillis and peppers has been made. But this will a window sill venture, as I am now fed up a little of the heated propogater. There were however ten baby seedlings that have survived from the first sowing. Covered and sat on a sunny warm window sill, it will be interesting to see if anything germinates. There are eleven different varieties. Nigel’s outdoor chilli-seeds were kindly donated by a GYO magazine grape-as well as interestingly named mammoth sweet peppers. One that I am trying again, is sweet mini red peppers. I have never had any success with those at all. There are quite a few rainbow chillies actually. One variety that is a brightly coloured variety, another one is purple rainbow variety

All in all, 57 seeds were sown into small yogurt pots with a hole in the bottom. I have sown three to a pot, which yes is quite a few. My defence is that in the past, I have had nice crops from chillies in cramped conditions. Less so, with sparsely grown ones.

Tomatos don’t half whiff. They really do. It’s an altogether distinctive smell. They are still sat there, occasionally going a bit purple. But mostly growing quite happily. I couldn’t tell you the varieties, I didn’t label them. Having pricked them out of a module tray, I wasn’t sure they’d work. Seem to be okay for the moment.

Leeks are getting further wiry, not yet pencil thick. But looking reasonably well. They do tend to keel over a little though, when dehydrated.

Will remain pottering.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit