Planting and Growing

Apart from a sulky gooseberry bush, everything appears to be growing well on Plot 5. The carrots are growing so fast their leaves reached the top of the tunnel cloches, I removed the sheets and hoops and put micromesh carrot fly netting around the rows. This also acts as a wind break, great for exposed sites. It was so easy to use because the canes are already attached to the screens, I simply pushed them into the soil to form a protective barrier.

Continuing with the subject of netting, I planted out the winter veg (sprouts, kale and early purple sprouting broccoli) and tucked them under the brassica cages to protect from butterflies and pigeons, but whitefly are Jedi Masters. I use scaffold debris netting but something more fine such as Enviromesh or Veggiemesh I think it’s called is probably better to use for whitefly but can be pricey.

Courgettes are now in, four plants which will be plenty. ‘Verde Di Milano’ is a small bush not a vine, producing glossy dark green fruit. I get the seed from Real Seeds.

Borlotti beans are planted on the smaller hazel frame, they’re my absolute favourite beans to grow for their pretty splashed pink pods and beans. I grow them as shelling beans.

I spy flowers beginning to form on the second early potatoes and on the peas too. The last couple of days have been so warm I’ve ditched wellies for crocs and my shorts came out of hiding.