Exposed

This weekend, I exposed my squash (which had been under bottle cloches since planting out) to the elements. They had to come out as they had filled the bottles and where they were touching the side, the were getting sun bleached due to the condensation. They are good looking plants though and so far, I haven't lost one to the slugs or snails (last year I lost the lot and I normally lose over 50%) They are now big enough to withstand more than a combined attack so I am optimistic about geting some squash this year. I have also plated out my two competition marrow plants in lots of muck and compost. My four cucs have gone out and they have been bottle cloches because I normally lose quite few of these as well and they can be slow to get going.

I have prepared some more ground for savoy cabbage, red cabbage and cavalo nero. I shall get those in next weekend and covered with debris netting. I will remember to take my camera too.

I dug about half my garlic on Sunday. This year, a lot of it has had very bad rust. The western most rows did not have any more green on so I thought they had better be lifted. These are the ones that got off to the better start despite being sown two weeks later than the rest. Despite the rust, they have grown to a fairly good size and are drying (except one or two that I have removed to use as wet garlic) in the plastic growhouse in the back garden:

A Challenge

I have been challenged by my Mother in Law and Sister in Law to a marrow growing comp so any suggestions from the wider world will be gratefully received. I plan to give my one competition plant as much space as possible. Put in a good deal of cow muck and compost. Plant, possibly bottle cloche for a while. Feed lots of chicken poo and powdered seaweed, regularly water (not at all like me), bury the stem to encourage rooting, restrict to two fruits and in the final few weeks give it a final feed of cheap beer direct into the stem using a wick. If any of that is misguided or there are any better suggestions, please let me know - I must win!!!!!

I have now planted out (in the persistent drizzle) greyhound cabbage, red russian and dwarf curly kale, all year round cauliflower and romanescu. So a bit of an inroad into the brassicas has been made. Still have cavalo nero, red cabbage and ormskirk savoy to get out and have sown some calabrese, trevi cauliflower and swede.