Brrrrrr! It was a bit parky out in the suburban veg plot today. But as the low low temperatures had temporarily made the swamp-like lawn firm enough to walk on, I continued the end of the year garden tidy.
The greenhouse got a good sweep out and I washed the cold frame glass. I need a couple of replacement panes for the cold frame (*adds to hubby's to do list) but as it's only garlic in there, I think they'll be fine with the extra ventilation. The cloves planted out in the raised bed are already peeking their little green shoots above ground.
All this frost should be good for my first sprout harvest. There are some that have developed on the fat stalks but I'm not sure how good they look. Does anyone manage to grow them as they look in the supermarket? Mine are about a third the size and don't look as 'solid'...
But the ever-reliable broad beans are soldiering on. Anyone reading my blog over the past couple of winters will know that I love my broad beans. My harvest this year was a pretty good one and all the beans that aren't eaten fresh are immediately frozen so I have home-grown beans all year round.
The neglected brassicas (see previous post here) have taken to their new homes quickly. I'm putting a positive spin on this and predicting that I may have a much extended harvest season through the springtime as a result. Some call it neglect and forgetfulness, I prefer to term it successional planting out.
The greenhouse got a good sweep out and I washed the cold frame glass. I need a couple of replacement panes for the cold frame (*adds to hubby's to do list) but as it's only garlic in there, I think they'll be fine with the extra ventilation. The cloves planted out in the raised bed are already peeking their little green shoots above ground.
All this frost should be good for my first sprout harvest. There are some that have developed on the fat stalks but I'm not sure how good they look. Does anyone manage to grow them as they look in the supermarket? Mine are about a third the size and don't look as 'solid'...
But the ever-reliable broad beans are soldiering on. Anyone reading my blog over the past couple of winters will know that I love my broad beans. My harvest this year was a pretty good one and all the beans that aren't eaten fresh are immediately frozen so I have home-grown beans all year round.
The neglected brassicas (see previous post here) have taken to their new homes quickly. I'm putting a positive spin on this and predicting that I may have a much extended harvest season through the springtime as a result. Some call it neglect and forgetfulness, I prefer to term it successional planting out.
And the start of the proper overnight frosts signals that parsnip season is now upon us. After a bit of a struggle to germinate them this year, I did manage to produce a respectable crop that I'm sure will last us through the winter.
It certainly is cold! Let's hope it's zapping the pests
ReplyDeleteIt may be zapping some of them but I seem to have acquired some new ones. Pesky pigeons on my brassicas - for the first time ever. I have constructed the horticultural equivalent of the Berlin Wall (without the snipers though). Hopefully that will deter them.
DeleteI pulled the last of my broad beans last week and i'm missing them already - yours look beautifully formed thus far.
ReplyDeleteThey have too short a season in my opinion. I sow, grow and harvest mine early as the later sowings usually succumb to an attack of blackly. I'm now eking out my freezer supply from this year.
DeleteMost envious of those broad beans - my good intentions did not materialise. Your sprouts could still be developing and come on leaps and bounds. Sadly I've never had much joy at producing big sprouts - the last lot were the size of chocolate buttons although they were tasty. I like your successional planting out philosophy which appears to be aleady showing positive dividends.
ReplyDeleteThe sprouts are now fully netted since I found a couple of fat pigeons feasting on the leaves yesterday. Fingers crossed that they swell to Tesco-like proportions before the big day!
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