This week’s Small Share (week three) has purple sprouting broccoli, asparagus kale, salad leaves, Spring greens, basil and pea shoots.
I’ve not grown asparagus kale before, I’m very impressed with it. It grew over Winter then started producing spears at exactly the right moment. I have one patch of it in the back field (where the weather is) and that has proved very hardy. I’ve no idea how long it will keep producing spears, a few more weeks I would guess. It seems to need less cooking than other stem types of broccoli.
The rocket in the salad mix is super peppery, it’s very good in a salad paired with the pea shoots.
The purple sprouting broccoli will be a smaller portion this week. So far the PSB has come from the net tunnel but now it looks like it’s winding down. I have some that was planted later in the greenhouse as well. There may be a PSB gap as one lot finishes and the other lot revs up!
Spring greens are cabbage leaves, left alone the plants would turn into pointy cabbages. I never do a lot with Spring greens, just wash and wilt in a pan with a little water, then drain and smother in butter! This is really good as an accompaniment to lentil dal.
I have a few experimental crops on the go – celeriac and kohlrabi in the greenhouse. I’m not hopeful for the kohlrabi, it really is a slug magnet. I’ve got the little plants surrounded with slug deterrents all to no avail. Maybe some will make it through. I find the Spring to be the worst time for pest attack, wild plants aren’t really growing so a nice tender little brassica is very tempting for a slug (or vole.) Brassicas planted in the autumn are all big enough to shrug off a little nibbling. Organic gardening is often painted as a lovely, natural way of growing in harmony with nature. In reality I spend most of my time trying to fend off nature.
The tomato plants are back in the caravan overnight. I’m trying to avoid potting them on, I’d like to plant them in the soil next week so I need it to not be really cold at night. French beans are a bit tougher so they’re staying in the Polycrub full time.
This week I’ve planted more potatoes, the rest of the onions, all the sugar snaps in the wonder crub and some dwarf French beans, also in the Polycrub. April and May are always very leafy months, with brassicas, salad leaves, chard etc, I’d like to have some peas and beans in the mix in June.
I have loads of eggs (chicken or duck) if any Share customers would like some I can put them aside. £1.90 for six, cash on collection.