It’s the point in the year when I start eyeing the Autumn crops and wondering if I should begin picking them. I will manage to resist, it’s still August, not really sprout time yet! I would normally leave the bulk of the carrots until mid September but I’ve seen signs of vole activity around them so I’m going to pull up all the carrots over the next two weeks. I’d rather not have my harvesting calendar dictated by small furry creatures but I suppose that’s the nature of organic growing. I have to work with nature even when I feel like nature’s out to get me.
There are eight week’s left in this year’s weekly veg scheme, out of a total of twenty eight. I’ve started sowing follow on crops in the Polycrub and greenhouse for October, it’s much pleasanter picking salad leaves undercover in the Autumn rather than outside in a windy field. Anything sown now undercover can be left over Winter for picking again in the Spring.
I have a stall at a Craft Market in Minginish next week so I’m trying to fit in some willow weaving and felt making. I can do small willow projects when I’m waiting for customer pick ups on Tuesday and Wednesday, actual baskets need a whole afternoon with no interruptions. Felt making needs a big table and makes a mess so not really a good waiting in the caravan activity.
This week’s Croft Shares have the following:
Small – Tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, carrots and salad leaves.
Medium – Tomatoes, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, French beans, peppers, cauliflower or a big green broccoli and carrots.
Large – Tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, summer squash/courgettes, salad leaves, spinach, beetroot, mange tout and onions.
There is a little bit of beetroot from outside that escaped the voles. They’re definitely in the baby beetroot category so are sweet enough to eat raw.