I really think we’ve had enough rain now. Everything has had a thorough watering, a bit more sunshine would be nice. Usually by this point in the year our croft is mud free. This year the ground has all been re-mudded many times over. The ducks love a bit of mud but the poor chickens aren’t keen. I hope all the water doesn’t affect the potatoes, the ground doesn’t seem to be waterlogged so fingers crossed. The rain has caused a slug resurgence, a nice row of lettuce has been completely devoured, along with some beetroot seedlings. The youngest boy sowed a row of lettuce which looks perfect, not a slug in sight. I may have to bargain with a fourteen year old for some lettuce in the next month!
I regularly read the blog of a commercial grower in Oregon, https://cullyneighborhoodfarm.com, and subscribe to a newsletter from a grower in Germany. The veg I’m harvesting is often very similar to the Oregon farmer, the main difference is that their tomatoes and beans can grow outside, peppers are a fairly safe bet and they call swede “rutabaga.”. Currently the German gardener is experiencing an “incessant 12 hour cycle of torrential downpour- followed by 28 degrees.” I think what we have is probably preferable. Everywhere seems to be struggling with the weather this year, if anything we seem to have had less rain than other places in Northern Europe. Our longer term aim is to move from growing in raised beds to growing in long rows in the ground. In a wet Summer like this, raised beds are a much better bet.
The chickens are laying with more enthusiasm now that I’ve separated them into two groups. We’re now back up to around twenty five eggs a day, so lots for the honesty box with plenty spare for Armadale. The residents of Bornaskitaig aren’t keen on a duck egg, luckily South Skye inhabitants love them.
Next week I’m staring Medium and Large Shares. The outside broccoli is nearly ready. I’ve pulled up most of the indoor mange tout, the mange tout in the net tunnel has baby pods so I think I should be picking from there next week or the week after. The yellow French beans I planted are currently green, not yellow. Why is a mystery, maybe they will turn yellow at some point. I’ve just planted a lovely type of dwarf bean, Marvel of Piemonte as a follow on crop. This is a multi coloured, flat podded, stringless type. Although I haven’t seen a vole for weeks I’m still putting barriers around the bottom of the French beans. I’ve run out of fish farm pipe so I’m now cutting up milk bottles. This doesn’t look very professional but so far all the French beans are in one piece.
This week’s Croft Shares will have Spring onions, kale, chard, courgettes and two from the following – French beans, sugar snaps/mange tout, broccoli, radishes.