Finally I’ve reached a point were there isn’t a queue of little plants waiting to go in the ground. Just about everywhere that can be planted has been planted. I’ve just sown more salad leaves outside, and will be sowing mustard greens and planting Tatsoi at some point, but really if it’s not in the soil now we’re not eating it before Christmas! Salad leaves can still be sown undercover but there’s no space just now. Once the first batch of French beans are over I can pull them up and follow with something, probably chard.
I’m failing spectacularly at cucumber growing. In the past I’ve grown very tasty ridge cucumbers. Last year I grew my usual variety of ridge cucumber, for some reason every third cucumber was horribly bitter. This year I thought I’d try a classic greenhouse cucumber. I started out with ten plants, I’m now down to one. The rest have succumbed to slugs. The one remaining plant looks pretty healthy but I’m sceptical that it can produce enough cucumbers for all the current customers. My next cucumber plan is to go back to ridge types, but try a more modern variety. I once grew ridge cucumbers outside (yes, in Bornaskitaig) but I think the weather must have been unusual.
I’ve four craft fair type events coming up in fairly quick succession. I fitted in a bit of basket weaving and some jam making over the weekend. I hadn’t forgotten how to weave a basket so that’s a relief. The willow is more pliable in the Summer and the whole basket dries faster once it’s finished. I’ll be in Armadale on Saturday, probably with a lot of potatoes, eggs and jam.
This week’s Croft Shares will have:
Small – tomatoes, broccoli, French beans, mange tout and spinach/chard.
Medium – tomatoes, broccoli, French beans, sugar snaps, courgettes, kale, and potatoes.
Large – tomatoes, broccoli, French beans, mange tout/sugar snaps, courgettes, kale, potatoes, salad leaves, beetroot and onions.