THIS WEEKS SHOW
Northern Moor Gardening Society
Saturday 11th August 2.00 to 4.30 pm
St Michaels and all Angels Church Hall
Orton Rd, Northern Moor.

I thought I would try a different picture to start the article this week so I have taken one of our chickens. They live in a house and run on Roy’s plot, but we share the work and the eggs. They are useful for converting the surplus crops, when they start to go past their best, into eggs and fertiliser.

The weather has at last taken a turn for the better and we can do a bit more work outside and see some results of our work this year. The beans are beginning to take off and the runners are full of flower and settting beans, the climbing french beans are a little behind with just the flowers showing.

The courgettes have also just put on a jump in growth almost overnight, I hope that they will start cropping a little better now. The sweetcorn, in the tunnel,which is touching the roof (7ft 6ins) is very nearly ready for picking, a close watch is being kept on it. The other three blocks outside are all in different stages, all now have the tassels and silks, but none are anywhere near as tall.

The potatoes have not been as badly hit with the blight as I thought they might have been. I am digging them up slowly and the usable ones are plentiful and a reasonable size, I am only throwing away a small percentage.

Life in the tunnels is more rewarding, the cucumbers are doing well as are the peppers, chillies and aubergines, all are flowering and setting fruit. The melons are also coming on well and setting fruit slowly. The tomatoes are nearly up to the roof and carrying plenty of fruit even though we have had to strip a lot of leaves and some fruit off, due to blight. One of the cucumbers has just reached the ridge pole and I will have to stop it going any further.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK
1 Finish removing old compost heap!
2 Sow more winter and late crops
3 Weed
4 Pick
5 Start preparing area for new shed.

WORK DONE THIS WEEK
Sunday
Weed celery
Remove old leaves from second brasssica bed
Dig potatoes
Water
Pick
Monday
Repair damaged standpipe
Water
Pick
Tuesday
Water
Pick
I wish I had more time or less to do!
Wednesday
Thin beetroot seedlings
Weed
Water
Pick
Thursday
Weed second brassica bed
Weed cabbage experiment area
Water
Pick
Friday
Loosen onions in ground to lift
Water
Pick

Crops picked this week
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
French beans
Runner beans
Courgettes
Cauliflowers
Calabrese
Beetroot
Sweetcorn
Spring onions