What a good week it has been for us growers, everything is coming on in leaps and bounds and the seasons are catching up with the calender. I know it always does, but there are times when you begin to wonder. Two weeks ago I had very little in the plot, now I am starting to wonder where all these seedlings are going to go.

The plants that have been in the ground for some time are looking good, the potatoes are beginning to flower and are making lovely plants - lets hope we don’t have a damp and humid spell like last year which will spell blight!

The new strawberry plants have started forming fruits, while the old plants are now full of little berries. The early carrots are ready for a second weeding and a little thinning and the late carrots have all started showing. I will have to thin these and cover them with mesh this week.

The early crops in tunnel 2 are now producing, the peas and broad beans are starting to be picked, the carrots are looking nice but a little small- they can be left for a while. The beetroot is nearly ready for picking and the spring onions are bring picked. the French beans are starting to flower so they will have beans on in a couple of weeks.

The asparagus is cropping well, it will soon be mid-summer’s day and the season will be ended, must make the most of it. I have managed to fill up half of the second brassica frame and to plant out all my climbing beans. The three blocks of sweetcorn have established and are starting to grow.

The seed trays and modules are reducing in number as the seedlings are moved into pots, and the tunnel is being cleared ready for replanting. I have also sown the next set of lettuce to keep the supply coming all summer. The one thing that must not be forgotten at any time is to keep on top of the weeding, in this weather they soon look as if they will take over every time you turn your back to do another job.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK

1. Plant out next lot of brassicas
2. String climbing beans
3. Dig over more land ready for planting
4. Tidy grapes in tunnel 2
5. Thin and weed carrot, then cover
6. Cover new strawberries

WORK DONE THIS WEEK

Sunday

1. Water
2. Start stringing beans
3. Weed
4. Transplant seedlings into large pots

Monday

1. Water
2. Plant out last climbing beans
3. Finish planting out dwarf beans
4. Sow more spring onions, radish, spinach, turnip and swede
5. Transplant from modules into small pots

Tuesday

1. Water
2. Weed carrots
3. Weed bed alongside carrots
4. Trim grapes in tunnel 2

Wednesday

1. Water
2. Transplant from modules into small pots

Thursday

1. Plant out brassicas in second bed
2. Water
3. Cover carrots

Friday

1. Water
2. Net strawberries
3. Plant out brassica in first bed
4. Transplant from small pots into large ones

CROPS PICKED THIS WEEK

1. Asparagus
2. Peas
3. Spring onions
4. Lettuce
5. Beetroot
6. Broad beans