Red Hot

I think I need a bigger freezer.  Five big punnets of redcurrants cropped to add to last week's punnet - just from early/mid bushes.  Late bush still very green, with blackcurrants and gooseberries getting close.  Blackberry rambler splattered with flowers so expecting a good crop from them too.

First IK potatoes eaten last week, couple of wire worm holes so will need to crop rest pretty soon.  The kiss of frost burn suffered in late May doesn't seem to have caused any serious damage and foilage is now very healthy looking.

Fruit aside, this year has been far too cold and wet - and even in today's rare warmth still windy (the bbc are in for a shock when they move up to Manchester!).  The majority of veg are looking like they will be poor crops.  Beans and corn suffering very badly, and I doubt corn will even flower before first frost nevermind develop cobs.  Brassicas have been disappointing so far but suspect the later bunch will do well.

Here comes the rain again

Not much going on with all the wet weather, but Saturday's respite allowed the late redcurrants, gooseberries and the remaining jersey potatoes to be cropped before slugs, wireworms, etc cause too much damage. Couple of the Charlotte's had gone yellow and wilted, but didn't have time to dig up so hopefully nothing that will spread too quick.

Carrots have been decimated - carrot root fly the most likely culprit, as we didn't put nets up around them this year.

Early peas deliciously ready with 2nd batch not far off. Yesterday's haul also included lettuce, cabbage and caulis.

Blueberries just starting to ripen, so will have to get nets over next visit before the birds spot them.


Last week, in between heavy showers, managed to get all the blackcurrants picked, exactly 5 pounds (after a pound or so were bartered away in the pub!) - washed and frozen pending next jam making session.

Speaking of the weather, I was highly sceptical in Spring - (primarily because the general conditions were the same as the previous couple of years suggesting a similar North Atlantic Oscillation situation, but also because of the exceptional sunspot shortage) - when the Met Office predicted a much hotter drier summer this year and sadly it has turned out much worse than last year, and almost as bad as the year before.

Today, I am mainly eating Red

Quick visit to crop the early and middle redcurrants - with late bush fruits just starting to turn redish now. Net had blown off so birds got a bonus feed and estimate they had at least half from first two bushes.
Also got the first courgette of the year, a handful of strawberries and raspberries and another cauliflower.

One of the sprouts has a lot of grey fluffy bugs and is a bit eaten, doubt it will recover?
Nipped a couple of green catapillars off a cabbage along with a few sporadic eggs, so may have to start checking all brassica leaves again.

Feeling Fruity

Carrying on the 'where it's at' theme - the fruit zone...

- gooseberries (green and red) are nearly ready to pick
- blackcurrants are turning blacker but still sour!
- rhubarb now finished picking and leaves starting to die back
- redcurrants: early bush very sweet and ready and middle bush ready to pick, late bush still green. Two cuttings (from Mum's last year?) growing ok.
- blueberries are still greenish but looks a bumper crop on 3 out of 4 main bushes. 3 small cuttings still alive but growing slowly.
- 2 cherry trees (one tree had 3 cherries, but I knocked them off - oops)
- 4 pear trees
- strawberry patch fruiting well

The polly house... suffered badly in the strong winds of May and after just one month the zip split down one side of the door. At least with a crack in the door it's keeping the temp down, but even so have twice hit a max of 55'C (131'F) at the top shelf level (4feet). There seems to be a rather basic design fault in having no vent at the top. (Dragons' Den here I come!)

- 1 cucumber - growing poorly and the other died, no sign of flowers or fruit
- Courgettes - after weeks of male only flowers the females finally joined the party but even with a bit of help they are just not pollinating as well as last year. Some fruit swelling at least.
- Chili peppers - originally grown last year at home but never flowered so still alive!