At each corner of the bed I have planted a Pepper plant. Most of these are Sweet Peppers of the variety called "Garnet", grown from seeds sent to me as a gift by Stephen Shirley from Victoriana Nursery.
So the contents of the bed is now:
3 x bush tomato "Maskotka"
3 x cocktail cucumber "Iznik F1"
3 x cocktail cucumber "Melen F1"
3 x Sweet Pepper "Garnet"
1 x Hot Pepper "Cyclon"
Nearby, in one of the other beds, my Turnips are beginning to swell. Some of them are about the size of a full-grown Radish now:
My Turnips are a mix of types, but something tells me that one is a "Purple Top Milan"! I really hope they don't all mature while we are away on holiday. Once they get going the roots swell pretty rapidly so maybe we'll be able to eat a few before we go away. By the way, this holiday I'm referring to is one that Jane won for us. It is a 12-day cruise down the River Danube from Austria to the Black Sea. It should yield a fair few photo opportunities!
Talking of Radishes... What do you think of these?
These are "Cherry Belle".
Some of them are about the size of a small Turnip... :)
On the strength of the pictures of (yet more) radishes, I am entering this post for Harvest Monday on Daphne's Dandelions...
Hi Mark, are you removing side shoots from the Maskotka tomato plants? I always thought they were determinate, bushy varieties. I am growing some too and not taking out any side shoots- I have read that it will reduce yields. I just wondered what you were doing? Also it is about time that someone sponsored you with a greenhouse too!
ReplyDeleteCheers, April
Hi April; I do not remove sideshoots from Maskotka. I just let it sprawl. The more sideshoots the better, if you ask me. The bigger toms, grown as cordons, are a different matter. I always do remove their sideshoots to reduce the number of fruit whilst improving quality.
DeleteThose radishes are gorgeous. I do think your poles are much more attractive than the bamboo ones; the curves are quite nice and I am sure the cucumbers will love them! Congrats to Jane on that great Holiday win!!
ReplyDeleteWe have some Cherry Belle - was it a freebie seed packet? - ours was.
ReplyDeleteWe have used lots of hazel sticks from on of the bushes on our plot this year and it is certainly more interesting than canes but I think we will have to resort to canes for the runner beans.
Haha! It probably was a freebie. I have about six packets from various sources.
DeleteI grew Cherry Belle over here in the USA back in the Spring, yes they do get rather large. I thought they were very spicy/peppery, but enjoyed the larger ones instead of onions in recipes.
ReplyDeleteThose are such pretty radishes.
ReplyDeleteLove, love it. Happy Gardening.
ReplyDeleteVelva
Mark. I have a silly newbie question. Does everyone's radishes pop quite a bit out of the soil. It is nice to be able to see when they are big enough, but here on the west coast slugs are nibbling the sides. I just cut that off, but I'm just wondering if there is something I can do differently?
ReplyDeleteHi Erin; Yes radishes do usually stick up out of the soil - about 50% is normal. Slugs can be a problem. I use those little blue slug pellets, which seem to be pretty effective. You could try growing your radishes in containers, which are easier to protect.
DeleteWell ,i sow you will be visiting my country, the last on your tour :) hope you will enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteYour radishes are really pretty. I'll soon have my first radishes harvested, looking forward to using their space for some other planting.
ReplyDeleteThe raised bed's great, you've managed to pack plenty in it without it being over planted. I still haven't got round to sowing any radishes, your photos are reminding me what I'm missing. Well done to Jane on the holiday win, I'm sure you'll both enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your holiday! The radishes and turnips look wonderful!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking really good and healthy. Love to see the pretty turnip poking through.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact you use your recycled branches from your Philadelphus tree, I do the same on my plot with my branches from my eucalyptus tree to support my claiming butternut squashes.
ReplyDeleteThings look really healthy in your garden also.
Those certainly are pretty radishes. And your garden looks fantastic, it should be featured in a gardening magazine. I hope you show off some of your photos of the Danube cruise, that's a lovely part of the world.
ReplyDeleteSo when can I come round for a summer salad? So jealous.
ReplyDeleteAh, those radishes look lovely. Can't wait to sample my first ever attempt at them over the next few weeks.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is fantastic, such an inspiration.