I was keen to get rid of the straggly and dried-up pea plants in order to give the Beetroot planted alongside them some more light. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I would find, because the peas had largely obscured the Beetroot. The centre row particularly must have been almost completely starved of light. This is what I found:
Most of the Beetroot were "not too bad" as you might say. I think you can tell that the ones on the right got most of the light!
The centre row was understandably a lot less good than either of the outside rows. Furthermore, there was an enormous gap where something (badgers?) had repeatedly dug up the plants despite my attempts to prevent this by inserting a barricade of sticks. I don't know what it was they were digging for just there, but I must have filled in that hole at least 3 times!
Close inspection reveals that though none of the Beetroot are ready for harvest yet, there are a few that have reached about the size of a walnut, so it won't be long.
I have given the rows a big drink of water to which I added some liquid Growmore GP fertiliser, and the plants are now basking in the unfamiliar sunshine! I expect they will soon put on some weight...
A couple of days ago I sowed some more Beetroot seeds, in one of the containers that until recently held potatoes. As each pot of spuds gets harvested, I am sowing or planting something else in it, in the hope of having something to harvest in the Late Summer / Autumn. So far I have Dwarf Beans, Leeks, Peas, Carrots, Cucumber and now Beetroot (though of course the latter haven't even germinated yet).
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You pull out your peas and we are hoping to pick our first pods today.
ReplyDeleteAh, that's because it is nearly sub-tropical Down South you know!
DeleteSame here in up North in Wirral, only one picking of peas and beans so far, potato crop good but my biggest success has been Bronze Fennel. Dozens of plants from a free packet of seeds. There's only so much fish I can garnish with it each week. Mark it's a pity you were not nearer and I could have popped around with some for your culinary piscitorian delights.
ReplyDeleteNice thought, Cath, but I don't eat any fish or seafood, so the Fennel would have had to go in something else! I had Bronze Fennel plant once. It died after a few years, but I'm still finding volunteer seedlings from it coming up all over the garden.
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