Our Spring Show in March was a great success with a number of people exhibiting for the first time . The children’s sections were well supported and a lovely day brought in a good crowd in the afternoon.
Our next event is the plant sale in the village hall car park on Saturday 23rd May from 10am to midday.
On the 6th June we will be hosting an afternoon of tea and entertainment in the village hall. Entrance will be £10 for a lovely afternoon.
We are now in May and though the nights can still be cold the threat of a frost has largely passed. Greenhouse tomatoes should be growing well and by mid May it is time to start hardening off outside tomatoes by taking them during the day but back to shelter overnight. After a couple of weeks and the arrival of June they can be planted out. Plant up to the level of the first true leaves and make sure the hole is fully saturated before planting. Then water in and add a good layer of mulch to help reduce evaporation as I fear another dry summer!
Then the first truss has set give a weekly feed with a seaweed based fertiliser. For those with limited space there are plenty of bush varieties that can be grown in 18” pots on a patio.
It is interesting to note that with the present unrest in the world there is the threat of food shortages and the most vulnerable this summer are said to be tomatoes and cucumbers.
For cucumbers in a greenhouse or poly tunnel try all female varieties Femspot and Carmen F1. Outside try bush varieties such as Bush Champion or Patio Snacker in 18” pots.
I’m not convinced with outside ridge varieties as they tend to trail all over the place and the quality is not nearly as good as those grown under cover.
One of the great favourites of the summer is runner beans which seem to be a peculiarity of the British as they are rarely grown elsewhere. I choose modern hybrid crosses of French and runner beans such as Firestorm and Moonlight as they are largely self fertile and tend to crop better. Enorma is the best of the traditional varieties. Grow them up canes in straight lines to allow in more sunlight and a better flow of air. I start off some under cover to plant out in early June and at the same time I plant more seeds directly to prolong the harvest.
For climbing French beans try Cobra and for dwarf varieties Tendergreen. If space allows the climbing pea Alderman produces a heavy crop of delicious peas over a prolonged period.
Make sure potatoes are well earthed up to avoid tubers being exposed to sunlight and turning green.
Plant courgettes, marrows and squash under cover.
Pray for rain?
Good Gardening
Peter Estcourt