Was wondering if that long dry spell earlier in the year would have any effect, seems not.
The slug and snail population has dwindled to a handful this year. I'm wondering how I am going to fill my nematode bucket for next year.
Broad beans will be ready to pick this weekend, 'Aquadulce' that were sown outside and in greenhouse early March, greenhouse sown ones transplanted to final position end of March.
Runner beans 'painted Lady' this week are to the top of the poles and have started flowering this week.
Cobra beans last week have gone mad and are over the top of their poles and started to produce flowers.
Growing a few Borlotti beans and Sonesta french beans in pots and half way up the poles.
Purple Queen beans just starting to grab hold of their stakes.
Hunter (helda) beans have all hit the top of the poles and look good, just looking ready to flower.
Sweetcorn Golden Bantam is now a few feet high and growing strong.
Rhubarb is growing well and now on its second crop for the year, will be a load more to pick in a few weeks.
First and second early potatoes, Charlotte, International Kidney (Jersey), Duke of York all planted in pots and bags mid to end March. All flowering nicely now and have had plenty of International Kidney, 34lbs so far from one pot and two bags.
Maincrop potatoes all doing very well and all now strong leafed and flowering nicely. The last to always flower are the Sarpo Mira and noticed they flowered yesterday.
Last weekend picked our first ever Mangetout, Kennedy. A great crop, we had 1/2lb, 45 pods from four of the plants. This weekend there will be double that to pick and loads more still forming. A few days ago just put in another sowing. Peas are podding well now and will be ready fro a great crop next week.
Strawberries have been producing a few bowls already.
Raspberries are five feet high and just starting to set fruit, so come July will be eating.
Gooseberries are producing now and picked a half bucket load yesterday.
Herbs are doing as well as ever sage, mint, oregano, chives, rosemary, thyme, marjoram and parsley. Sage seems to have gone a bit crazy this year.
On fifth sowing/harvesting of radish, cherry belle, been sowing about twenty at a time every few weeks.
Picking loads of French mixed leaf salad, Lolla Rossa, Rocket and All year Round from the patio pots.
The Asparagus threw up a few spears per crown in mid April and this week has thrown up 10-12 per crown, that is normal growth.
All the Brussels Sprouts are strong and a good two feet high, Groninger, Montgomery and Crispus. Did try a few Fillbasket, but they are only a foot high, would have expected them to be bigger by now as they mention being an early.
Curly kale, Westland Autumn now a foot high.
The spring sown spinach and chard is all up now and looks to be a great crop from mid summer to early Spring.
Tomatoes are all growing strong inside and outside and many are just starting to flower now.
The usuals, including Marmande, San Marzano, Tigrella, Garden Pearl, Gardener's Delight, Golden Sunrise and Red/Yellow sweet 'n Neet. Nectar Rose from my saved seed.
Also growing this year, Ace, Amateur, Blaby Special, Purple Ukraine, German Lunchbox and Yellow Pear, Yellow Perfection and Rambling Red Stripe, courtesy of Seedy pass the parcel.
Basil next to the tomatoes in the greenhouse is now producing well.
Cucumbers Burpless in greenhouse this last week have stared to grow very quickly and are now a foot high. The Marketmore outside growing okay and six inches high.
The summer/autumn picking patio pot carrots sowed April/May of Amsterdam Forcing, Touchon and Chantenay Red Cored are all up and tops now three to five inches high.
This has been my best year ever for turnips, Purple Milan. They have all been the size of tennis balls.
Glad I went back to Purple Milan from Mr Fothergills, as previous years tried some Purple Milan from other growers and a few other varieties like Golden Ball and Snowball and they were not good, barely golf ball size and many went long and woody early.
Leeks, Musselburgh all straight and about a foot high.
Parsnip, Tender and True and White Gem, all up now and an inch to a few inches high.
Beetroot Boltardy and Egyption is up, but seems slow this year, looks like will have to wait another month to be harvesting any.