Curly garlic is usually due to thrips, which are tiny - so have a good look...

Eddie’s diary … also known as you got that on wonky or is it the way you are standing.

It feels like summer, the annual winter flock down for bird flu is past and I’m back patrolling the garden 

Well I was until the totally uncalled for and rude comments started. ‘What’s with the tail’ she asks. ‘Are you trying a comb over’.  I’ll have you know my tail is magnificent and admired far and wide !

Then of course Millie gets involved. ‘You are right’ she calls over ‘deffo wonky’. Conspiring with the human -pah!

Then I inspect the 2 hooligans who are dust bathing and get told my tail is not as straight as last year and they think it’s funny. How they can tell anything when they are upside down with their heads in the dirt is beyond me !

After this barrage of abuse I use my ninja skills to sneak up and treat the human to my best hard stare. She was lolling on a garden chair drinking coffeee as usual until she finally realised she was being watched and spotted my beady eyes on her. That told her     

 Lovely meal last night, tonight Steak and ale pie  jersey pots carrots and peas , aplle and raspberry crumble with tiny ice cream 

I think it’s just been superceeded by better varieties. In its day it was outstanding, but you can now find better varieties that taste just as good if you avoid the big commercial varieties like Elsanta which are grown for looks and yield. I don’t know if you have Malwina available over their, but that is an great taste and texture, maybe not as bountiful as others, but top quality fruits.

So the question I was once asked by a farmer who is one of our patients.... why are you planting main's so early when you are going to store them?
I was like you sowing in March.
I now follow our local farmers. Mains go in first weekend of May, my earlys 2nd weekend of April.
Done this about 4 years now and always get very good crops, others on site are moaning coz they have lost a good few due to more than average raInfall. They will not learn!