1st July
Another week of mixed weather, tail end of the week was windy and cold, lucky we have all the squash plants under a nice cosy fleece.
I have talked before about brassicas plants, and how we must fleece them, just for protection from the wildlife.
If we do not fleece, all our brassicas’ plants turn into a wildlife banquet.
Where I have seen hundreds of acres of brassicas planted close to us, not organically grown, can sit there quite happily with the wildlife not even using their crop as a starter.
Our fields are starter, main course, dessert, after 8s and supper,
But there is one thing I cannot understand.
Farmers all around us are now growing pumpkins, (squash plants), for come and pick your own.
The crows do not pull them out like they do with us.
But they do not need to fleece, forgetting about the wildlife for a minute, squash plants hate strong winds and colder temperatures, like we have had over the last couple of weeks.
Strong winds and colder temperatures make the plants shrivel up and die.
If we do not fleece and the weather turns, we would lose a lot of plants.
There is no spray that can protect squash plants from this, but they do not fleece.
I have never found the answer to that.
Out in the field this week, we did manage to get a full week of bed weeding done.
We now have all the brassicas, onions and early leeks weeded, and have half of the late leeks done.
On Monday we will finish of the late leeks.
Then its back over the whole field once more, the second time over them is not nearly as bad or hard to weed.
The only thing we did not manage to get done, was plants another batch of cabbage and kohl rabi in the field.
We have eight thousand plants ready to get planted.
I have been waiting for two weeks for the ground to dry out enough for me to go in with the bed former, and prepare ground so I can plant them.
The soil really must be properly dry before I go in with this machine.
Luckily this annoying strong wind tat we have been getting is working a treat and has dried the soil.
With no market tomorrow I will get bed forming, and we will get those plants planted next week.
