21st October

We did not manage to get the final batch of broad beans planted this week; the ground stayed wet.

Erin and Calum wanted to plant them, and one afternoon would have been enough.

But the weather did not go to plan.

Talking about weather, we have the first storm of the year coming in on Sunday, by the time you have read this it will have passed.

The reported wind speeds are around 50 mph, usually the tunnels are ok with these winds.

But tunnel five, we have repaired with tunnel tape already.

This tunnel we are going to re sheet at some point, and the ridge bar needs a wee bit of work.

So I would not be surprised if the polythene comes of off this one.

We have spring cabbage and Ruby chard planted in here, so if the sheet does come off we will need to pull some fleece over the crop.

All the tunnels are now fully planted and the crops are looking really good.

The Raddicho and Pak Choy are slugs favourite diet.

So we have put a line of vermiculite all around each row, and so far it seems to be working.

Slugs hate vermiculite, we have been using it for years around the base of the cucumber plants, and it keeps them at bay.

The wee siroma tractor that broke its gearbox at the end of last year, is finally back together and running again.

I had stripped it at the end of last year and sent it away to get new gear cogs fitted.

But when I got it back it was time to start preparing the field for planting, then planting and weeding started, so I was far to busy to get back to it.

So it had sat for a long time with loads of nuts, bolts wires and bars sitting.

It was a wee bit of a puzzle rebuilding it again, it was split in three the gearbox being in the middle of the tractor.

I had four attempts to put it back together, but I couldn’t get it to join fully.

Then I noticed an extra bearing had been put on the gearbox, but the back end of the tractor still had that bearing inside, so after taking it out it all slipped back together again.

The jobs for this week coming are strimming and lawn mowing around the tunnels.

On the 27th we have our pumpkin day, these are now all laid out at the tunnels.

From here I can give you a tour of what’s all in the tunnels, and what you will be getting in the next few months.