24th May

Last week we almost got a full week of dry weather, so we managed to get on with more planting in the field.

It’s been a very frustrating stop, start to the planting season this year.

From the start of May, we haven’t had one full week of dry weather, and when it rains it’s been pouring, and properly soaking the fields, which then takes a couple of days to dry out.

But last week we managed to get two and a half days planting done, before the rain storm arrived on Thursday and 12, which made us stop, and go and hide in the tunnels, where we got some much-needed weeding done.

I also rotovated two and a half tunnels, where we have blocked plants needing planted, and I will direct sow more salad leaves.

Last week, I ordered a new variety of Dwarf French beans, its one that I haven’t dried before, these don’t need tied up, just a cane, and from there they will climb up on their own, they are a small pod but are supposed to be very sweet, to tasty to even need cooking.

So out in the field we have all of the brassicas and the onions planted.                                                Last week we were hoping to get all the leeks planted, but we only managed to get half of the early leeks planted, then it rained.

But this week is supposed to bring good weather, with two high pressure waiting to come in behind what we have been getting.

So fingers crossed we should manage to the get the remaining early leeks, mid-season and late leeks planted there are one hundred and twenty-five thousand to get planted.

Then its onto getting the squash plants planted only ten thousand of those.

And finally I still need to direct sow the beetroot and Swede.

Then we will be finished planting and onto the bed weeding.

We also have a new companion at home and on the farm, slightly sooner than planned,

We have another female tri coloured Border collie, we have called her Breagh,  she is seven weeks old, and was born on a hill farm, both her parents are in charge of rounding up 1,300 hill sheep,

I had told a few farmers I know about Freoch, and that I would be looking for another companion at some point, but only from working parents.

Freoch came from working parents, and was an amazing collie, you could almost talk to her and she knew what you were saying.

Breagh has been at the farm for an afternoon, and she followed me round with no lead, which is a good start.

The poor wee thing needed a 3hr sleep when she got home, so at the moment she is a wee bit young for being there all day.