Three Sisters Update

Three Sisters Bed

The sweetcorn, dwarf runner beans and winter squashes are growing nicely. There are plenty of flowers on the beans. I've also planted a few ordinary runner bean seeds right beside the corn plants, so that they can grow up them. I'm hoping it will all look pretty spectacular when the corn is a full height.

A scattering of bird-friendly slug pellets seems to be keeping the 'enemy' at bay.

Radish and Fennel

Radishes holding their own against the weeds. 

This variety is called 'Sparkler 3'. Radishes give me indigestion but other members of the family like them - and it's nice to sow something that's really quick growing. 

Fennel - Di Firenze

I'm trying Florence Fennel this year. It's quite expensive in the shops so it will be nice to have home-grown - especially as the seed was a freebie with a magazine. Florence Fennel is lovely with pork and last Christmas I cooked a delicious fennel gratin as a side dish. I found the recipe on Simply Recipes, Elise Bauer's family food blog - full of fab food ideas.

Help! How do I Cope with Pea Weevils?

Something is eating my Kelvedon Wonder Peas...

and Pea Weevils are eating my Sugarsnap Peas.

I looked for something to stop the Pea Weevils but the only product I found was dangerous to bees! So I didn't buy it.

Does anyone know of anything that is safe for bees that I can use?

There are so many stones on my plot I'm thinking of building a cairn! The carrots are growing well but I'm pretty sure they'll be odd shapes from encounters with stones.

Strawed Strawberries

To protect the strawberry bed from cheeky birds I erected a netting 'tent' - using canes to make a framework and stretching the netting over. I then secured the netting to the ground with pegs and stood back to admire my handywork - only to see a blackbird hop out from under the netting and scamper away across the allotment! Not bird-proof enough, then?? Now it is!!!

First Strawberry of the Year

In view of the wet weather we've been having I have, for the first time in my life, put straw under my strawberries. Hopefully this will prevent the fruit from resting on muddy soil and also deter greedy slugs, by being uncomfortable to crawl over. I'll be checking this later today. 

Greyhounds Up and Running

Greyhound Cabbages thriving in a fine mesh tunnel. I'm looking forward to enjoying this variety again this year. I used seed from last year's packet and every seed germinated! I had to give half the plants away as I'd sown twice as many as I needed - expecting poorer germination results. 

One thing I'll do is start cutting them earlier. Last year I waited until good hearts developed but then some cabbages 'went over' before we could eat them all.

What they say on 'Grow Your Own'.

Onions and Leeks

Onions and Shallots

The onions and shallots are growing well. I planted Stuttgarter Giant and  Hi-Tech onions and Red Sun shallots. A couple of days ago I put on a top dressing of horse manure and mushroom compost which I'm hoping will boost growth even further.

Bulgarian Giant Leek

I'm growing two types of leek this year, Bulgarian Giant and Musselburgh. I planted out the Bulgarian Giants today.