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I currently have two empty beds waiting for winter cabbages, caulis and the like, plus another small winter veg bed, possibly late-sown parsnips. One of the empty beds will have French beans as well, while the winter brassicas are still small. The other will have lettuce.
What's looking poor: all my French beans. Yellowing leaves that are miserable. They haven't picked up at all despite extra feeds. Three different types (Illuro climbing beans bought here, Merveille de Piemonte bought from a French supplier, and Delinel, also from France). I'm giving the first two another week. If they don't pick up, I'll pull them out and put something else in instead. My two Crown Prince also have yellowing leaves, though the other winter squash (Barbara) and the melon plants are OK.
What's looking good: the tomatoes, which are racing up the canes. The first two courgettes are looking amazing now. The sweetcorn is looking nice and green, good thick stalks. But it looks to me like it might have stopped growing. Earlibird, not a very tall plant, but should grow to more than 40 cm!
Verdict still open: some of the pepper have have at last sprouted a newer and greener set of leaves. Aubergines. The first lot are in the throes of growing a new set of leaves, but the second ones put in just recently look like they might have brought spider mite with them. That would be a major setback. They're close to the toms.
Pests: cabbage loopers on the brassicas. Not easy to spot when small. As far as I can tell, the eggs are laid singly, so not easy to see. Some wasp activity round the cabbages, so they're obviously working hard on my behalf. Snails everywhere. Despite my best efforts, all I'm doing is clearing empty space for hundreds more to move into. Is this how St. Patrick eliminated snakes from Ireland? Will Spain eventually be snail free because they'll all have migrated to my veg patch?
Tuta absoluta looks to have arrived this year as well. Now need to start checking the tomato plants on a daily basis to eliminate eggs. Bound to lose some of my crop to them, just hope not too much.Future projects: solar watering system should be up and running in a couple of weeks. Also, had a nice chat with neighbour down the valley. He's getting in a guy with a tractor to clear some land for him. I'll leave the fields to him too. Thank goodness. Wasn't looking forward to scything that lot.
Future problems: Equisetum hyemale (scouring rush, a member of the horsetail family). One of the abandoned almond fields down the valley is absolutely full of it. The wind blows up the valley, so from there to our fields. Mr Snoop is a bit more sanguine about this than I am. He says that if it's as bad as I say, the whole world would be full of it.
