Seasons End
Despite the wet summer weather we've endured this year its amazing how well things turned out in the end. Vegetable wise at least. The courgettes got off to a dreadful start in the early summer rain, and then they just couldn't stop producing. We were eating courgettes well into September - something I would never have predicted.
The potatoes had their own story. The heavy rain encouraged the green tops to just grow and grow. Whilst still able to support their own weight they must have reached the dizzy heights of a metre. In my limited experience I'd never seen potato foliage grow this tall. In what turned out to be abject naivety, I was more bemused than concerned at this prolific growth rate. It never occurred to me what might be happening under the soil. After a few weeks this impressive verdant growth started to turn brown and wilty. My potato empire was collapsing before my helpless self. My ignorance left me ill equipped to react. My potatoes were wilting. So what. I didn't know what was going on beneath the surface.
" BLIGHT!", shouts Ted from over the fence.
"What! Is it? Where?", came my considered reply.
"We've all got it" said Ted.
"What do I do?", I implored.
Ted came into my allotment carrying a pair of garden shears. He explained that he had lost all his potatoes, and so had the other allotmenters. He suggested that I cut all the tops off down to about three inches above the soil, and hope for the best.
Apparently cutting off the tops stops any more blight getting into the crop. He then said that I should stack my blighted tops with his which would be burnt as soon a they had dried out.
As it turned out I lost very few potatoes, and I should still have some left for Christmas.
My beetroots were an immense success. I had far more that I could cope with. I must have pickled at least ten jars of the things. I expect to be self sufficient in beetroot until next summer. I also had great success with butternut squashes and runner beans.
In the end the excessive rain caused some problems for growers, but the veg seemed to gradually adjust to the excess. I now have four rhubarb plants and they simply went wild with enthusiasm when the heavens opened.
I can't imagine we'll have this much rain next summer, but whatever we have in store I think the veg will adapt accordingly. We just need the humans to get their act together.
Who mentioned flood defences?
The potatoes had their own story. The heavy rain encouraged the green tops to just grow and grow. Whilst still able to support their own weight they must have reached the dizzy heights of a metre. In my limited experience I'd never seen potato foliage grow this tall. In what turned out to be abject naivety, I was more bemused than concerned at this prolific growth rate. It never occurred to me what might be happening under the soil. After a few weeks this impressive verdant growth started to turn brown and wilty. My potato empire was collapsing before my helpless self. My ignorance left me ill equipped to react. My potatoes were wilting. So what. I didn't know what was going on beneath the surface.
" BLIGHT!", shouts Ted from over the fence.
"What! Is it? Where?", came my considered reply.
"We've all got it" said Ted.
"What do I do?", I implored.
Ted came into my allotment carrying a pair of garden shears. He explained that he had lost all his potatoes, and so had the other allotmenters. He suggested that I cut all the tops off down to about three inches above the soil, and hope for the best.
Apparently cutting off the tops stops any more blight getting into the crop. He then said that I should stack my blighted tops with his which would be burnt as soon a they had dried out.
As it turned out I lost very few potatoes, and I should still have some left for Christmas.
My beetroots were an immense success. I had far more that I could cope with. I must have pickled at least ten jars of the things. I expect to be self sufficient in beetroot until next summer. I also had great success with butternut squashes and runner beans.
In the end the excessive rain caused some problems for growers, but the veg seemed to gradually adjust to the excess. I now have four rhubarb plants and they simply went wild with enthusiasm when the heavens opened.
I can't imagine we'll have this much rain next summer, but whatever we have in store I think the veg will adapt accordingly. We just need the humans to get their act together.
Who mentioned flood defences?
Labels: Seasons End