KW-25 The state of the potager.

Far behind, not doing too badly.

There aren’t many things in the garden that make you feel like you are still playing catch-up more than fresh digging in the vegetable beds at the end of June. But here we are.

This week, about 20% of my caloric intake has come from strawberries. And lettuces.

It’s all very contrasty in the world of Barracks grow-your-own. As you know, I’m trying to figure out the best rotational system for the self sufficient vegetable patch. This means a 6-break rotation which I am still tweaking, and in every section this year I am both behind where I should be in part of it, and quite nicely ahead in others.

We find ourselves nearly half way through the year, so let’s do a full break down. Why not?

Potatoes: the earlies went in at the right time, and I’m defintiely going to eat the first plant-full this week. I expect I shall make a big thing of this over on Instagram. The main crop went in extremely late, but are doing ok. I guess it all depends on how early winter comes. I earthed them all up this week, which is good.

Pumpkins: I don’t have any pumpkins in the pumpkin break. I decided to put winter wheat in it last year, thinking that it would be out again by the time the pumpkins go in. This was wrong. The wheat is doing really well, I think - I’ve never grown more than a couple of square meters before - and the seedsheads are swelling.

Peas and Beans: The peas are an almost complete wash out. I think they heard me saying that peas are a silly thing to grow. Yields are tiny, and they are a faff, but they do taste good. The broad beans are even worse. I might just give up on broad beans forever. Perhaps there’s a reason Germans don’t eat them. They just don’t grow here. But I have more climbing beans than ever, and they are further advanced than at this time last year.

Objectively, we’re not doing too badly. I just wish it was looking more complete - more tidy. Sharpening up some of those edges should make a difference. Let’s see what it looks like next week. There’s gotta be one good photo per year, right? Right? :sigh:

Salad break: I’ve been eating lettuces quite happily for a few weeks now, and I’m going to direct sow more this week. I’ve put some pumpkins / courgettes here. They don’t look especially happy. All of the spinach has gone to seed, but we don’t mind this. It can self seed and be eaten in the autumn and winter.

Salsa break: Sweetcorn, yes. Tomatoes, an insane number of plants this year (more than ever - I think 44, plus the 20 in the polytunnel). Sunflowers - not yet sown! This will happen this week if it breaks me. It nearly broke me last week.

Roots: Well. The root break usually has upwards of 20 different things in it. I sowed carrots last week. This is crazy late. The parsnips are doing fine (I forgot to sow parsnips last year). I’ve never really successfully grown onions or garlic before, and they have been in since last autumn and are doing awesomely well. And that’s it. No other roots this year.

I posted this to the Friday Barracks in Pictures newsletter, so the 1/4 of you that subscribe to both get it Marilyn looking stately twice. I should start carving Marilyns for Christmas. Who wouldn’t want this Prachtschwein on their mantlepiece?

I was going to tell you about the spare pumpkin patch this week, but that can wait.

Oh, and I sowed chanterelles. Is that right, do you sow mycelium? I inoculated the forrest with mushrooms? Anyway, let’s see what happens in a couple of years. Wild Pfifferlinge in the barracks would be wild.

I think it feels like I am far behind where I should be because there is still quite a significant amount of digging to be done. This should be finished by April, really. And then done again lightly in May. Hardcore digging in June is just crazy. But actually, I think we’re doing OK. And you should see the fruit trees. Oh, they make me happy!

How are your gardens doing? Have you settled into the summer routine of watering and weeding, or are you still playing catch up? What’s looking like the big success in the food-producing world for you?

I’m off to go and do some digging. I shall see you all again next week

with much piratey love your (very doomy this week)

Pirate Ben

xoxo

Currently reading: a quirky, charming little book called Musizieren geht übers Probieren. A history of the Vienna Philharmonica.