KW-28 Always learning in the Garden

Especially when climates change

This week, I have been mostly thinking about Cucurbitaceae. It was clear from last week’s newsletter that they were troubling me. This week, I have all but admitted defeat.

I posted this to Instagram with the caption “What’s wrong with this pitcure”. Mostly, I got the right answer for the wrong reasons. It would appear that people have been reading blog posts again! This is not the place for that discussion, but…

From top right, clockwise, we have

• Plot 1: Potatoes

• Plot 2: Roots

• Plot 3: Salsa

• Plot 4: Greens

• Plot 5: Peas and Beans

• Plot 6: Pumpkin family

Potatoes, Beans and Roots are clearly all doing great. Salsa and Greens are actually also doing great, but it’s hard to see because these plots are flipping massive and the photo is taken from quite a long way away, and quite high up.

Sir Anthony Marmalade Nutsless would like a word

But, the Pumpkin family bed really is every bit as awful as it looks. I’ve lost about 60 pumpkin plants. This is something of a shame, because 60 pumpkin plants in full bountiful health will deliver at least a tonne of vegetables. Almost all of which go down the throats of the pigs. We are definitely not self sufficient in pig food this year.

The reasons for the failure are twofold.

1. Climate change.

2. Not sufficiently adapting to climate change.

Thanks to the massive failure, I am pretty sure I know what I can do better next year - in subsequent years. I know it is easy to believe that I frame everything in the context of climate change, but it is real, and it (or my insufficient flexibility in the face of it) is 100% the reason for no squashes, pumpkins, gourds and courgettes this year.

I will blog about it. Today, I’m putting in another massive order for goddamn pig food.

Let’s have some happy pictures.

I’ve noshed my way through almost a whole row of potatoes already. Thank goodness for the rain coming just at the right time to swell the tubers.

I have said since last winter that the focus this year would be on potatoes, beans and tomatoes. Here, some beans.

And I can’t complain about the Roma tomatoes in the polytunnel either. They are pretty good for the start of July. Middle of July. They are ok.

This week, I shall be mostly weeding the vineyard. But, for now, sunflowers, quinoa, more sunflowers and a row of spuds are all doing ok. There are also 4 rows of sweetcorn and a distribution of root mangolds which are not quite as happy. But. Not bad for year one in the vineyard, if I say so myself!

That should do it for now.

With any amount of luck, and a decent amount of sunshine, there might be the suspicious of a colour other than green next week. Will we have our first red tomato? Who ever said gardening wasn’t exciting?

Merry pirate love to you all,

Your

Pirate Ben

(apologies for the tardiness of the newsletter. I like to have it out to out to you all in time for Monday morning coffee, but the fact that it was Monday seems to have avoided my consciousness this morning!)

Pigs. Arses.