Today the Veggie gardener has been driven indoors as the weather forecast's promised "month of rain in one day" appears to be coming true.
The last six weeks have been quite busy, as crops have started to become ready for harvesting. This year started with a very wide range of crops designed to provide a succession of produce not just for eating fresh but also to store for coming months. An early spring meant a successful start for many things, but then the weather took a turn for the weird and depending on what stage your plants were at will probably have had some effect on the outcome.
For example, normally very reliable crops here such as carrots, peas, and broad beans went in just as we had a few weeks of heavy rain and the soil became severely waterlogged. Some parts have gone rock solid and the peas although cropping well are half the height they normally are.
The middle of the summer also saw quite low temperatures and for a lot of young plants outside that just meant they came to a standstill. Despite a bit of cossetting with covers, the outside courgettes and runner beans didn't do anything (well, the courgette plants died and the bean plants are just getting started with flowers now, which is a bit late.)
For this part of the country, being able to grow these more tender crops under cover whether that is a cold frame, polytunnel or greenhouse is the only way to have some gaurantee of success.
However despite the drawbacks, right now there is a big burst of produce. Batches of runner beans (from the greenhouse), peas and french beans are regularly getting blanched and put in the freezer. Some of the Cylindra beetroot started to bolt, so they have all been lifted and either pickled or frozen. Beetroots will store well over winter in a clamp along with carrots and parsnips but it is a bit too early to do this - the roots going into storage need to remain quite cold or they will just start to sprout and lose condition. Much better to wait until the nights are getting frosty.
The shallots and garlic are all lifted and dried and will keep well if kept cool and dry. Some are put aside for growing on next year and it won't be long before these are getting started in modules.
Typically, the cabbages, caulis and broccoli are tending all to come at once. This has been made worse by the cold mid summer which held the early plants back. So much for carefully planned successional plantings! Again, cauliflower and broccoli can be blanched and frozen although it is worth taking care not to overdo the blanching to keep them looking appetizing. To preserve a nice bright green appearance they should go straight from boiling water into cold water for a few minutes before popping straight into the freezer!
Thoughts are already turning to what needs to be done for next year - whether to continue with the same varieties or choose new ones - but the main focus here is going to be on improving the soil structure for the areas that got waterlogged. Mulching or incorporating organic matter over the dormant months will get the worms and other wee beasties working towards aerating the soil and restoring the nutrient levels for next year.
