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| Misc bed in front (with stakes), Brassicas/Peas/Beans to left, Roots at the back right; May 2018 |
No sign of parsnips, sown in March. Second year in a row they've not appeared--think I'll give them a miss next year; cleared away all weeds in this bed and replanted with celery seedlings. Also planted a few celery in a perennials bed, as I had some spare.
Haven't seen the scorzerona sown in April yet either, but not quite given up hope.
A few more beet seedlings appeared in late May, after a rainstorm. Carrots in planters growing well.
Onions and (new season, non-perennial) leeks growing slowly, all mostly protected against rampaging chickens with a defensive barrier of sticks and wire trays (most newly planted veg have been given the same treatment this month). Last year's leeks now going to seed--will leave them in place to divide into new plants.
Garlic growing well; pulled a bulb to test, but not quite fully mature (big and tasty though!). Shallots still small.
Peas and beans
Pods forming on both winter sown broad beans by the end of the month, and both these and spring sown beans still flowering. None harvested in May.
Early peas and mange tout both begun flowering by the end of the month, but none harvested. Maincrop and snap peas not flowering yet.
Planted out pre-sprouted runner beans, peas and dwarf French beans at the beginning of the month; runner beans small and growing by the end of the month, but only a few French beans and peas up. Put another batch of French beans to pre-sprout.
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| Peas/Beans/Brassicas bed, May 2018 |
Eating the spring sweetheart cabbages all through May; several still left for June. Finished the purple sprouting broccoli and cleared away by the end of the month. Harvested the flowering tops of kale. Took cuttings of both kale and sprouting broccoli (at least one kale cutting rooted!).
Planted out Brussels sprouts and red kale into holding bed, and covered with insect mesh to protect against cabbage butterflies; both growing nicely.
A few kohlrabi and radishes up from previous sowings; sowed a few more in May. Turnips sown (in a separate bed) in April growing strongly. None harvested. Self-sown mizuna sprouting in unexpected places and growing well.
Sowed a tray each of Savoy cabbage, cauliflower, and purple sprouting broccoli--all intended for winter/spring harvest. None up by the end of the month.
Miscellaneous
Harvested a LOT of chard, nearly all to dry for later with stems in the freezer. Last year's chard forming flowers now; some has been cleared away and some left to set seed. New season chard all over the place, growing strongly.
Miners lettuce and arugula flowering/setting seed this month, though still eating a few arugula leaves in May.
Planted out ten or so red leaf lettuces (all from own saved seed) at the end of May, which seem to be growing a bit--I have bad luck with most lettuce, but the slugs (and rabbits!?) seem not to have found these (yet).
Planted out bunching spring onions, all growing well. Container-grown (non-bunching) spring onions smaller, but growing; sowed a few more containers. Nearly finished all last year's spring onions by the end of May.
Planted out my meager sweetcorn (six in total), all squashes and pumpkins, nearly all tomatillos, several tomatoes and zuccini, and most of the cherry tomatoes (these in planters). I waited for a rainy day to get all these out, as it's been too hot for transplanting most of this month--boy did I get wet and muddy that day! Fun times.
Transplanted most of the peppers (sweet and hot) into containers at the end of the month, but all still pretty small.
Fruit
All soft fruit except the autumn raspberry have formed fruits: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, whitecurrants, redcurrants, blackcurrants.
Good amounts of fruit on both cherry trees, plum tree, almond tree, both apple trees. I counted about five pears on Williams tree, but have again picked off immature fruits from Kumoi pear in hopes it will grow bigger first (it's put out a little growth this month). I think this is the last time I'll pick off its fruits--even if it is still smaller than me next year.
Fig tree has about a dozen new fruits, al big and glossy. Peach tree has at least half a dozen small fruits.
Put wire trays over some of the strawberries to protect from birds.
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| Spring onions and dill, May 2018 |
A few dill in containers now growing well; sowed some more seed in May. Summer savory also growing well--harvested a little this month, along with chives and parsley. Parsley going to seed at the end of the month (hoping it'll self seed).
Thyme growing well, and mint still small but growing. Looks like tarragon isn't coming back after the cold winter.
Rhubarb looking good, but as mentioned previously, I'm not harvesting it this year. Artichokes growing ever bigger--taller than my waist and still putting out lots of leaves; no flowers yet.
Four or five asparagus have reappeared, all just about as spindly as they were last year as seedlings. Mulched them with seaweed.
Harvested a little sorrel in May, all growing strongly.
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