Veg Update

With a lot of othet things eating into my time recently, I haven't got round to updating the picture as regards my show veg - that and the fact that until this week, when the weather has improved beyond all recognition, that not a lot had moved since my last update way back when.
So here goes.

First off is the long beet - I wasn't planning on growing these as they are notoriously fickle creatures to grow well but as I was gifted some seeds I thought I'd have a go. They are growing in a barrel with 5 stations bored and filled with the prescribed compost mix.

Next are the long Carrots - these were slow to get going and the germination rate wasn't the best, and I had to resow two stations out of the 10 I have - again at 5 stations per barrel.

And to complete my barrels, I have two barrels of Parsnips. These have really started to grow away this week with the arrival of the warmer weather and are looking quite strong and healthy so far.

Myt atties have finally emerged from the JBA compost mix (with the exception of Sherine which was planted a week later due to my giving away too many of my polypots to a new grower and leaving myself short. I have 10 bags each of Sherine, Amour, Kestrel , BlueBelle and Casablanca but as with most things , these are about three weeks behind this same point last year due to the crap weather in April and most of this month. Pictured is a bag of Kestrel...

My Kelsae onions, bought from Mr Fothergills have started to grow away stronly now having bee a bit slow to get going. These started in 3" pots, then into 1 litre pots, then a select few were potted into 5 litre pots and there will be one more cull when the creme de la creme will go into the 25 litre mineral lick tubs I have.
My Hercules onion sets and Garlic are looking nice and healthy too.

With the arrival of the good weather, I have also got my Show Perfection peas out, as well as my French Beans - both lots of reselected seed courtesy on Ian Stocks of the NVS. I have also plantd out my runner beans. These are from self saved seed off the Stenner plants I grew last season. And the final plants being grown from reselected home grown seed (rhough not necessarily my home) are the Heathfield Broad Beans which I got from Frank Taylor, also of the NVS. Pics below

And finally, the leeks that I was given by Helen Vincent, also of tyhe NVS, are in their large mineral lick buckets and outside. Now I have never tried to grow these for show so this year is very much a trial run, although given the quality of Helens leeks, I feel duty (and honour) bound to do my utmost to bench a decent set at one of my planned shows this year.

Over and above the following, my first sowing of Cauliflower Raleigh are in, the second to be planted out next week, when the third is potted on, my Cabbage Liberator are in and my Cedrico toms will be planted into bottomless buckets and growbags shortly.

I think that's it for now. Will try and update on a more regular basis now that things are starting to grow !!