Just sow

There has been a lot of rain this weekend though, thankfully, there have been breaks in the middle of the day to allow for some gardening.

Today I planted out 6 more cauliflowers to join the other 8 where the broad beans were a few months ago. I didn't bother digging over the area beforehand as brassicas like firm ground. While planting, came across three broad beans that had germinated. I planted them next to the row of cauliflowers just in case they manage to grow.

After that, I did a bit of general weeding and hoeing. I moved 6 Brussel Sprout plants from next to the parsnips to next to the cabbages and strawberries. They don't look too good though. I netted them up and I will just have to hope that they grow a little stronger. When I watered them in, I added some seaweed feed in to help them out.

The beetroot and carrots next to the parsnips were not looking good. Neither seems to be growing edible roots. I wonder whether they weren't sowed deep enough. I removed the beetroot and will use the leaves in a salad. I left the carrots. I then sowed two intermingled rows of Autumn King carrots and White Lisbon spring onion.

The chinese cabbage I sowed a few weeks ago has not appeared. In its place, I sowed a row of Skyrocket rocket and a row of Little Gem lettuce. As well as a tunnel cloche, I sprinkled plenty of organic slug pellets for protection. Next to these, it seems like there might be some chicory that have germinated. Not sure though with all the little weeds that have shown up. Just to be sure, I sowed another row in the same bed and have put a cloche over this along with some more pellets.

No sign yet of the seeds I sowed last week. The transplanted globe artichokes don't look too bad though and the Jerusalem artichokes are now much taller than me (I'm about 5 foot 8 btw).

The main crop potatoes have made it to 14 weeks now. If they can just hold on for another couple... I removed a couple more poorly leaves from the courgette plant with mosaic virus. It doesn't seem to have affected any others as yet.

Back at home, the rocket, spinach and mispoona are developing true leaves. Some salad leaves that I sowed a couple of months ago had been eaten by something - I assumed it was a slug. However, on closer inspection, they were covered (and I mean covered) with caterpillars. The butterflies really had been busy - I didn't realise they had been laying eggs in the leaves. Some very quick Internet research (I found http://www.uksafari.com/caterpillars.htm) confirmed that these were made by the Cabbage whites). I have to remember to check for this in the future at this time of year. One caterpillar had made it to one of the cauliflower seedlings in the cold frame about 2-3m away from the salad. Luckily I spotted it (and checked the other plants) before taking it to the allotment.