Blog of The Organic Gardener

CATCH-UP REVIEW ON 2006 SO FAR

In the U.K. we had the hottest July on record. The dry days affected flower set on the runner beans. This year I grew them over a walk-through arch to save space and make picking easier. I constructed the arch from Willow Cane - see my pages on runner beans.

But the hot July was followed by an overcast and often wet August. I needn't have worried about the runner beans. A bumper crop emerged for harvesting in September and October. It's just finishing now but I have 3 shelves in my deep freeze full with bags of beans.

Once again my autumn raspberry variety All Gold is producing a good crop. There's still fruit waiting to ripen today.

However the wet August and September has put a dampener on things with some fruit spoiled and others quite literally tasting watered down. But I'm still getting handfulls of good tasting firm fruit - and eating them does make me feel better.

This variety seems to be very resistant to Botrytis. Where there is some infection I pull off the fruit but adjacent fruit usually remain perfect.

Also they haven't been attacked by birds, perhaps their yellow colour is less attractive.

My next door neighbour got a bumper crop of plums. My plum tree is only small in it's second year but it gave a very promising crop of fruit. I've put in several apple cordons and one has fruited in it's first year. I've pruned them now.

Also this year.
I grew several potato varieties, in the garden and in potato bins and tubs. I'll be comparing them on my website.

My crops following a green manure and organic fertilizer have been boosted.

Not so good -
a tomato variety 'Italia' grown outdoors.
It provided a sizeable crop of green square shaped tomatoes. The only problem is that they didn't ripen.

But I find the square shaped fruit a big advance when it comes to slicing.

Finally the grass has benefited from Fish, Blood and Bone, organic fertilizer and, a new push mower that can quite literally be run over the grass. It's easier to use without cables, and maintain etc... and so I tend to do it more often. See growing lawns