October 2007

This month has been pretty busy. There's been plenty to do tidying up and beginning to get ready for Winter, as well as a bit of planting and plenty of crops to harvest.

We've tidied up the Strawberry bed. The plants will be in their third year next summer so we've prepared a second bed and planted it up with runners from this years' plants. That way we already have new plants coming on when our three year old plants have finshed producing next seasons' crop and need to be replaced. This takes up a fair amount of space on the plot but Sue won't be deprived of her Strawberries.

We've cut back the Asparagus bed now that the ferns have turned yellow, and given the bed a really good weeding and a thick mulch of compost to protect them over winter. They too will be in their third year next spring so will start to produce their first proper crop. It's been a long wait but the few spears I cut last spring, just for a taste of what is to come, proved that it was well worth it.

We've picked all the Butternut Squash. Despite the poor summer it's been a pretty good crop and they will store well into next year. This is one crop that I wouldn't be without. They are such a versatile ingredient and taste good whatever you do with them.

We've also harvested Beetroot and made a big batch of spicy Beetroot chutney, and picked Carrots and Parsnips though there's still plenty left for Christmas.

Planting this month

Garlic - we've planted three varieties; Early Purple, Solent Wight and Elephant garlic, all purchased down the road at the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm.

The Solent Wight didn't do well last year, mainly due to the wet, but hopefully will do better this time around.

November 2007