Mid May - beans, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, and more

Mid May – beans, tomatoes, peppers, squashes, etc

Well, of course, it’s now mid may and there is going to be an ‘of course’. This is the middle of the planting season – or is it?

I am an impatient person and I’m always pushing the seasons, especially springtime. Let’s face it, winter is not the lean season – that is spring, when the stored crops have run out and the new crops have not yet started. In four seasons out of five, in south west England, the earliest time suggested for sowing will work well and will give crops well ahead of the average harvesting season. However, this year has been unusual – a very hot dry March followed by the wettest April on record and not much improved by the first half of May – and it’s been cold.

My autumn sown broad beans have started to produce pods. I have lots of them and I find that cropping a few of the young pods can be cooked and taste much like French Beans. They are good to eat and really won’t be noticed from the main crop, which will ‘get-into-its-stride’ shortly.

I sowed my different varieties of French beans after soaking them and allowing them to sprout. Unfortunately, the weather turned very cold and wet and nothing much has happened with them. Yes, I know, they should be sown later rather than early  and June would have been better.

Today has been dry, though cloudy. My barometer dropped dramatically overnight so, I thought an early start might be useful, before the rain set in. I noticed, with some relief that my beans have started to germinate. I might have to re-sow but, as my daughter suggested last weekend, when she surveyed my plot – be patient! Mammy you are always so impatient. And, yes, today, I notice that the odd bean is beginning to appear above ground. This didn’t prevent me from re-ordering bean seeds but, I might now just keep them until next year.

I have found, this year particularly, when I have contacted Thompson and Morgan about orders I have placed [and in the past I have criticised them] that their telephone contacts have been – on the ball; have known what they are talking about; have been friendly and informative and have sorted my issues – 5 stars to them.

Back to the plot – My poly-tunnel has been a continuing problem this year. Red ants have been the biggest and most destructive pest. Every other year, I've had a few red ant nests and have more-or-less ignored them.This year, it has been apparent that they have been a major destructive pest. When I visited my plot, just to water the tunnel I have had to dig out and destroy more red ant’s nests. As I have said before, this season, I have been spraying with Py spray – a pyrethrum based, contact-only substance which is, I believe accepted as organic.

Tomatoes are growing on well. Most of them have flower trusses and I have staked the plants up. This year, I have only three varieties, to fit in with my needs – Alicante and F1 Fantasio  [good standard type tomatoes which will be excellent for all-round use and will store and freeze easily; and Sultana – a miniature, sweet, salad-type, plum tomato –a sweetie! brilliant!

On checking the plants in my tunnel, I have noticed that my chilli and pepper plants have shown serious leaf-curl on their young growing leaves. These plants are very young and the damage looks much like that caused by red-spider mite. However, on close examination, I saw no red-spider mite but a few green aphids, their damage is surely containable - were present on the affected plants – really, only a very few, yet the damage was quite noticeable. I have sprayed the with Py, being conscious of the limitations of this compound for ‘contact only’, I made sure I sprayed the underside of every leaf – easy at this diminutive size but, if the problem continues this will be a more difficult problem.

Last year, in my poly-tunnel, I sprayed with SB plant invigorator. Highly recommended and organic [although I have yet to find out what the active ingredients are!]. This substance will – most importantly – feed your plants, strengthen your plants and fight off bugs, parasites and pests. Sounds too good to be true. This was the only ‘chemical /substance’ I used last year and I found that it has wiped out red-spider mite in my poly-tunnel and apparently – white fly on my brassicas this year.

Well. I might be a bit neurotic but, anything which is that effective must surely be questioned. Please get back to me with your thoughts on this.