Riots Reach Strontian

Panic not, I didn't mean to give the impression the local youths have abandoned their X boxes and Nintendos and taken to the streets or rather street.  I refer to the vegetable garden where at last warmer weather and plenty of moisture has seen a riot of vegetative growth.

leeks growing at last

Onions growing around main crop carrots in an attempt to deter carrot fly

In the greenhouse and polytunnel tomatoes are ripening and an experiment at growing standard tomatoes as cordons on the bench as an alternative to growing a a dwarf bush type such as Tumbling Tom has been decidedly encouraging.

Sweet Million grown up a string

Sweet million grown as a cordon in a pot on the greenhouse bench

The only problem with the cordon experiment was the danger of snapping off the growing tip when attempting to train it around the 45 degree string. This is because the tip is desperate to grow vertically and has to be bent a lot to twist it around the string. After loosing two tops, I found it safer to tie the top down gently over a few hours.

Meanwhile in the poly tunnel the celeriac have grown more like trifids and I get slightly anxious, when walking past that they might shoot out a tentacle.

The Celeriac

The slightly embarrassing truth behind behind these plants is that they started life in some distant plant factory and purchased by me as plugs. Celeriac require a long growing season and, with early sowings unsuccessful I was delighted to spot some in the village shop.   If the first frost comes early and denies us runner beans, they are currently 10mm. long at least we will have lots of parsnip and celeriac soup to look forward to.