Barry Cuff takes a look at what happened on the plot in August, the height of harvest season
All images: Barry Cuff
The weather during the month was very variable: despite many dull days, most crops were ready to harvest around the same time as they were last year, and by the end of the month around half the plot had been cleared of crop and bio-matter. These areas will be sown with green manure during September and October.
Little watering was needed through the month, except for the thirsty vegetables such as runner beans, celery and celeriac.
Autumn salad and stir fry veg – Going in after potatoes. Sown/planted so far: Chinese cabbage, radicchio, leaf mixes, mizuna and golden streaks mustard. More will be sown in September. Beetroot – We’re now lifting regularly as required from successional sowings.
Brassicas – All growing under a net to protect from pigeons! There was an explosion of caterpillars, both large and small white butterflies, around the middle of August. Normally we just pick these off the plants, but under a net this is difficult so they were sprayed with Deltamethrin – avoiding any plants which were near to harvesting.
Broccoli – Both early and late varieties doing well
Brussels Sprouts – The plants are now between four and five foot tall, and all looking well.
Calabrese – (Ironman) We picked some excellent heads mid month, and now these will produce side shoots.
Cabbage – Red Drumhead: good plants, we’re harvesting as required for stir-fries, salads etc.
Savoy: winter/spring varieties Vertus and Wintessa were planted out on 9th.
Cauliflower – We’re cutting nice heads of the cheesy and white step varieties this month. Spring varieties Snow March and Medallion were planted out on 6th.
Carrot – (Early Nantes) Last sowing made on 4th: these will only be any good if the weather is favourable. Earlier sowings are doing well, and we’re already using early ones as required.
Celeriac – Looking good and ready for mulching.
Celery – (Golden Self Blanching) We have harvested two plants early, and will harvest the rest over the autumn as required.
Chicory – Witloof for chicons. Looking well, with nice strong plants.
Courgette – Currently cutting every other day.
Dwarf French bean – Good yields from Safari and nearly finished cropping. Nautica is our later variety and is still cropping well.
Flowers (for the bees and for cutting) – All looking good: tithonia, echinops, echium, zinnia and coreopsis
Fruit – We’ve had good yields from both varieties of raspberry (Joan J and Autumn Treasure)
Leek – Planted out after the broad beans and potatoes, but seeing fairly slow growth. They probably need rain.
Lettuce – (Little Gem) We are never short of lettuces as we sow every month.
Mangetout – The Carouby De Massaune have finished and we are now picking Purple Magnolia, a snap pea.
Onion – (Bonus) All harvested with lower yields this year due to White Rot. Each year we lose up to 20 per cent to this disease. We live with this, expecting the losses despite a six year rotation. The experts reckon that an eight-to-ten year gap is required to clear it.
Parsnip – Two rows looking well for the winter.
Potatoes – We dug our last row on the 8th: we had excellent yields this year.
Runner beans – Picking every other day.
Squash – The bed is like a jungle, many fruits forming and most plants stopped.
Sweetcorn – (Swift) We harvested our first cobs on 22nd – a good size and delicious!
Sweet pepper and tomatoes (in the greenhouse) – Good yields from the greenhouse. We’re picking tomatoes every day, with good yields, and no more blossom-end rot which we experienced earlier in the season.
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