Broad Beans #2

A month ago I sowed Broad Beans into recycled newspaper pots and placed them in the plastic mini greenhouse on the patio at home. They were growing really well and the plan was to plant them out at the allotment this weekend. Unfortunately, the first frosts arrived last week, and obviously the plastic greenhouse didn't offer them enough protection because the entire batch were killed off. Very disappointing. I was looking forward to using those home made newspaper pots for the first time. On reflection, I think I sowed the Broad Beans too early, so they got too leggy before the cold came. I would definitely use the newspaper pots again in the future though, as they seemed to hold together very well. Anyway, because of this setback, on Sunday I sowed some more Broad Beans (Aquadulce Claudia) directly into the soil at the allotment this time. I have covered them with a mini plastic polytunnel (see above) to try and protect them slightly. Hopefully they will grow more hardy than the first batch, since they will have to grow in the colder weather. In the above photo, you can also see where I have covered some of the soil with black plastic for the winter. On the far side of the tunnel are the parsnips, then the Garlic (covered by netting) and then the start of the manure mountain.


On the subject of Garlic, they are just starting to send up shoots. The Onions however have all sent up lots of shoots and are looking very healthy (see above). So I decided it was now safe to remove the netting. Remove it too soon and the roots won't be strong enough to stop birds pulling them out. Remove it too late and you damage the shoots when you remove the netting. Hopefully I did it at the right time! The Shallots, next to the onions, have not started shooting at all so I've left them netted over. Hopefully they'll catch up soon. On the far side of the shallots are the leeks, which continue to grow well. Last weekend I picked the first leeks, and some more this weekend. They're very good, quite long although not hugely fat. I also picked another of the Winter Cabbages (see below).


The frosts had also finally killed off the Courgette plants. It means I picked the last courgette a few days into November - pretty good going since the first courgettes were picked a few days into July, giving a full 4 months of courgette picking! The courgette plants are now in the compost bin, and the ground where they were can be covered for the winter. Because the plants of the second cropping potatoes had all completely died off and practically disappeared, I dug up both rows of them. It only gave me about half a carrier bag of potatoes, small to medium in size. Nice to have them, but I don't think I'll bother growing second croppers again. The yield isn't worth it.