The lawns have grown since the last rains, and the lawn clippings make a useful mulch.

Common gooseberry sawfly (Nematus ribesii) is the most common pest of gooseberries. The larvae of the gooseberry sawfly strip the leaves of gooseberry and red & white currant bushes anytime between May and September.

The pale green caterpillar-like larvae are about 2cm long, with black spots and black heads.

The female gooseberry sawfly lay eggs on the underside of leaves low down in the centre of the bush, so the young larvae are not noticed until they have eaten their way to the edge of the bush. The affected plants have hardly any leaves left, become weak, and are not able to produce a good crop of fruit in the following year.

Control

It is important to inspect bushes regularly from mid-April, to look for the sawfly larvae. If they are seen pick them off by hand.

Suitable insecticides can be used on the young larvae. Always read the label and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Sharpe’s Express new potatoes have bulked up in the last 10 days, thanks to the rain.

These potatoes are from one Sharpe’s Express plant and weighed exactly 1kg!!

Click the link to see how to check if new potatoes are big enough to dig.

The Beetroot (latin name - Beta vulgaris), variety - Bolthardy, was sown on 15 May & is ready for thinning.

Before thinning:

• It is important to consider the size of root required. If baby beet are desired for salads and pickling whole, they may be spaced closer together. If larger roots are wanted for winter storage or sliced beet, they need to have more room to develop. The average spacing in the row for thinned beetroot is 4inches.
• Water the row of seedlings before thinning.
• Allow plenty of time for thinning; this job cannot be rushed.
• � � Place a marker stick down the row, with spacings (eg. 4ins) clearly marked.

• � � Assess the seedlings beside the marks. It is more important to leave the strongest plants than have the exact spacing. So if a weak plant is nearest the mark, select the stongest looking seedling closest to it.
• � � Pull out the surplus seedlings individually, but very carefully.
• Use a board to kneel on to allow a steady hand.

• � � Do not pull out surplus seedlings in a bunch, because the mass of roots will disturb the roots of the plant selected to be left to grow on.
• The baby leaves of the discarded seedlings may be eaten in salads, or cooked as a vegetable.
• 

The winter cabbage plants, an F1 hybrid Celtic, have been taken out of the brassica plant-bed where they were sown, and planted out into the main brassica bed.

It is slightly on the late side and the plants are a bit big, so they will have to be watered well and given extra tlc. The winter cabbage were planted in rows 45cm apart, & 40 cm apart within the row. The winter cabbage have been given more space than the summer cabbage so they can produce bigger heads.

The whole of the brassica bed is covered with a micromesh to keep the cabbage white butterfly and aphids off. Some people place empty eggshells on sticks, to frighten the cabbage white butterflies away. A net is a big investment, but it does ensure 100% return on effort, by keeping the pests out.

The net also keeps the pigeons off, which can reap havoc on young plants in a few hours.

The early strawberry variety Honeoye is about 6 days ahead of Elsanta. This is their third year, and they are cropping heavily. We just need some warm sun.

Most people pick gooseberries for cooking when they have reached full size, but are not fully ripe. Desert gooseberries change to a pinky colour and become quite soft.

The carrot row is a bit gappy, probably due to irregular watering. This is the excuse for investing in a misting system! More on that when it arrives.

The carrots have started to grow well, as are the onions.

Rhubarb is really a spring crop. When the stalks are no longer fat and juicy, but grow as thin stalks, the time has come to give it a rest.

Rhubarb can be pulled all summer if it is growing vigorously, and if at least 25% of the stalks are left on the plant.

The rhubarb plant should be kept weed free, so that it can grow and feed its roots. All damaged and discoloured leaves should be removed with their stalks.

In the autumn, rhubarb appreciates a good covering of well rotted farm yard manure.

Radish and mixed salad leaves grown in pots are a great success.� The radish take up very little room, so a lot of radish are produced in a small container.� The photo shows� French Breakfast radish grown in a pot.� They are crisp and slightly peppery.

� � � � � � � � �

The mixed salad leaves are so useful.� They can be cut, and then they come again.

Greenhouse tomatoes are suffering from virus diseases this year.

The four most common virus diseases affecting tomatoes are:

• Tomato Mosaic Virus (TMV)
• Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV)
• Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV)
• Pepino Mosaic (PM)

Symptoms on leaves:

• light green or yellowish mosaic patches - caused by TMV or CMV
• poorly formed leaf blades, with prominent midribs, resembling ferns - CMV
• leaves have long, brown streaks which shrivel - TMV
• young leaves curl downwards, turn bronze, & plant stops growing - TSWV
• leaves have a bubbly, mosaic surface, and plant growth is stunted - PM Read More »

Jobs for May:

• Sow brussel sprouts, broccoli, winter cabbage and kale in seedbeds

• continue to sow peas, lettuce, salad leaves, spring onions, raddish, beetroot, rocket, carrots, coriander & kohlrabi directly in the ground Read More »

  veg planting calendar vegetable garden