Tuber initiation is when the tip of the stolon (underground stem) starts to swell to form a new potato (tuber). The initiation of tubers is a key developmental stage in the crops life, having profound implications for subsequent growth and development.

Large, yellow courgette flowers are a symbol of sunny summers, but the courgette plants seem to be surviving the rain and producing a reasonable harvest in the vegetable garden.

Joanna has an interesting lemony courgette salad recipe. Although TopVeg is rather conservative, & the idea of thinly slicing courgettes with a potato peeler did not appeal, the simple instructions did: “Use one courgette per person, and half a lemon per two courgettes.” The result was delicious and the courgette recipe is highly recommended!

Onions must be checked for Neck Rot (latin name - Botrytis allii, B. squamosa and B. cinerea) once they have been lifted, because it destroys onion bulbs in storage.

White onion varieties are more susceptible, but red and yellow varieties may suffer. Garlic, shallots, chives, and leeks are also affected by neck rot. Read More »

Farm Yard Manure improves garden soil by improving the structure and adding nutrients, thus benefiting growing vegetables. The most common sort of farm-yard manure is based on straw. Read More »

Watch out for the eggs of the Large White or Cabbage White (Latin Name - Pieris brassicae) butterfly. The eggs are laid on the underside of brassica leaves. So check your cabbage, sprouts, broccoli etc. now. The female butterfly lays batches of 20 to 100 yellow eggs underneath the leaves of the plants.

If seen the eggs should be removed. Soapy water will help unglue the cabbage white eggs from the leaf.

Last week we set up an inter-blog leek growing project with Farming Friends. They had to replant their garden because the leeks were amongst the vegetables lost in the floods.

Sarah planted our leeks last week and has just sent this update on the IB leeks:

”a week later the holes have filled up and 18 of the leek plants are standing tall and proud.

All I need to do now is deweed the row of leeks as the weeds seem to be growing extra quick with all this rain we keep getting……..I will keep you all updated with their growth.”

1st Name the Tool Competition & answer

2nd Name the Tool Competition :

Whilst our ‘mature’ gardening friends are searching in the back of their sheds for another tool to fox the modern-day gardener, we are presenting a recent tool devised by TopVeg for the 2nd Name the Tool Competition.

The question is ‘What is this tool used for?’

Please enter your suggestions in the comment section below.

The red onions have been harvested because the leaves were flopping over and the soil was very wet.

The onions have been spread out in an open slatted box and left to dry in a very airy place. More information on harvesting onions can be found by clicking the link.

The wet weather is causing some onions to develop leaf problems. If the leaves have flopped over, the onions have been lifted.

The soil is too wet for them to sit on and dry. So the onions are placed in an open slatted box, in a very airy spot.

More detail on how to tell when onions are ready to harvest can be found by clicking the link.

TopVeg has been given a vintage piece of equipment from a 94 year old gardener, who has decided to downsize and only grow beans, potatoes, leeks and soft fruit.

This is the tool he handed over to TopVeg.

The Nonagenarian said that he had inherited it….? So how old could it be? But the main question is ‘What is this tool used for?’