Diary for Whitsun weekend

Four beds of potatoes in the foreground and three beds of climbing beans in the background, as well as the bed of broad beans on the far right.

Jobs done so far in 2010:

• Planted onion sets for Stuttgarter and Red Baron.
• Planted garlic sets, Christo is a favourite.
• Planted early potatoes, Christl and Red Duke of York, now growing well.
• Planted second early potatoes, Charlotte and Anya, now sprouting away.
• Planted maincrop potatoes, Anya and Sarpo Mira, just starting to sprout.
• Planted heritage climbing peas Lancashire Lad, making good progress and the first few pods have already appeared although none are over 80cm tall.

Cucumbers and their climbing frame

• Erected their climbing frame and planted out the cucumber, Burpless F1.
• Planted runner beans, Enorma, climbing their poles and just gave another Nitrogen feed to get them growing. Will soon feed with a potash feed every few weeks.
• Planted French climbing beans, Blauhilde, making progress up their poles.
• Planted climbing Shell beans Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco ( Firetongue) and Goldfield, started the long climb up the poles.
• Planted climbing Lima bean 'O Dell Papa', just looking at the poles and wondering about it.
• Planted out the yard-long, Italian climbing bean 'Un Metro Ramp Nero', just starting to flex its growing muscles.
• Planted out the Ying/Yang climbing shell beans, they produce black and white attractive beans.

Courgettes and sweetcorn mulched

• Planted the first batch of Sweetcorn, Silver King. Growing well in a bed covered with membrane to create a semi-permanent mulch.
• Planted Courgette, Green Bush, which are looking healthy and starting to make growth.
• Planted in the polytunnel the Beetroots Cylindra and Boltardy.
• Planted in the polytunnel the peas and mangetout, along with our own giant peas.
• Planted in the polytunnel our own giant unnamed onions.
• Planted in the polytunnel an on-going supply of lettuces, mustards and other leaf crops.
• Planted in the polytunnel two water melons, we intend to grow these over the inside of the tunnel and hold up the melons in string bags, if we are lucky enough to get any develop.
• Finished re-connecting the watering system, consisting of miles of trickle hose. It is a relief once that job is done as it saves a half hour everyday just watering.

Jobs still waiting:

• Loads of different onion seedlings to plant out.
• Loads of different leek seedlings to plant out.
• About 40 asparagus seedlings to plant out.
• Asparagus peas to plant out.
• Stawberry spinach to plant out.
• Chilli peppers to plant in the polytunnel, we have given up trying to grow these outdoors as the weather beats us most years.
• Aubergines to plant in the polytunnel.
• Sweet peppers to plant in the polytunnel.
• Jalapeno peppers to plant in the polytunnel.
• Tomatoes to plant into bottomless pots, stood in grow-bags.
• Okra to plant out.
• Perpetual spinach to plant out.
• Good King Henry to plant out.
• Scorzonera to plant out.
• Salsify to plant out.
• More, just forgot what they are!