Still no rain, nor any in the week's forecast and more heat coming at the end of the week. Can even more of our customers do a rain dance please!! Lots of you have offered already!
We are now using trickle irrigation a second time on recently transplanted spinach, chard, kale, radicchio and leeks. The older patches of leafy greens have just about stopped producing anything of good enough quality now but we can't water everything.
Some potato varieties have stopped growing, and are on the small side but some varieties could still grow if they get any rain. The sweetcorn is early and the kernels are not as plump as usual but still sweet. The squash is also ripening early, and should be very sweet again this year but fruits will be smaller than if they had rain at the right time.
The courgettes are magic, continuing to grow, although slowing down a bit. And the tunnel crops have to be watered so the basil, peppers and tomatoes are doing well but the cucumbers have just about stopped as the red spider mite, a pest of cucumbers, loves the hot, dry conditions.
One patch of sweetcorn is growing inside the walled garden and we thought it was badger proof, but alas not. Good job Martin noticed before they did too much damage! BUT keeping a badger out is not to be under-estimated, when we stopped them clambouring over the barrier, they dug underneath. The battle continues!
Despite our best efforts to offer the rooks in the Wye fields alternative drinking sources they still prefer to make holes in the trickle tape to obtain a drink, very frustrating! The 2 small ponds at the Crundale site are being well used by wildlife, with foxes and badgers caught on camera every night as well as a hedgehog last week. We’ve had to refill the smaller pond but there is still water in the larger one, which we hope to re-line before it rains again.
