Shogoin Turnip

Tried some Shogoin Turnips today, planted seeds in a bucket left over from the Tomatoes topped up with fresh commercial compost. Lets see how they do over the winter. They are supposed to mature in 45 days, which would be mid-december, but I'm not holding my breath. This is going to be a small crop - even at 2-inch spacing, a bucket wont hold much - but it should be a test of how these things grow at this time of year.

Speaking of which, over the past few days, we have dropped down to cooler temperatures again, from the low 80's to the mid 70's during the day, and cold enough at nights to close all the windows and put a jumper on. Its also been getting darker; I'm switching the lights on inside about 6 pm now, summer time.

I notice the first sowing of Fava Beans has had pretty much 100% germination between the Kale plants, and are now about 3 inches high. The Kale itself is about 6 inches with about 6 medium-sized leaves on each plant - nowhere near harvesting yet, but well-established young plants.

I have noticed a plant disappearing here and there, a Kale or a Lettuce, so I reluctantly hauled out the old metaldehyde. I dont like using poisons, but slugs destroy plants - they dont just nibble. My entire sowing of a lettuce mix by the grape vine, about 12 square feet, has nothing now, just some Nigella, a garlic sprout here or there, and one or two adventurous weeds. Like the sowing of Lettuce, Radish and Carrot where the Leeks are now, I suspect that baby slugs just took out one seedling after another. I have no problem growing from seed in pots, but nothing survives at that stage in the ground. You see a few germinating seeds, then POW! Nothing left. So chemicals it is.

The Cos Lettuce continue to do well, so last week I sowed another few in small pots to replace these ones when the are harvested. Finally, I noticed some bumps appearing in the joints of one of the brussels sprouts, so it looks like these are going to start developing over the next few weeks. The plants are still 6 inches to a foot high, depending on the sowing, but there is a noticeable thickening of the stems to about thumb size.

October plantings

The Brussels Sprouts are doing quite well now, actually looking like plants, rather than seedlings or plantlets. It has been now since seeding (mid-July), and the stems are starting to thicken a little and lengthen. The weather is quite good, being not too hot, no too cold (70-80°F), and a little light rain here and there (nothing much, so I have to water, but it has evenly dampened the previously baked soil). I'm quite happy that a decent amount of growth has taken place by now, before the cold weather starts.

The leeks were finally put in about a week ago, and are starting to put on some growth. It's about time, because like last year, they have done almost nothing until now. Its as if they wait for replanting to get going, whether thats from soil (last year) or a pot (like this year). Maybe next year I will try seeding earlier in a bucket. In the picture, you can also see some of the Parris Island Cos; that, along with the Kale and Swiss Chard from the same sowing (early September), has all now been planted out, and is looking established, although still small. The space for the leeks was that ealier used for lettuce/carrots/radishes, none of which really did much more than throw up 2 or 3 seedlings.

The Kale you see here was sown earlier, pricked out into small pots, and has finally been planted out. I have planted some Fava Bean seeds and peas among the Kale, with the idea that these can provide nitrogen to the Kale, and take over in early spring when the Kale has all been harvested. I think the Favas are supposed to have deep roots, so they may not interfere with each other that much. Another experiment.