Growth Accelerates in May

It always amazes me how quickly plants grow at this time of year. The giant veg take this to another level. I have not started everything yet, the Runner Beans will be planted in a few weeks but the soil preparation has been happening for some time.

How're the Onions?

Every year at this point I think I say the same thing. It's a mixed bag. I went away for a couple of days just after Easter. In my attempt to avoid the plants getting too cold they got too hot during the day within their mini greenhouse. Some of the plants suffered and so lost a significant number of leaves. The plants nearest the fans stayed cool and have continued to grow well. Those that lost leaves struggled. The best growers often talk about keeping an eye on the plants every day. It's so true as I have found out again! Over the next month the leaf growth will slow down but the bulb will add over 1 inch in circumference a week if the weather is good.

Gigantic Beetroots

I don't have the space to grow the beetroot in a polytunnel so have planted directly outside. I followed as closely as I can the  instructions that you will find on the giant veg website They are growing fast and I water them and feed them regularly. The following pictures show the plants around 20th April and 20th May which shows how quickly they grow

In the greenhouse I have some giant cucumbers and long chilli plants that are getting going. Outdoors there are also some potatoes that are growing well. The key thing for those is select the best variety such as Kondor and then as they start to grow, look out and thin out the potatoes as they form. Easier said than done!