Sunday 28 March 2010

Potager ponderings

I am expecting the current gloriously spring-like weather to be rudely interrupted any time soon, so I have had a frenzy of seed sowing and seedling potting-on today. Just for my own records this is the current state of play;
French beans Cokkel - sown direct 23 March
Carrots Early Nantes - ditto
Spinach Tetona - ditto
Mixed salad leaves - ditto
Rocket - sown 27 March
Squash Avalon F1 hybrid (trailing) - seeds now sprouting in pots
Squash Winter Festival F1 hybrid - seeds now sprouting in pots
Cornichon (gherkins) Vert Petit de Paris and Fin de Meaux (trailing) - well established in modules
Baby sweetcorn Sweet Baby - now sprouting in pots
Tomato Tigerella - 2nd set of leaves forming, in pots
Tomato Llidi - removed seedlings from heqted propagator today and transferred to pots
Tomato Harbinger - as above
Tomato sweet olive - failed in heated propagator so sowed anew in unheated propagator
Chilli Hot Tapin - faild in heated propagator (disappointing)
Chilli Rouge Long de Cayenne - great success last year so sowed today in modules in unheated propagator
Capsicum Mini bell peppers for pot growing - failed in heated propagator so sowed anew in modules in unheated propagator
Capsicum Yolo Wonder - v successful last year so sowed today in modules in unheated propagator
Courgette Verte Noire Maraichère - sowed today in pots
Beetroot - only 2 germinated in heated propagator so sowed today in modules in unheated propagator
Potatoes - Rocket and Charlotte still chitting - hopefully plant next week
Garlic, shallots, red onions, yellow onions all well established and on target for harvest later in the year

And I think that's about it! I still haven't got a fixed planting out plan, but I am sure that will develop in due course

Late this afternoon, with Claudine's encouragement, Andy took down an elder and a beech tree that are alongside the little path that is in front of our terrasse and which leads down to the woods. The new Stihl chainsaw that we bought in the UK has been christened (it's a beast!), more light will now come into the front of the house and we have some wood for next winter that is the perfect diameter for the woodburner. Result!

2 comments:

kervéguen said...

Very diverse and interesting sowings, Penny. And you reminded me to get some gherkins in. Very popular with my two French schoolchildren!

Best wishes, Max

penny said...

I don't know where I am going to put it all, to be honest, Max! Some potatoes, mini bell peppers and some squash will prob end up in pots, probably some gherkins too - the hubby insisted I grew those this year ;-) Really hoping the chillis work out again this year.

I don't know how you cope with such a big scale project! All credit to you.