The smell of newly cut wheat and barley in the fields in August transports me back to my late teenage years; harvest time and those long days working on the farm, carting grain and then straw from the fields; days which in my memory at least were always warm and sunny. Nothing like as hot as this week has been of course and it is clear to me at least that there are very significant changes in the weather these days which point unmistakably to anthropogenic climate change.
The allotment takes these languid summer days in its stride of course. Deep rooted well-established crops sit through the heat pretty well, although they don’t put on much growth, Newly planted vegetables – of which there are a few just now – need daily watering until they are established. Overwintering onions have just gone in for harvest in June next year and turnips were planted out just before the heat – under fleece, not tto keep them warm but to protect against the voracious flea beetle which perforate the leaves very quickly. Chinese cabbages, winter spinach and swiss chard are sitting in the cold frame awaiting their turn and hopefully a little cooler weather and rain – but they must go in the ground very soon whatever the weather. A row or two of carrots – variety ‘Autumn King’ were sown last weekend – a few weeks later than ideal but with cloche cover later on they may do alright…
The main story this week though is from the greenhouse. I was fortunate some years ago to receive two greenhouses from people keen to have someone take them away! I’m an enthusiastic tomato grower with, this year, 22 plants between the two greenhouses of 5 different varieties; Akron, a newish F1 hybrid variety and a very heavy cropper with good flavour and large round, uniform fruit; Ailsa Craig, a hundred year old Scottish variety – wonderful flavour; San Marzano – the classic Italian plum tomato, great flavour and reasonably heavy cropping – great for sauces; Marmande – the beefsteak tomato with large ribbed fruit and very few seeds, grows best as a bush rather than a cordon and finally Santonio a delicious miniature variety, shaped like a tiny plum tomato. So come February next year those are my recommended varieties to grow and if you have some greenhouse or sunny patio space at home do give them a try yourselves!
I’ve reduced the number of cucumber plants – variety ‘Delistar’ to two this year on Kirsten’s orders as we had far too many to deal with last year – but even so we have more than enough at present. But the real success story this year seems to be the peppers. For many years, I’ve had indifferent results with these, mostly I suspect through sowing the seeds too late and squeezing them into a corner of the greenhouse without good light and space. I determined to try harder this year and they have done very well. Cayenne Peppers (really a hot chilli pepper) are ripening now and the long sweet peppers – variety ‘Marconi’ will be turning red in the next few weeks I hope!
Already the tomatillo plants have been stripped out of the greenhouse and the remaining 5kg of fruits shipped off to Manchester to appear on the menu of a couple of tacquerias where my son, Sam works! The space has already been re-sown with ‘misticanza’ (Italian mixed salad leaves), ‘rocket’ and pak choi and overwintering lettuce will join them in due course and provide us with leaves over the winter.
As I write, the hot weather has just broken in a thunderstorm, high winds and rain. As the weather turns so do the seasons and in this most unusual of years, I’m reminded that September is now only a few weeks away. When I say things like that, people tell me not to wish the summer away! – but the gardener has to think ahead to the coming seasons because it is right now when the crops for November and early spring have to be planned for. It promises to be a difficult few months ahead for society with no immediate return to anything resembling a normal life just yet. The allotment and the little community in the plots around ours, though, will carry on much as in other years I expect; meeting and greeting (at a distance!); exchanging produce and young plants; discussing the weather; turning the soil but with decreasing frequency as the days get shorter and colder and there is less work until Spring comes around once more.