Notes from a Suffolk Smallholding: Vegetable plot update

The torrential downpour of rain which we had a week ago is the only rain we have had here since the beginning of May. There has not even been a sprinkling otherwise in all of that time. There are some green shoots evident in the grazing fields from the weekend's deluge, but more rain is needed for any decent re-growth and for the sheep to eventually return. Temperatures for us in West Suffolk have regularly been over 30 degrees C. Yesterday it was 33 degrees and today 31 is expected.

The conditions have been challenging for fruit and vegetable growing. This is on top of the slow start to the growing year after the protracted cold and wet spring. I have resorted to occasional irrigation with the sprinkler to help things along. So far there have been mixed results. What has done well have been cauliflowers (strangely enough), onions and shallots, redcurrants, asparagus, the cut flower bed, early lettuce, Florence fennel.

The herbs in the 'herb garden' are doing well as might be expected in this Mediterranean climate we are experiencing. Going well are climbing beans, chard, mangolds, blackberries, outdoor tomatoes, gourds, sweet corn.

Cropping, but not in such abundance have been courgettes(!), garlic, broad beans, blackcurrants, gooseberries. Potatoes don't look to be cropping as heavily as expected. There is some scab on the early potatoes which is often a sign of dry conditions. This is not a problem as it is entirely superficial and they remain good to eat.

Things that have struggled in the heat despite any molly-coddling have been celery, later sowings of lettuce, radishes and calabrese which all have had a determination to bolt.

Particularly impressive this year has been all the greenhouse crops: tomatoes in variety, aubergines in abundance, and torrential quantities of cucumbers. The sweet peppers and chilli peppers are doing nicely and the young grape vine looks to be producing its first crop to get excited about. Watering the green house plants is part of the morning ritual, before it gets too hot for comfort in there. It has managed well on once a day watering. The plants planted in the ground (tomatoes and cucumbers) each get 20 seconds with the hose at the base which I count out. This way I can ensure they get a regulated amount each day and and therefore avoid split tomatoes which result from uneven watering. The paved path gets a bucket or two of water mid afternoon to calm things down a bit in there.

I am delaying sowing pak choi, chinese cabbage, spinach and any more lettuce until the temperature drops a bit. This is forecast to
happen in the next few days and maybe even some rain. We'll wait and see about the latter because when the rain is forecast from the south or west, by the time the weather front reaches us the rain has fizzled out and we miss out.