Shoots and leaves...
The whims and woes, highs and lows, of trying to grow fruit and veg in Nordic latitudes.
We put in a solid day's graft today. Started after the rain stopped, around 10am and worked right through until about 8pm. We managed to get a huge amount of work done, especially planting. No frosts forecast this week (no rain either) but the forecasts have been rubbish recently, so we have pretty much given up relying on them. It was supposed to be sunny on Saturday but we had cold winds, rain, hail the size of peas and thick cloud. Peter installed a drip watering system in the saskatoon garden (orchard?). These are cheap and cheerful tubes made from recycled tyres. They are porous so the water seeps through along the length of the tube. And it works! We had to relocate one of the big water containers but we will figure out that arrangement at a later date. Haven't weeded around the sakatoons yet though! In the vegetable garden we made some more raised beds (out with the mint and the French sorrel) and planted two sorts of carrots (Nantaise 2 and Rote Reisen 2) and two sorts of beetroot and two varieties of parsnip (Gladiator and White Gem). The carrots are under plastic (those cheap and cheerful tunnel thingies with holes in from Lidl, we took the remaining stock from our local branch). I also planted some French beans (Fin de Bagnols), a few runner beans and some parsley and rocket. And I planted out the globe artichokes that I had wintered in the root cellar (they don't look too happy at the moment). We weeded the paths and around the blueberries - in fact I must've spent several hours weeding today. I also weeded inside the polytunnel. The pumpkins and squash have germinated at long last. They were smothered in weeds but now they look fine. Everything needed watering which takes ages as we haven't hooked up the pump yet (because it is broken and we will probably have to buy a new one). Peter managed to get the lawnmower working (oil change etc) and so he cut the grass around the house in Rosendal and around all the fruit bushes in Oventräsk. The fruit bushes (blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries) are covered in flowers. I think we are in for a brilliant crop providing the wind stops for long enough to let the bees do their stuff.
We also earthed up the Timo early potatoes. The ground is still quite cold so although they are covered in fleece, I'm not convinced we will have a bumper crop in time for Juhannus. Pulled some more rhubarb but I think this will be for giving away as it seems to give me mouth ulcers (just like mandarines and oranges). Argh! And the big fields are now planted, R is growing barley up at Rosendal. He had the whole family out there this weekend getting the fields ploughed and scattered, as it were. Hard work when the ground is so heavy.
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July 2020
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