Radishes

I've had no luck with radishes for the last few years. This year they are doing well. I'm sure it's a soil issue, it's better in some beds than others. Coir blocks are definitely a great thing to grow in. 

Spinach and Strawberries

Proper ' grown up' spinach. I've had some baby leaves before but never had it grown to this stage. I don't know if there will ever be enough to make something cooked with spinach cause it's such a lier and shrinks so much.

There were also my first ripe strawberries of the year  so I ate them after I had my lunchtime sandwich.

Rain

We've had some much needed rain and now the plot has sprung into life. Unusually it seems like about half and half veg plants and weeds. An artichoke I thought was going to amount to nothing has a leaf all my seeds seem to have germinated and apparently slugs don't like Brussel  sprouts so they have survived even if the Savoy cabbage I planted at the same time haven't. I read a while back that slugs love oatbran but can't digest it so they die and if eaten the slugs are not harmful to other animals unlike with pellets. As it's just raines the slugs are out and about and I've put some bran down. The slugs are definitely attracted to it.

Courgette flowers.

A lack of corn flour and oil to deep fry left these less crisp than planned but still tasty. Filling was cottage cheese parmesan salt pepper parsley and mint.

New beds and new plants

Asda are selling plants for 69p. So I bought three tomatoes, two strawberry and a cucumber. They are living in the new raised bed under a plastic 'greenhouse' cover.

I've also made a new bed by digging lots of my compost into the soil and planted some courgettes. They are more exposed to the rabbits, snails etc than in the raised beds but here's hoping.

Hard graft

Potatoes in, broad beans in, one row of radishes and one of beetroot. Planted some nasturtiums a lavender and a rosemary.

Added nematodes to attack the slugs.

Good start made this year. If I keep this up it should be a great year.

Slug wars

Myself and my allotment neighbour have had to resort to (organic)  slug pellets. I've lost 9 courgette plants to the slimy little aasholes. A whole growbag of lettuce and a pack worth of purple sprouting broccoli shoots.