May 14th 2016

So it's been a pretty unremarkable season so far - most things have germinated well and grown on without too much drama.

I've lost a couple of plants, given loads away and I've just finished potting the last few plants on into their final pots. For some reason it feels like I'm behind where I normally am for mid-May, but in other ways it feels ahead. I think it's time to go back and check some old photos to see where I was at the same stage in previous years.

The greenhouse is slowly filling up - tomato plants are growing on nicely, two bamboos that I grew from seed last year are filling out nicely, and a whole selection of odds and ends are coming back to life. Although I'm not so sure about the dahlias this year, most of them look pretty dead with signs of life only visible on one plant so far. Well, time will tell.

So a few views on the greenhouse. Nothing remarkable yet, but plenty of growing time to come. 

2016 Progress

This year I have started just a few days earlier than usual, but apart from that it's business as usual.

Seeds were soaked for 24 hours and then into Rootriot cubes on the 21st Dec, with the lights on at night and the heated propagator on for 30 mins of every 45. Two seeds per cube gives me six chances of 16 varieties for 96 possibles. Enough chances for two of each for me and plenty to give away.

First to germinate was one seedling of Fidalgo Roxa on Christmas Day and then it's been a case of seeing up to ten a day for a little while. Now on New Year's Day I can safely say I've got at least one of everything up. I don't think that's ever happened before.

Roll on spring.

2015

So last year was hard work. Great weather in April, some greenfly in May and then poor weather when we needed it most.

Resulting in a poor year and a poor harvest.

A few things did better though - the 7 pot gave a good harvest of bright yellow pods and the Rocotto Aji Largo plants were superb with a massive crop of hot red pods. The Goronong did better than when I grew it last time, and everything else was fairly unimpressive.

Enough pods to dry for a few gifts and that was that.

2016 will need to be a lot better.