No dig abundance in my summer garden| and a few problems| Charles Dowding
Growth this year has been exceptionally strong. Helped by the health-giving qualities of no dig soil, which has received no compost for nine months. Plus the summer weather has been decent: early warmth, followed by rain since early July.
Average temperature June to August 21.8°C, 72°F by day, 11.8°C, 54°F by night. Sunshine over the three months has been 571 (below average) hours and rainfall 275 mm, 11 inches (well above average).
Most of the garden now consists of second plantings, made in June and July, with some third plantings of August. Such as Medania and Trombone spinach. And a few more this week.
See my Calendar 2024 for sowing dates https://charlesdowding.co.uk/product/charles-dowdings-calendar-of-vegetable-sowing-dates-2024-signed/
Vegetable sales, mostly wholesale, average £850 weekly. They are all to customers and outlets within four miles / 6km of here.
00:00 Introduction, including my Open Day on 3rd September https://charlesdowding.co.uk/events/charles-dowding-open-day/
00:37 This summer’s weather, and I describe some second plantings
01:45 Flowers, and swallows
02:15 Dig/no dig trial beds
03:00 Chicory, with heart of radicchio, 506TT transplanted late July
04:24 In the greenhouse – leftover pak choi and mustards, different varieties of spinach, and salad rocket
05:14 Sowing spring onions, and other possible sowings that can be made now
05:49 Asparagus from seed
06:18 Chillies, Bolivian Magic and Anaheim from Real Seeds
07:06 Peppers, Astor F1 variety, and how to take care of the plants
08:00 Outdoor abundance – French marigolds, lettuce, fennel and ruby chard
08:34 Squashes – comparison between butternut, a variety I haven’t grown before, Oregon Sweetmeat Homestead, and Marina di Chioggia
10:08 Tomatillos
11:00 Aster flower, Lady Coral Blue, from saved seed
11:18 Recent plantings – lettuce which followed purple sprouting broccoli, and spinach planted after lettuce, with compost spread beforehand
12:09 Interplanting of chervil between lettuce
12:39 Borlotti beans
13:03 My three-pallet compost bay, and how we manage it
15:30 Beautiful sunflowers, Tall Orange Sun variety
16:29 New planting of turnips, Tokyo Cross, with mesh over against insects
17:00 Onions going to seed
17:33 11-yr-old asparagus
17:53 Celeriac, and a trial idea for preventing Septoria disease
18:35 Broccoli, Tenderstem, with holes in the leaves caused by flea beetles
19:17 Cabbages Granat and Filderkraut, and Savoy, with some pest damage
20:43 No-rotation trials of leeks which followed potatoes, lettuce after broad beans, and parsnips after spring onions
20:58 Kuri squash
21:18 Info on my new website
21:44 Pears, Concorde variety – when to pick
22:45 Plums – Coe’s Golden Drop, being eaten by a wasp, and Victoria
25:11 Outro
See my July tour https://youtu.be/yLMUTZWzoM4
Filmed by Nicola L. Smith on 28th August, 2023
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