Another trip to the allotment today. The red cabbage plants I planted the other day have been decimated (by slugs I think, but I think there may be some other prolific pest at large).
Worse still, two of the currant bushes have been almost completely stripped of fruit. It wasn’t ripe yet so the birds that have done it will have somewhat an upset stomach I suspect. Got to feel for the cars parked close by under the trees really.
It’s very frustrating, but, I’ve not been able to afford netting, let alone fruit cages. I’m going to have to investigate other options (scarecrows are out, I think!).
That aside, today has been a quite productive day in terms of digging and planting. All the overgrown weeds on the fruit plot have been razed to the ground (again). Everytime there is a rainy week, they shoot up with tremendous speed. My husband and I have also dug over another bed, removed as much of the bindweed root as we could find, and have planted 16 tomato plants of many and varied varieties. I also planted out my 24 strawberry plants that are already fruiting. I have placed a mulch of weed suppressing membrane down around them in preparation of fruit ripening. I will definitely have to find a way of protecting these with wire and old cds to keep the birds off.
My little gem, radicchio, florence fennel, primo cabbage and lollo rosso seeds have all germinated (although they have been attacked by slugs leaving only one lollo rosso left). Beetroot, radish, lambs lettuce, sweetcorn and peas are all doing very well too. I just need to appear regularly for slug/snail duty and to keep on top of the bindweed.
I’m absolutely shattered now! It’s been a very long day!
