The Plot

The Plot

Sunday 29 July 2012

Nairn Agri Show results

Well very happy with my results from yesterday's show.  Five entries and four 1st and a 4th.  So no complaints.  Unfortunately there were not a lot of entries as the weather has taken its toll. Here are the photos of my produce.
1st prize shallots
 1st prize leeks
 1st prize white potatoes (NVS Sherine) 10 in class
1st prize onions from set and 4th prize coloured potatoes (NVS Amour) 12 in class.

Now have to look at produce and see if I can get some better quality for the Black Isle show on Wednesday

Friday 27 July 2012

First Show of the season

Just back from benching my veg at the first show of my season.  Its not a big show but I like to support it.  I have entered a plate of white potatoes,coloured potatoes,onions from set, shallots and a pair of Leeks.  As I have a bigger show on Wednesday I did not go over board getting entries. So I'll take any tickets I can tomorrow and be happy. When I left the tent there were still not a lot of entries but will just have to wait and see.  I'll take a few photos tomorrow and post them on Sunday.

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Happy Morning, Sad Evening

Its been sometime since I last blogged mainly because I've been busy at work and down in Argyll for a break with my good wife.  This morning I was feeling fairly pleased.  My Cauliflowers are filling up nicely, infact to the extent that I've had to take the enviromesh off the bed as the plants were push the mesh to its limit.  As you can see the plants have filled the bed.  They will not be ready for my first couple of shows which is a disappointment, but hopefully will be ready for 11th August. I sprayed with Decis this morning to ward of butterflies etc   


Here are my "Globo" onions with one of my Kelsae they are coming along slowly but I wont need them till 11th August so hopefully they will have ripened and necks shrunk. Then we should have a set or two there.



I thought my Leeks were progressing well with plenty new growth and I have been taking a flag leaf off every 4 or 5 days. The girth is averaging 7 inches and a good 14 to 15 i9nch to the button and still stretching.  That was this morning so off to work quite happy.



This evening just tidying up a couple of leeks when I noticed this one with really light growth.AAAHHHHHH. On closer inspection the dreaded seed head, so out it came.  A good 15 inch blanch with two more flags to come off would have had me at 17 to 18 and this one's girth was just over 7.5.  Can only hope its an isolated incident.  How you can got from happy to despair with a real gut sinking feeling in one fell swoop.  


Sunday 8 July 2012

Growth despite the weather

The weather has been pretty poor this week but the veg are growing despite that. 



 I have 18 inch collars on the celery.  As I've said before this is my attempt at growing celery for showing and I've opted for foil insulation as a collar.  pluses are it keeps the plants cool in the heat (what heat) and warm in the colder weather (every day)  These plants I hope will be ready for the Black Isle show on the 2nd August.  fingers crossed.  

This is my onions from set,  The ones in the fore ground are Hercules and unfortunately they took a fierce beating from the weather recently and I'm struggling to get any quality for showing. 

The peas are now starting to flower and all I need is some sun and plenty bees and we will be in business.  I'm hoping that they will be ready for 11th August but might be pushing it. 

The Leeks have put a spurt on in the last week or so, particularly since I took all the split leaves off.  You can see from the picture above that the button is well up now and about 15 inches.  The collars are 17 inch and I might lengthen them yet.  The leek is about 6 inch in girth so I need them to stop going up and start going out. 

This is my first attempt at the 250 gram class.  the onion above is Globo sown in the middle of February. It is about 8 inches just now and I have put a shinty ball next to it to give you an Idea of scale. (shinty ball is about same size as a tennis ball)
Finally my "large" onions! The one in the picture is 14 inch (shinty ball along side) and I have another 3 about 13 inch so hopefully I can get a set from them. 

Monday 2 July 2012

Looks more like failure than Success.

Well here is another helping from my garden.  Like every where else Morayshire has had its share of cold wet weather which has held everything back.  My hopes of getting any quality veg ready for the NVS Scottish Branch Show at Kelso on the 26th of August have all but disappeared.  Some of this has been down to the weather but I have to admit there is a fair amount of it down to me not being well enough organised. That being said I have not given up hope all together and the 26th is still nearly 8 weeks away.   


 Here is my Parsnips (Polar). you may remember that after sowing they were then covered by 5inch of snow.  The foliage is about 14 inches and I'm hoping I will get some for my local show on the second week of September 



I've got a whole bed of Cauliflowers like this one.  I had hoped they would be ready for Kelso. But I think I might be a little early with them.  If that is the case I have a show on the 11th of August. The plants are 2ft apart so that gives you some Idea of the size they are now.  As you will notice I have them under enviromesh to keep them clear of butterflys etc.  

This is some of my Pablo beet root. The plants in the fore ground have only recently been singled whilst the plants in the background are growing on strongly and I have hopes of getting some ready for possibly early August.  


This is one of my Stump root carrot beds. These were also covered in snow and took almost 4 wks to germinate.  However as you can see are now growing strongly but will not be big enough for the NVS show at kelso.  In the fore ground is some more beet root.


Here is a close up of the sweet candle, it is about the thickness of my index finger.
Well these are my peas but as you can see I've balls up with the camera and it looks like they are growing on their side.  The plants of my first sowing are about 28 inches and look to be ready to flower.  I'm hoping to have some for the 11th of August.

Well folks that's all for now please feel free to comment.