Pushing up the daisies

OK, crap cultural reference, I admit it. But the plot is hopelessly dry, still no rain in sight here. So on the weekend I went and filled my boot with garbage bags of horse manure from the pony club and then watered the plot thoroughly and mulched as much as possible with the straw+manure mixture. I didn't get around to the onions, but would like to do them this week. They are doing pretty well, considering, and mulching would protect this growth methinks.
In fact everything is doing well, considering. We ate 2 big artichokes and there are 4 more growing, the strawberries gave about a kilo of fruit and the pea plants are starting to show fruit too. The tomatoes and aubergines and peppers actually seem to be thriving in this warm weather, and all have taken well since planting. Just have to keep watering...

Everything is now in place: on the weekend, I put in the courgette seeds (2 Black beauty greens, a yellow Parador,a Serpente di Sicilia, and another Italian one which escapes me), and planted a Qld Blue and a Fujutsu Black (That might be an approximate name) pumpkin near the compost bin, and a Pink Banana squash behind it. The Turk's turban and Atlantic Giant sowed about 2 weeks ago are doing very well indeed.

I have also noticed an advantage to this dry spell - the weeds are struggling! As I spot water the plants, really soaking only their roots, the rest has been left to its own devices, and the usual groundsel, thistles, toadwort, seem to have trouble getting a hold this year. The bind weed is still present but to a lesser extent than usual. Everything being so well established this early give me more time to eradicate the weeds, which I another advantage!

Labels: artichoke, courgette, drought, mulch, pumpkin, spring, strawberry, tomatoes