Harvest time?

It should be time of the year to stand and to admire the harvest and congratulate Go Local Food on what has been achieved during the growing season. But for growers like Ian there is no such thing as time to stand and stare it seems. Instead the hunt for 40 paper or hessian sacks in which to store the potato crop is urgent.

Instead it’s time to cut back the potato haulms to ensure that late blight doesn’t strike. Instead it’s time to roll out more black bio degradable cornstarch to plant out the last beetroot. Instead it’s time to look at the red cabbage and say that the soil at the far end of the first field leaves a lot to be desired. Despite regular manure and mulch at this end of the season it always seems poorly. Perhaps that’s the place to put the compost heap when the beds are cleared of crops there. Instead it’s time to contemplate the peas and say that there is a sudden crop failure and wonder how did some of the vines get chopped off at the roots.

Instead there’s the new poly tunnel frame to complete where the dome used to be – yes progress has been made but it’s really time to get the job finished. It would be good to have the frame firmly erected ready for the cover to go on – say October at the latest. That will give us more protected growing space and extend what we can grow when the weather outside is not productive.

Instead it’s almost time to plan for next year’s sowing. Which means that the soil care plan needs to be in place.