My Vegetable Plot Update for May – Bumper Photo Edition

Posted on 31. May, 2010 by Tracey in Veg Plot

The growing season is truly here on my vegetable plots and before we’ve even got started my spinach decided to run out on me by bolting shortly after the few hot spells of sunshine about a week ago.

I still managed to harvest the leaves before it flowered and I also have a Plan B as I’m growing Perpetual Spinach (Leaf Beat) which doesn’t bolt and I’ll still get large spinach type leaves to pick until September.

Other Observations for May are as follows:

No slugs or snails this year therefore my leafy greens and cabbages are growing great,
Sporadic Carrot growth, no one row has completely germinated, I will re-sow in the gaps,
Radishes have gone banana’s, I have 3 rows fattening up at the same time, lovely tasting,
Mange Tout growing vigorously out growing 1 foot canes already, added some 6 foot canes,
Beetroot is my favourite vegetable this year for its deep red stems, a joy to see,
Cabbages Summer and Winter are growing strong with big leaves, no pests so far,
Spring Onions germinated and growing strong, need thinning as a bit close together,
Peas – I thought all my peas died in the frost but a few plants have grown up through my broad beans and have pods on them, guess its my lucky year!

Harvesting Now and Next
Radishes ‘Pink Beauty’, Bolted Spinach ‘Reddy‘ and in a few weeks Broad Beans.

Here’s a Photo Gallery of My Vegetable Plot at the end of May:

: Row of Radishes

: Pea Meteor

: Broad Bean Pods

: Plot 2 Cabbage & Broad Beans

: Precious Cabbages

: Plot 3 Leafy Greens & Carrots

: Beetroot Red Stems

: Perpetual Spinach

: Plot 1 Onions, Radish, Mange Tout

: Onions

: Mange Tout Golden Sweet

: Spinach Reddy – Bolted

Other iGrowVeg Vegetable Plot Posts you may be interested in:

Tags: allotment beds, growing beetroot, growing cabbage, growing carrots, growing mange tout, growing peas meteor, growing perpetual spinach, growing spring onions, growing vegetables in may, growing vegetables in raised beds, harvesting radish pink beauty, harvesting spinach reddy, kitchen garden, vegetable garden, Vegetable Plot, vegetables to grow in may, vegetables to harvest in may

6 Responses to “My Vegetable Plot Update for May – Bumper Photo Edition”

Elizabeth

31. May, 2010

What have you done to get rid of the slugs and snail, please tell! Ive managed to keep them mostly off my veg, due to enviromesh and cloches, but they have eaten my annual poppies instead. Betty
Andy

02. Jun, 2010

Hi
I am growing Mange tout for the first time – mine also have those greyish flecks in the leaf (i.e. not on the leaf, it isn’t mildew) – is this normal, if not, then does anyone know what it is?
Andy
Tracey

04. Jun, 2010

Hi Elizabeth,

Unfortunately I’m not sure what my secret to getting rid of slugs is! I’ve had my vegetable plots covered with my giant enviromesh cloches all winter and spring so no slugs could have climbed in from the outside. Last year I used slug nemotodes to get rid of the small ones and newly hatching ones in the soil and it worked. I was expecting to buy some this year but I haven’t seen a single slug or snail in any of my plots, it must be my lucky year.

I’m the same as you, I have seen evidence of them eating my newly planted lupins and salvias so they are in my garden somewhere! I have heard that the key is to get a sacrificial plant for them to munch on but how to direct them there instead of other favourite plants I’m not sure! Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.

Thanks
Tracey
Tracey

12. Jun, 2010

Hi Andy,

I think the flecks of grey on mange tout leaves are normal, they are just the markings on the leaf. I believe different varieties have different markings.

Thanks
Tracey
Paul

19. Jun, 2010

My beets are not doing well. The bulbs are growing quite large, but the leaves look terrible, as if stricken by rot. I suspect over-watering is the culprit.

What’s your strategy for watering your beets? How often? How much? How?

I’ve mostly stopped watering, and the beets are just now growing new leaves and looking better.
Tracey

26. Jun, 2010

Hi Paul,

I think its the same with any leafy vegetable, it is better to water on the soil underneath the leaves than from overhead (although sometimes this isn’t possible if growing under a cloche) as this prevents any diseases forming on the leaves or other factors helping the disease to spread like lack of air circulation. On my beet leaves there are some blotches which I think may be from the air not circulating properly as I am growing perpetual spinach and the beets fairly close together.

As beetroot are a root crop, it would search for a water source with its fine root hairs and tap root below the soil so it is not always necessary to water daily.
I tend to water my vegetables if it hasn’t rained for a couple of days and daily when its really hot.

Good luck with your beets.
Tracey