On 31/08/2018 15:43, Bob Hobden wrote:
Is it just me or has it been a weird growing year. Very hot and no rain
meant 6.30 am visits to the allotment to water (watering cans only
allowed) yet despite that all ripe tomatoes so far have had blossom end
rot and especially Indigo Rose. That and Tom Brooks are supposed to be
early tomatoes so they miss the blight, not had one ripe fruit off
them yet.

My outdoor tomatoes for once have done unexpectedly well. In a normal
year it really doesn't get hot enough for them. But this year it did!

Last year most of our chillis went red, this year, although
the plants have grown huge and are covered in chillis, not one red
fruit.

Chillis are also monster plants but mine are ripening OK. Courgettes on
the other hand are barely hanging on - in a normal year we would be
heartily sick of them by now but this year we have yet to get a first
fruit that grows to an edible size before it drops off.

Brassicas have done well and Tenderstem Broccoli is worth a
recommendation even if it's difficult to find the seeds.

Brassicas were massacred by the cabbage white - the only butterflies in
garden until last weeks hot spell. BTW saw a hummingbird hawkmoth last
night so things are looking up in the fun butterfly department.

Of course the peas Early Onward and beans were hit by the heat so about
a half crop.

Peas and beans never really got going here. Blackcurrants were OK if a
bit small. Raspberries useless and blackberries also pretty hopeless.

Potatoes have grown well and the earlies were excellent, we did water
them by throwing buckets of water between the rows.

Spuds are still in the ground. I should dig some up soon.

Apples and pears have branch breaking levels of fruit on them.

Now at home I notice that the Muscari are growing leaves, obviously
confused, unless I've got some that flower twice.

Chaenomeles is back in flower so it is very confused. Other spring
flowering things look like they might come back into flower too.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown