September Update

This month has started dry and sunny after a dry but variable August.

I'm starting to harvest the runners on a fairly regular basis now - they're growing rapidly but I'm also actively picking off all the snails - large and small, that I can find, to prevent them totally ravaging the poor plants to just their bare bones. The one's I planted in a pot by the house are also doing well and after Cliff's comment that 95% of what he's harvested so far is water, I'm making sure that I water every night, as we've not had any rain for days, although as it's now cooler, there's often a morning dew.

The chard in the SFG has recovered and is now growing properly, although I've not yet picked any. I get a bagful in my veg box each week. It was suffering from the sun earlier in the year (when we had some) and seemed a bit stunted.

The salad crop is still growing well, so lunch is an easy shopping trip across the patio, although the tomatoes are taking their time to ripen. They've taken a bit of a battering from the wind as I wasn't quick enough pinching out the side shoots and most plants have at least two main stems. Not exactly as the purists would grow them but then they're vine plants so I'm really leaving them to grow in a more natural way. The sungold that I was growing in a hanging basket is looking a bit sad as it dries out too quickly and yet another tomato seedling/plant is now growing in with one of the courgettes. These aren't doing too well. Surprisingly, falling foul of the slugs and snails, like most things this year, despite their prickly leaves.

My squash plant is finally taking off although no sign of anything that might be turning into a squash as yet. It's being allowed to start rambling over the old bench outside kitchen window. It's sheltered from the wind and might last well into the autumn.

The chilli pepper has lots of small fruits on it but they seem to be growing only slowly and are still green in colour. The whole plant is fairly small and I don't know if it's just a small variety or restricted by the size of the pot it's in.

I've now defrosted the freezer ready for whatever produce I may have left over, which will probably only be the runner beans, as the rest of the harvest is slow in cropping and just about enough for a meal every now and then.

Amazingly enough - my blueberry has a few flowers appearing. Must be as confused with this weather as the rest of us.