Yuk!

Utterly horrible! Spent the last hour picking caterpillars from the brasicas.

Allotment food

Allotment food
Originally uploaded by michaelwebbuk

Anyway, despite last two post about pests I still managed to pick quite a bit today. From left to right, straightneck squash, courgette, lettuce, winter squash, chard, runner beans.

Oh, and have googled the caterpillars, cabbage white, which need picking off...

Caterpillars

Oh no! I thought the slugs were the worse enemy, but since last week these caterpillars have arrived. hundreds of them!

They are all over the kale and purple sprouting, decimating the plants. Not sure what to do about the really. I've heard about dwindling butterfly numbers so maybe I should leave them be, and hope the plants recover afterwards.

On the positive side, plenty of runner beans, despite the wettest august on record.

Slugs

it's been raining all month and the slugs are starting to take over again.

Peppers, aubergines and kale

Pepper
Originally uploaded by michaelwebbuk

We've got our first peppers and aubergines coming through. They are both pretty small at the moment, and the peppers are really hot.

Had to do a serious amount of weeding today, but got another good crop: peas, runner beans, courgette, squash, potatoes, lettuce (didn't grow that from seed!) and some kale (not sure when you supposed to pick that).

The kale is looking pretty good at the moment - probably have way too much of it though, as I'm the only one who eats it.

Most of the brassicas have a bit of white fly, but from past experience it isn't really much of problem - it seems to go away on its own.

A little overgrown after being away

Caerleon Allotment
Originally uploaded by michaelwebbuk

We've been away for a week, so things are looking a little wild, but in a good way! Some of the salad at the front has gone to seed, but the carole is looking great . You can see the peas just behind, and then beans.

OK, there's a lot of grass about as well, but most of the plants have now out-grown it!

I dug up most of the potatoes today, and, unfortunately, had to throw away loads of oversized squash and courgette.

Had our first few beans today, and a few radishes before (first time we've ever got those to grow, believe it or not).

Peas!

Peas!
Originally uploaded by michaelwebbuk

At last! After three years we finally get enough peas to get excited about! These are the Telegraph peas from realseeds company, and they grow to about 6 or 7 feet tall.