Waiting for fair weather

Th greenhouse is full to bursting with plants to go outside but the cool wet windy weather is making me very cautious- reminds me of old Yorkshire nostrums about n’er casting a clout til May be out‘.

I rotovated some areas for planting as the rain packs the soil into a hard stony crust. Then noticed black fly on the broadbeans. Normally I’d pinch the tender tops out but the terrible weather and late planting means the beans have not set pods yet. So I selectively sprayed with a pyrethrum-based insecticide.

The potatoes look bonny but all this wet just needs a couple of warm humid days to get blight spores floating around. I miss the UK’s postcode-based blight forecasting system.

On a more positive note the spinach I planted is nearly ready for a first thinning for the pot and shows no sign of bolting and the cardoon plants are taking on a triffid-like stature (extra).