Very small onions

This year's onion crop was the poorest for a long time. They look pretty in the sun, now that P has cleaned the mud off and prepared them for storage, but they are mostly pitifully small, which slows down his cooking and means it won't be long before we are buying onions again. They were not watered often enough through the long drought, partly because early in the season, when it was very dry and they should have been getting established, they were smothered in quick growing weeds which were not removed quickly enough. At that time of year, when there is lots still to plant out and we don't have enough beds ready, there is never time for all the essential jobs. The solution is obvious, but not so easy to achieve. 

We've had a few days of beautiful autumn weather. I brought in the last few sunflowers and cleared the plants and picked more tomatoes and some autumn raspberries, which have revived thanks to the rain, while P lifted more maincrop potatoes and dug another big panful of beetroot. It's feeling like the end of the season now, time to bring everything in, preserve more and clear up outside - and good to have such perfect weather for it.