Plot 30

Some cloves planted earlier this year that I've saved and planted at the front of the plot (29 December 2021) that when split up gave four big cloves to plant on in total: Planted the same day: Update 13 February 2022 Found in my cupboard this morning was another whole elephant garlic bulb containing a further five large cloves which I will plant in the same row as the existing ones:

As a means of generating heat underneath a makeshift cloche... Dig a square shaped trench, probably about a foot or so deep: Fill with about 6-7 bags of fairly recent horse manure.  Turn it over thoroughly before firming it down. Cover the remaining with a layer of soil Place cloche (containing some early broad bean sowings) on top.  Within the next few days the heat generated by the decomposing horse manure should regulate the soil temperature a little during this cold February of 2022. A temperature reading taken on 16 February 2022 - approximately 13 degrees Celsius.

  Ordered from Simply Seed "Rhapsody Wight" This year, I have deliberately not dug over the soil, but instead raked it over leaving the bed quite solid, a tip I learned from an old hand that garlic actually prefers a firmer less spongy bed. Also taking some tips from Old Alabama Gardener on how to plant garlic .  He mixes in a little rabbit manure for each planting which I substitute with well-rotted horse manure. Here are few planted in a row ready to be covered over: And here is an update from 29 December 2021 showing the garlics poking through: Update 11 February 2022 1 April 2022 And here they are drying out:

2 May 2021 16 May 2021 22 June 2021 Plodding on nicely.  The result of keeping of top of the weeds plus occasional feeding with seaweed extract:

 A row of Boltardy sown earlier this year (I don't have the exact date to hand), this image dated 5 June 2021: 25 June 2021 30 June 2021 And some of the produce, picked ready for boiling and pickling...

16 May 2021 6 June 2021 Using a weeding tool to clear away a small layer of soil around the base of the onion to allow it to more easily swell in size: A more recent update from 1 July 2021

  As of 5 June 2021, 'Black Beauty' variety: 25 June 2021 Actually 4 courgette plants and 2 squash - they look very similar when still young plants.