More strawberries

These are my strawberry plants that I planted earlier this year. There are 3 kinds - early, mid-season and late. All gave a smallish harvest (they were only first year plants after all) earlier in the year, but now the late type is fruiting again. You will see that there are several small pots along the row. These are filled with compost, and I have planted a dozen of the runners from the plants in them to increase my stock. There were literally hundreds of runners, but I have cut most off, and am just keeping a few. I also took the opportunity, whilst the mesh was off, to pull up all the weeds (masses)and have a general tidy-up round the plants. When the runners have rooted, I will cut them off at the parent and plant them out. Next year they will give a few strawberries, but the older plants will crop more heavily. I will also root up another dozen runners, and the same in the third year. After the third year, I will chuck out the old plants, and will by then have enough rooted runners to replace them.

At the moment I am picking French beans, Runner beans, courgettes, beetroot, purple sprouting broccoli, cabbages and potatoes. Soon to come will be sweetcorn, and the peas were so good that I have planted some more. Their success depends upon the weather in September! I have also planted out some more beetroot, spring onions, lettuce and swede, which are looking OK, but my leeks have started to go to seed - too dry! It has not been overly hot in the main, but the last rain was more than 2 weeks ago, and before that about a month. So I am having to water frequently, but it is no substitute for rain.