February 2015

Its the first week of February and the climbing bean harvest has reached the point where we are starting to store them for the cooler months.  I usually store the surplus in the freezer in zip lock bags, but this year we will run out of space, and I will be bottling some in brine sterilised in the pressure cooker.

They are starting to come thick and fast.

Despite the summer heat I am raising my seedlings in a lean-to mini greenhouse.  This is mainly to avoid whitefly damage, and its working well.  I water regularly by soaking the pots in about 15mm of water for an hour when needed, and I let them almost dry out between waterings.  These recycled vegetable trays are ideal for this.

The greenhouse is on a south facing fence, and is under the canopy of an apricot tree.  It gets about 3 hours of direct sunlight as it sets in the west.  The netting gives insect protection when the vent is open and cuts 20% of the sun's strength.  It doesn't seem logical to put seedlings in a greenhouse in high summer, but they dont seem to mind the heat, so long as they are shaded and protected from the wind.  When I get the chance I will build a stand to take a mini ecobed in the greenhouse to provide the continuous moisture and less frequent need of attention.