Cohabitation

This might look like a picture of a poorly constructed raised bed to you, but to me it is a shot of my compost heaps. There are two heaps here - on the right is this years compost, and on the left is last years, covered with straw, maturing nicely for use next year. But hey - what's that if it isn't a magnificent stand of tatties growing through last years compost. Methinks me compost isn't working properly if all it can do is propagate potatoes - but they do look rather healthy - much better than this lot which are all rather yellowed. I had a good look at these yesterday and apart from hosting a few slugs they look pretty healthy - apart from being yellow that is, and my diagnosis is malnutrition so I think I'll throw some semi-rotted manure over them. That'll learn 'em.

But my compost potatoes look great - but I've no idea what variety they are - I mean when should I harvest?

And strange things are happening to my greyhound cabbage (no piccies of the cabbage - I know you'll be disappointed) - apart from the cabbage white caterpillars and the slugs, my cabbages seem to be harbouring worms. Cabbage worms? What? And another thing - my cabbages are always tasty and all - but shop bought cabbage always seems to taste of cabbage - my cabbage tastes of cabbage a bit, but mainly of soil. Why is that?

And over on the broad beans we have a new visitor, which, as far as I can tell is knot grass moth caterpillar. Which is nice. These broad beans are finishing so I'm happy to leave 'em.

According to some web sites knot grass moths are generally rare or infrequent in Scotland - so I guess it's a testament to the magnificent summer we've had that they are here, or maybe it's global warming, or maybe it's all one in the same anyway.