After all the dreadful weather we’ve been having, this was a lovely
day from start to finish.
We use the “Maria Thun BIODYNAMIC CALENDAR” wherever possible when
scheduling our garden work. This is
particularly true for sowing and transplanting.
As most of Friday, all of Saturday and after 3.00 on Sunday are suitable
for fruit-orientated work, we were in the wee tunnel sowing chillies.
On Friday, we prepared 32 modules by filling them with compost. We generally use Klaasman, certified organic
compost. We also switched on the first
of the soil-warming cables, set for just under 30°C, and placed the filled
modules on the sand to have them warm up to receive the seeds next day.
As is the way of things, there were matters to attend to before we
could start sowing on Saturday. Kedi,
our old cat, had to be taken to the vet and there was obligatory shopping to be
done. However, by 1:30 or so, we were
ready to start.
32 modules weren’t enough because this year, we have sown some 47
varieties. These range from mild ones to
off-the-scale hotties. We have
attractive plants with smaller growing habits which can be placed on a window
sill and others that really need height and a tunnel or greenhouse for best
results.
Modules sown with chilli seeds on the soil-warming cables under plastic.
There are staples, such as jalapeños and habaneros; some of
our own favourites, such as Cajamarca
and Bangalore torpedo. Every year we try some new varieties and this
year is no exception. The Carolina reaper is one we are trying
with some trepidation. We source seed
from a variety of suppliers as well as sowing our own home-saved seed, which
usually gives us excellent results. We
don’t generally go in for F1 varieties, but for the most part, these haven’t
encroached into chilli growing to any great extent.
In an earlier entry, I said I would write something about our
suppliers. With regard to our chillies,
we have selected seeds from 9 sources.
34% of our chilli seed is from Nicky’s Nursery, about 28% are our own
home-saved seed, just over 10% are from Simpsons Seeds in Wiltshire and the
remaining are from hitherto untried companies and a few regular sources. We
came across one at the Hampton Court Flower Show last July called Pennard
Plants from Somerset. They had the Bangalore Torpedo we’d been looking for
as well as an attractive-looking variety called Filius Blue, which loses heat as the fruits ripen to orange and
red. The Chilli Pepper Company in Cumbria
are new to us. We’re trying some of the
hotter varieties they offer, such as Carolina
Reaper and Naga Viper as well as their version of the
Trinidad Scorpion that was last
year’s tongue-numbing newcomer.
This season, we’ve sown four of the hottest chillies in the world. These are:-
1
Carolina Reaper
2
Trinidad Scorpion
3
Naga Viper
4
Bhut Jolokia
It’s not that we’re into the macho, heat
thing particularly, but it is interesting and there is a demand for these
powerful peppers. We’re not really
bothered about the Scoville Scale and
couldn’t tell you anything about an individual chilli’s units, but it’s curious
how capsaicin has become so popular everywhere and there’s no denying that
chilli heat is somewhat addictive.
For us, the prime use of our chillies is in
cooking, particularly as ingredients for our chilli sauces. That being the case, flavour is as important
as heat.
As I’m writing this on Sunday 16th,
I can also tell you we’ll sow the first batch of Broad Beans today. We do this in Rootrainers. We’ve been using these for years and find
them unrivalled for bringing on all kinds of peas and beans, including sweet
peas.
We’re starting with The Sutton and Monica with
a few seeds of the Crimson Flowered,
at least we think that’s what they are. It’s
a helpfully unlabeled envelope.
BROAD BEANS SOWN INTO ROOTRAINERS
While we’re beginning this year’s sowing, it
has to be said that we hope there will be a venue to sell plants this
year. Our regular Kinvara Farmers’
Market is under threat from Galway County Council.
If you’re reading this and would like to
register your wish to see the market continue at its present location in
Kinvara’s Market Square, which we feel is the natural place for it and where it
has been trading with the County Council’s full approval for the last two years,
please write to the following:
For the last two seasons, Kinvara Farmers’
Market has successfully applied to the council for a road closure to enable
trade to take place in the square from 8:00 am to 2:00pm each Friday from
around Good Friday to Hallowe’en. We
have done everything the council has asked of us and are at a loss as to why
there seems to have been a change of mind on their part.
20th Feb. I wrote to these Engineers today. I wonder what response, if any, will be forthcoming.
