Topsy-turvy, discombobulated, befuddled….all of these and more will probably describe how I will be feeling tomorrow after being up for half the night watching the football tonight. I don’t even know why I am bothering, it is usually such a frustrating watch, and Mexico have not been beaten at the Azteca Stadium in 26 matches, and only twice in 89 competitive matches since 1966, so they are a formidable opponent, but one travels in hope. What I will not be doing is going to the pub to watch it. As soon as the final whistle blows I’m off like a rat up a drainpipe back to my bed. I also question the wisdom of relaxing the licencing laws to allow pubs to stay open until 5 am. Not everyone is a football fan, and residents living close by will undoubtedly be affected by noise before, during and after the match. I just hope that there is little or no disorder, win or lose.

Adding to my befuddlement will be 30°+ temperatures – not just tomorrow, but for the rest of the week. Yes, we have another heatwave, hurrah! In case you didn’t realise, that hurrah lacked enthusiasm, it was a weary hurrah, in fact I ought to remove the exclamation mark, such is my disdain for another blistering week. It doesn’t look like being a record breaker this time, but more than hot enough. Last week was much better, fresher and comfortable for working in. I feel siestas coming on.

Did you see the article about the Avocet? You know, the wading bird with the upwardly curved beak that is the symbol of the RSPB. One has been spotted at a reserve in the midlands that was previously ringed, and based on records this individual is said to be 36 years old! That’s more than 5 times the average lifespan of 7 years. This particular bird was first ringed at Titchwell Marsh in Norfolk on 2nd July 1990. It shares it’s ‘ringday’ with the birthday of my daughter Emily who was born only 4 years before that. Amazing. I wonder how much longer the old bird will go on for – the Avocet not Emily.

This week the flea beetle arrived in force. It is a pest that attacks anything in the brassica family, peppering the leaves with unsightly holes. If you walk among the rows of greens that are infested the tiny beetles ping everywhere as you brush against the plants. As an organic grower there is very little that I can do to deal with them – there is a natural pyrethroid insect killer that I could get permission to use from the Soil Association, but it is indiscriminate and will kill beneficial insects too, so I wont be using that. I just have to hope that the plants will grow through the infestation, but there are bound to be some casualties.

I have just started to use the nettle and comfrey liquid fertilisers that I made several weeks ago. The nettle is high in nitrogen so is good for leafy green plants, whereas the comfrey is high in potassium, which suits flowering plants such as tomatoes and peppers. What the two have in common is that they stink like nothing else! The other day I syphoned the foul smelling liquid from the large barrels that I made it in, in to more manageable 5 and 10ltr containers. During that process I splashed my hands with some of the liquor, and I tell you what, it is the gift that just keeps on giving! However often or thoroughly I washed my hands the pong persisted, and for the rest of the day it followed me around like…..well a bad smell. I will be donning Marigold gloves whenever I handle it going forward.

My tomato picking season has now started, so this week I am offering bags of salad toms, or cherry/cocktail sized fruit. There are quite a few ripening so there should be enough for all, but I might have to limit some customers if demand outstrips supply. Cucumbers are still cropping well, though I did lose another couple of plants when they suddenly collapsed last week. I have planted the next generation to hopefully keep the flow of cukes going. I am watering the courgettes and runner beans regularly to keep them going. There is no prospect of any rain in the forecast, so it will be doubtful if I will get a bumper harvest from either, because water from the hosepipe just doesn’t do the same job.

In the shop there are loose carrots from the Brecklands of Norfolk, and French beans from Suffolk. There will be a limited amount of bunched beetroot, broccoli, chard and pointed cabbage. Potatoes are Rocket – a waxy type that’s good for boiling, and the slightly more floury Casablanca. I have enough basil growing in the greenhouse for me to start up the pesto production line this week. Nectarines were larger last week than the first batch, so I struggled to satisfy the demand for them, plus I had to reject quite a few because they were damaged. They really need to be kept in the fridge if you are not eating them immediately after I deliver them. There is a limited number of Gala apples, as they are now on their last legs. The good news is that in August the first of my Discovery apples will be ready to pick. Lemons and oranges are available again.

It’s the village fete in the churchyard this afternoon, with the entertaining ‘Hells Bells’ Morris Dancers performing. So I had better get my skates on. Have a good week and be careful in the heat. I’m back at Wyken on Saturday, so orders for collection there are welcome.

Phil