The Journal of Tim Roberts

It’s raining good and proper down here on The Costa del Sol, which isn’t a bad thing. We don’t get much rain down here, but when it does rain it comes fast and hard. The thing to do is make the best of it, which is why I quickly hacked the top off a 5 litre water bottle, stuck it in a jug and put it out on the terrace at 8 am.

I hope to catch a good few inches of the stuff so I can get some nutrients back into the soil of my plants - the water from the Spanish tap isn’t too good for anything. The rain is way too heavy to put any of my delicate seedlings out in without risk of them being pulverised so it’s a case of catching it and redistributing it in a more friendly manner. Here’s to more rain.

The corriander has germinated a treat - a smaller success with the oregano, and no sign of the parsley yet. After one and a half weeks the seedlings are taking off; coming up with twin stalks which was a surprise for me. Some of them still have husks holding on to the two seedling leaves. I will try help them lose the husks gently, but I think at this point those may be the losers when it comes to thinning them out.

 
Whilst cleaning out my cupboards yesterday I found a pack of rosemary seeds. I have no recall of purchasing them or how long they have been there, but they simply had to be sown. I set them down in three smaller plant pots and covered them with 3mm of soil, rather complacently. Let’s see what happens.

During my spring cleaning session I sowed 2 varieties of my plum tomato seeds in a spare seed tray I had. The weather is quite warm at the moment - late twenties - and I have the benefit of front and back enclosures in my apartment that allow for good heat morning and afternoon. It does mean moving them twice a day, but I am confident I can germinate my tomatoes straight from soil in these conditions.

 I have sown Plum Romas and Lemon Plums. I am looking forwards to the Lemon Plums as their golden yellow colour makes salads look a touch more exotic. The Plum Romas are going to be used for soup. With these two I am hoping for some signs of germination with 7 to 10 days. As I write they are in my back porch keeping my chilies company in the morning heat. If these are successful, I have another 2 varieties of plum tomato seed to sow another weekend.

Finally, for today, a lettuce / endive update. Both varieties are now germinating in my “lettuce tub”. I will be keeping an eye on them as I plan move them on for use and resow every 3 weeks to keep a supply throughout the summer. The lettuce have been easy to grow so far. Sow them and leave them in the light. I am looking forwards to trying other varieties and ensuring this summer’s salads are plentiful.

What a treat. 6 days after planting and there are signs that my cherry tomatoes may not be a failure. I sowed them straight to soil, rather than using scarification and germination on a paper towel, so it was always going to be touch and go. The pictures are not the most thrilling, but the top section shows a loop of a seedling breaking the soil; the lower section shows a seedling that has opened its leaves. They are stil very tiny and we are not out of the woods yet. They need plenty of light and attention to watering. Still, this is a good sign; more seedlings may break the surface over the next few days.

I sowed them last Sunday in plastic tubs, about 7 inches high and 24 inches wide, filled with universal soil from my local garden center. Before sowing I made sure that I had lightly watered the soil.  I made shallow troughs by running a finger gently down the soil, spaced the seeds about 4cm apart and then sprinkled about 5mm of soil back over the troughs. Finally I added 6 balls of NPK and gave them another very light watering. Since then I have kept them around the 24 degrees mark by natural methods.

My new seedlings have boosted my confidence in my tomato growing abilities. Tomorrow I will plant the seeds that Chris sent me over from the UK. These are several types of plum tomatoes that will form the basis of my chili and tomato soup project later this year. I will document tomorrow’s sowathon here as soon as possible.

Has anyone seen this before? One of my basil plants has developed a cluster of white spots (see right hand leaf on enlarged image). I am not sure if this is a pest, a disease or just an anomoly. Any suggestions gratefully accepted as this little chap is in close vicinity to 9 other basil plants.

As an asides, a great tip from Jamie Oliver’s garderner last night: keep your basil plants near your tomatoes as the aroma repels aphids.

It’s the middle of march and the rain has left southern Spain again. The temperatures are the better side of the mid-twenties here which is great for the chilies.

Out of the 30 large cayennes I planted I now have 10 healthy plants. Sitting behind my glass doors on the terrace they are coming on strong. At 6 weeks they now have 5 or 6 leaves each and stand about 3 inches tall.

No pests, but some slight burning on the end of a leaf after watering them in the sun (won’t be doing that again).

Last week my basil crop took a hit after I left them out in high winds. Out of 20 plants I salvaged 10 and put them in intensive care. As you can see, a bit of TLC and repotting has brought the survivors round again.

The leaves are now giving off that beautiful aroma and I can’t wait until I can pick them and turn them into pesto!

Now it’s to the new recruits. After 4 days my newly planted escarole endives (a curly salad plant) have started to germinate. Alongside them I have some lettuce; cherry tomatoes; parsley; oregano and corriander.

Finally a big thanks to Chris from the Chillies Galore Forum who sent 4 varieties of plum tomato seeds out to Spain from the UK after her heard about my next project: a chili and tomato soup made from home grown produce. Look out shortly for my adventures with these and hopefully the world’s best tomato, chili (and probably basil) soup.

Last night my basil plants bore the brunt of  the high winds we get in the foothills outside Malaga. As a result my mini basil farm has been reduced from 20 plants to 10. Today was the time for damage limitation.

The pots have been ditched for longer tubs and as a result I have had the opportunity to sow more vegetables and herbs.

Alongside my 10 chili plants and basil I now have 2 types of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, oregano, parsley and corriander.