11th May

 One job we need to do next week is plant the tomatoes and cucumbers, they have shot on in the greenhouse and are ready for planting.

I already have the tunnel rotovated, we now need to get the compost spread then rotovate again, so fingers crossed by next week when I write the newsletter, I will be saying the tomatoes and cucumbers are planted.

That upper paragraph was what I had put in last week.

But it was a testing week, at the very last minute i.e.; Sunday night I found out I had no van driver to take over from Andrew’s delivery job, so Rab that works with me full time in the tunnels and field was now going out delivering.

Rab always does the deliveries when van drivers take holidays, but we arrange their holidays well in advance, no holidays when we are blocking the seeds, and no holidays when we are planting (right now) that is all we ask.

But we had it covered, I asked one of our workers that was only doing two days deliveries and some shed work, if he would like the job more hrs more pay, just before I advertise.

He almost bit my hand of with a yes, unfortunately after two weeks sitting with Andrew learning the runs, on Sunday night he told me he had another job, fantastic to say the least.

Very luckily, we found someone else very quickly and has been out with Rab this week and will be next week until he goes solo.

Fate has played a hand, and I think it has probably turned out for the best.

Although I am now planting on my own.

I now have the tunnel ready for planting the tomatoes and cucumbers and I should get them planted this week.

Out in the field I planted five thousand Cauliflower, five thousand purple sprouting, a wee batch of the first courgettes only one hundred and fifty, these were supposed to be for the tunnels, but I have no room, plus to finish of two, two-hundred-meter rows of broad beans.

The purple sprouting is a wee trail, usually it is a winter crop, but everyone loves purple sprouting and I thought it would be a great crop for the nets through the year, the looked great plants going in but time will tell.

I will be another week on my own, so after the tomatoes and cucumbers are planted, I am going to make a start on planting the squash plants, and next week we will get the winter leeks planted.

Scott is the name of the driver for the customers that used to have Andrew as their driver.