EVERY now and again, I get an update from Hotch Potch Organics about what is going on in the fields.

This week’s update is very interesting as usual sweetcorn started last Saturday and there should be a good quantity every market for some time.

Leafy greens are looking really good for the next few months, as well as Cavolo nero, curly kale, perpetual spinach and chard which I should have every week for ages. I’m about to start picking the Spigarello (very old Italian heritage leaf broccoli) – quite a number of customers have already been asking about this.

I think I’ve got a good range of quicker-growing greens on the way as well: Rapini, Friarelli, Grelos, Broccoli Raab, Pak Choi next market, followed by Tatsoi and Kailan (Chinese broccoli). In the past I’ve tended to have all at once or none at all, but it looks like I’ve got my timing right this time to have a bit of changing variety every week. Fingers crossed here as these crops can go wrong at the last minute.

I’ve started picking fennel bulbs, although not many, and tomatillos should be ready for picking by next market. (Last week a customer was looking round asking if anyone had any).

The first few squashes are coming in – Gem and Spaghetti, and I’ll start on the stripy Harlequin ones soon, but I’m going to hold back on the full range. Most of the winter squashes taste so much better if they’re left in the field longer to ripen more, and some like Crown Prince benefit from at least a week or two curing after harvest. I have this dilemma every year when customers start looking for squashes and they can be harvested; but it feels right to tell them to wait for the better taste rather than rush them out.

For the gardeners I’ll start lifting bunches of bareroot wallflowers around the end of the month; they beat any container grown stock found in high street garden centres for quality and price.