Today feels complete already (at 2pm) because I have had success with radishes and rocket. I think I planted them two months ago – maybe longer. The radishes are in a round, faux terracotta pot that sits on the garden table outside the back door. At the moment, the pot gets full sun from 10 until mid afternoon.
The rocket is in a fluted concrete pot that suits the mediterranean feel of the garden, and has belonged to the garden probably as long as the garden has existed. The rocket itself is unremarkable – spindly and weedy – and it should be grateful for such a splendid carrier.
I’ve had trouble with both crops; in part from my status as a novice veggie grower, in part from the amount of full sun in the garden, and in part from mealy bugs.
It was when the radishes were about 15 cm high, with strong leaves, and I was googling ‘when to harvest radishes?’, that the mealy bug descended; I don’t know where from. Tiny cobwebby stretch marks decorated the back of a handful of leaves. I panicked and did nothing. A week later my husband commented on them. About a week after that I embarked on Extermination and asked my mother’s advice. A week after that, the force and coverage of my White Oil application made up for a month’s dithering.
(Eco Oil is an alternative to White Oil – more expensive with a thinner consistency; or make your own organic White Oil concentrate at home with Sunflower Oil and washing up liquid: mix 2 tsp concentrate to 1L water).
Today I tentatively pulled the biggest plant out of the pot, followed by others. Today we ate radishes and rocket for lunch with tuna and toast, lemon and mayo. It would not be an overstatement to say I feel the key to my life’s purpose has finally surfaced. I will be a radish farmer.
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