Caterpillars and wasps

We seem to have had an invasion of butterflies recently particularly Large Whites and Small Whites and now they are munching their way through my nasturtiums which to be honest I sow to distract them from my vegetable plot, although the deer and voles have mainly eaten everything there apart from the courgettes, which Barrie says proves courgettes are inedible.

Large White and Small White Caterpillars

Tree Wasp and Greenbottle

Growing Sweet Potatoes

I never had sweet potatoes until recently and when I found out how delicious they were in soups and roasted with other veg, I naturally wanted to grow some. Then I looked in the plant catalogues for plants and like my Dad before me on seeing what to me were ridiculous prices shrieked how much and decided to see if I could do it myself, ie grow plants from the tubers for sale in the shops to eat.

My first attempts in early spring, at just cutting in half and suspending in jars of water using toothpicks rotted off. I then tried in bags of compost, again just rotted off. Then I read that the tubers sold in shops are treated with an inhibitor to stop them sprouting. So I then gave them a good scrub, and again suspended in jars of water and this time they sprouted. I'm not sure if its the scrubbing or the exceptional weather but one half at least has put out a lot of growth. I have now put them into pots of compost.

I think I will attempt to seperate the shoots from the tubers and overwinter as house plants.