After a few days at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, and very heavy rain this morning, it was good finally to get down to the allotment again in the afternoon.
A further half mini row of Charlotte potatoes produced a really good quantity of lovely potatoes, and the nearby outdoor grown Gardeners Delight had ten more ripe juicy tomatoes for picking.
The courgette continue growing well, and this time I managed to pick three or four on the small side - Gold Rush and Romanesco. All the varieties mentioned so far today will definitely be grown again next year, as will the sensational, sweet F1 Lark sweetcorn.
The meal which summed up the whole season - simple but so tasty and fresh - sausages with potatoes, sweet corn, courgette and tomatoes sautéed. Sensational.
I also brought back another 8 Victoria plums and tried my very first Lord Lambourne apple. It had been damaged by a bug on the tree but I cut off anything that wasn't sound. The flavour was lovely and I should say that the fruit was 90% ripe. The other 5 or so apples will benefit from ripening on the tree a little longer but I'll also make sure I pick them right away if there's any sign of them falling to the ground.
Tuesday, 26 August 2014
Monday, 18 August 2014
Best season yet?
The excellent season continues, with crops going really well.
Most recently, we've been eating plums off the tree which we moved from the previous site. We shall also have apples in the near future.
The Worcester berries have been unbelievable and we have frozen lots as well.
Also very productive are:
The potatoes, courgettes, climbing French beans, climbing and conventional peas, cucumbers. This weekend we also had some cavalo nero and other cabbage for the first time. They were both delicious and it looks like we shall have plenty more to come.
With luck, the sprouts will survive an early attack by caterpillars which somehow, despite netting, seem to have got through.
The squash plants are starting to really get a move on and hopefully we'll have plenty of mature fruits to eat and to store.
The beetroot continue to be delicious and the leeks will be good when they've had a longer period to grown in.
All in all things are looking (and tasting) really good this year!
Most recently, we've been eating plums off the tree which we moved from the previous site. We shall also have apples in the near future.
The Worcester berries have been unbelievable and we have frozen lots as well.
Also very productive are:
The potatoes, courgettes, climbing French beans, climbing and conventional peas, cucumbers. This weekend we also had some cavalo nero and other cabbage for the first time. They were both delicious and it looks like we shall have plenty more to come.
With luck, the sprouts will survive an early attack by caterpillars which somehow, despite netting, seem to have got through.
The squash plants are starting to really get a move on and hopefully we'll have plenty of mature fruits to eat and to store.
The beetroot continue to be delicious and the leeks will be good when they've had a longer period to grown in.
All in all things are looking (and tasting) really good this year!
Friday, 27 June 2014
From ground to table ........
After some really heavy rain it finally cleared up this afternoon meaning I could dig up some more potatoes. We have now finished the mini row of Arran Pilot - which we'll definitely be planting more of next year - and started on another First Early called Swift. Hopefully it will taste and cook as well as we'll be trying them with a bbq later. Our appetiser consisted of still warm beetroot F1 Action. It tasted delicious and there will be plenty more to come in due course.
Tomorrow we'll be picking more broad beans and chard so it really feels like we're in to pick and eat mode.
Tomorrow we'll be picking more broad beans and chard so it really feels like we're in to pick and eat mode.
Monday, 23 June 2014
Big catch up!
Hard to know where to start in terms of recent plantings and plantings out, cropping, greenhouse activities!
Cropping: we've started eating Arran Pilot first early potatoes - large crop of good sized potatoes and such a good flavour. Definitely one to grow next year.
The red chard we picked last week was really good and we're expecting a steady crop through the summer and beyond. We had our first meal using broad beans today and are very pleased.
Strawberries have been lovely and look set to give more fruit for at least another week, overlapping with the raspberries which will soon come into their own. Along with blackcurrants, the fruit hedge, tayberries, Worcester berries and others which we need to check names of!
The rhubarb was first off the locks and we had several cuttings of stems and froze what we couldn't eat immediately.
The asparagus was somewhat disappointing except we have to realise that the roots were disturbed when we made the move from Windsor Avenue to Victoria Road. It looks like we'll have to wait a year until we can really crop the asparagus again, so we need to keep the raised beds weed free, manured and generally well-tended.
Up and coming: peas of several varieties have really grown well this year and we look forward to enjoying them - peas, sugar snaps, climbing French peas .....
The Cobra climbing French beans are finally growing quite vigorously so we expect good things from them sooner rather than later.
The beetroot are forming nicely so won't be too long now. The variety of Action F1 should be eaten small so we will - and try also to re-sow over the coming weeks and months.
The courgette plants - Romanesco and Gold Rush - are growing well so should provide eatable fruits within the next ten days. Similarly, the cucumber plants look very healthy so we'll keep an eye on those.
The squash plant needs to be accompanied by the two remaining plants in the greenhouse so that we can be sure of a big crop of Hunter F1 butter nut squash - which incidentally have really good keeping qualities.
The netting seems very effective over the cabbage, sprouts, kale and purple sprouting. Hopefully we can look forward to good crops of each of them.
The sweet corn plants are now very well established and showing definite promise. Combined with the mixture of heavy rain and hot sunshine that we've experienced over the past 4-6 weeks I would say that conditions are excellent for that, and virtually everything else.
In the greenhouse: the 5 Gardeners' Delight tomato plants are thriving (as are the 4 plants in the allotment) but the 3 free plug plants we got through Gardeners World magazine are extremely leggy, after arriving in a very straggly and distressed state. They may not last the course.
However, the 3 chilli plants we got in the same deal are now thriving and good companions to the Prairie Fire and Ring o' Fire plants which were grown from seed. I'm hoping for good things on the chilli front this year - and a couple of new ristras too!
The sweet potato plugs really need to be planted on into a potato bag in the green house - an urgent job for this week/weekend.
The salad trays continue to grow well and provide cut and come again salad leaf. The successional sowing has improved greatly.
Cropping: we've started eating Arran Pilot first early potatoes - large crop of good sized potatoes and such a good flavour. Definitely one to grow next year.
The red chard we picked last week was really good and we're expecting a steady crop through the summer and beyond. We had our first meal using broad beans today and are very pleased.
Strawberries have been lovely and look set to give more fruit for at least another week, overlapping with the raspberries which will soon come into their own. Along with blackcurrants, the fruit hedge, tayberries, Worcester berries and others which we need to check names of!
The rhubarb was first off the locks and we had several cuttings of stems and froze what we couldn't eat immediately.
The asparagus was somewhat disappointing except we have to realise that the roots were disturbed when we made the move from Windsor Avenue to Victoria Road. It looks like we'll have to wait a year until we can really crop the asparagus again, so we need to keep the raised beds weed free, manured and generally well-tended.
Up and coming: peas of several varieties have really grown well this year and we look forward to enjoying them - peas, sugar snaps, climbing French peas .....
The Cobra climbing French beans are finally growing quite vigorously so we expect good things from them sooner rather than later.
The beetroot are forming nicely so won't be too long now. The variety of Action F1 should be eaten small so we will - and try also to re-sow over the coming weeks and months.
The courgette plants - Romanesco and Gold Rush - are growing well so should provide eatable fruits within the next ten days. Similarly, the cucumber plants look very healthy so we'll keep an eye on those.
The squash plant needs to be accompanied by the two remaining plants in the greenhouse so that we can be sure of a big crop of Hunter F1 butter nut squash - which incidentally have really good keeping qualities.
The netting seems very effective over the cabbage, sprouts, kale and purple sprouting. Hopefully we can look forward to good crops of each of them.
The sweet corn plants are now very well established and showing definite promise. Combined with the mixture of heavy rain and hot sunshine that we've experienced over the past 4-6 weeks I would say that conditions are excellent for that, and virtually everything else.
In the greenhouse: the 5 Gardeners' Delight tomato plants are thriving (as are the 4 plants in the allotment) but the 3 free plug plants we got through Gardeners World magazine are extremely leggy, after arriving in a very straggly and distressed state. They may not last the course.
However, the 3 chilli plants we got in the same deal are now thriving and good companions to the Prairie Fire and Ring o' Fire plants which were grown from seed. I'm hoping for good things on the chilli front this year - and a couple of new ristras too!
The sweet potato plugs really need to be planted on into a potato bag in the green house - an urgent job for this week/weekend.
The salad trays continue to grow well and provide cut and come again salad leaf. The successional sowing has improved greatly.
Saturday, 12 April 2014
More planting in pots and trays - maybe soon in the plot
Although I planted some more potatoes yetsreday - Estima - and all the yellow onions that had been started off in pots in the greenhouse - with the soil still likely to be rather too cold for much direct planting, today I planted the French Marigolds, some mixed salad leaf, coriander and parsley in trays.
I also sorted out what might be possible to plant direct into the allotment plot tomorrow - including chard, two varieties of peas and beetroot. It's probably not worth over-sowing in case germination is poor but in general it's warmed up a lot recently and looks set to be fair for a few more days to come too.
Following an article in the Gardeners World magazine I have put some parsnip seed on wet kitchen paper with the hope that what they call 'viable' seed will produce a small shoot within a week and then it will be possible to plant them direct into the soil right away. They are notorious for being hard to get to germinate so it's definitely worth a try.
I also sorted out what might be possible to plant direct into the allotment plot tomorrow - including chard, two varieties of peas and beetroot. It's probably not worth over-sowing in case germination is poor but in general it's warmed up a lot recently and looks set to be fair for a few more days to come too.
Following an article in the Gardeners World magazine I have put some parsnip seed on wet kitchen paper with the hope that what they call 'viable' seed will produce a small shoot within a week and then it will be possible to plant them direct into the soil right away. They are notorious for being hard to get to germinate so it's definitely worth a try.
Wednesday, 9 April 2014
Busy time is starting
Just before we went to Sweden I planted 2 types of early potatoes - Arran Pilot nearest the polytunnel, and a row of Swift next to it. I bought some more Charlotte so there will soon be 1 row of Estima and maybe 4 rows of Charlotte to complete the potato planting this season.
I also planted the pre-rooted garlic and this will be followed soon by the red onion sets and the yellow ones. They all look very well rooted and the shoots are up to inches high now.
Currently in the greenhouse are the broad beans (10 + 7 germinated out of 20) and they can go in the ground very soon now. I'll make sure they're better supported this year.
Today I planted sweet corn seeds in small pots for the propagator and also a second batch of 2 types of hot chilli seeds - Ring of Fire and Prairie Fire. The first seedlings perished through my neglect of them in the front room!
Next to plant will be sprouts and peas, in trays/pots respectively, and soon it will be time to try seeds direct in the soil.
I also planted the pre-rooted garlic and this will be followed soon by the red onion sets and the yellow ones. They all look very well rooted and the shoots are up to inches high now.
Currently in the greenhouse are the broad beans (10 + 7 germinated out of 20) and they can go in the ground very soon now. I'll make sure they're better supported this year.
Today I planted sweet corn seeds in small pots for the propagator and also a second batch of 2 types of hot chilli seeds - Ring of Fire and Prairie Fire. The first seedlings perished through my neglect of them in the front room!
Next to plant will be sprouts and peas, in trays/pots respectively, and soon it will be time to try seeds direct in the soil.
Monday, 31 March 2014
Planting out time begins ....
After starting various seeds (tomatoes, broad beans, chillies, salad leaf) and garlic and onion sets in pots in the greenhouse, it's nearly time to start planting things out in the ground at the allotment.
Today it will be the rooted and shooting garlic, and tomorrow will be some of the early potatoes and some rooted onion sets.
Other things will follow soon after out return from Sweden for Nick's wedding, including broad beans.
Today it will be the rooted and shooting garlic, and tomorrow will be some of the early potatoes and some rooted onion sets.
Other things will follow soon after out return from Sweden for Nick's wedding, including broad beans.
Sunday, 9 March 2014
A busy and productive weekend as Spring sets in
With such wonderful weather for the whole weekend, it was lovely to spend so much time at the allotment and continue to prepare everything for sowing time.
By Sunday afternoon, the framework of the polytunnel had been reconstructed, with all the polythene sheeting removed. It looks and feels stable and should be fine to cover in mesh netting in order to protect plants from birds and butterflies.The soil is also in good condition there and is all set to use.
Meanwhile, Linda did a large amount of digging on Saturday to help prepare large parts of the vegetable patches, leaving just the potato patch to completely clear and dig, which definitely needs to be finished by the end of March at the latest.
The fruit bushes and fruit canes have all been pruned and trimmed, along with the 'fruit hedge', and Linda has also painted butterflies on the garden shed, along with our initials, to make it definitely ours.
At home, more seeds were planted in pots and trays, including sweet peas, basil, tomatoes (Gardeners Delight). Yellow onion sets (Centurion), red sets (Red Baron) and garlic (French ..... ), are also in pots in the greenhouse with the intention of getting them rooted and make the planting into the allotment easier and more sure of them becoming established.
By Sunday afternoon, the framework of the polytunnel had been reconstructed, with all the polythene sheeting removed. It looks and feels stable and should be fine to cover in mesh netting in order to protect plants from birds and butterflies.The soil is also in good condition there and is all set to use.
Meanwhile, Linda did a large amount of digging on Saturday to help prepare large parts of the vegetable patches, leaving just the potato patch to completely clear and dig, which definitely needs to be finished by the end of March at the latest.
The fruit bushes and fruit canes have all been pruned and trimmed, along with the 'fruit hedge', and Linda has also painted butterflies on the garden shed, along with our initials, to make it definitely ours.
At home, more seeds were planted in pots and trays, including sweet peas, basil, tomatoes (Gardeners Delight). Yellow onion sets (Centurion), red sets (Red Baron) and garlic (French ..... ), are also in pots in the greenhouse with the intention of getting them rooted and make the planting into the allotment easier and more sure of them becoming established.
Sunday, 2 March 2014
First full season at Victoria Road
After the frustration of almost non-stop rain since Christmas, it is finally possible to start some proper planning and preparation for Spring 2014.
We have drawn up a planting scheme and bought 4 different types of seed potato which we hope we'll be able to plant before the end of March.
So far we have:
6 each of Swift, Estima, Arran Pilot (all first early or early varieties)
10 of Charlotte (a second early salad potato).
They will be planted in the patch of land behind the polytunnel, next to last year's potato plot. In fact, depending on how preparations go, we may fully plant this whole area with potatoes.
I have already planted 2 varieties of broad bean (10 each of The Sutton and Aquadulce) in pots in the greenhouse in the hope that they can get a head start before being planted out into the allotment.
Indoors, I have planted 2 varieties of chilli (Prairie Fire and Ring of Fire - the latter being a good success last year) and in due course they will be planted up into pots for the greenhouse). They are both hot varieties.
Later on I'll plant some tomato seeds in a similar way - Gardeners Delight and one other variety - as yet unchosen!
Hopefully I'll be able to do some more digging and clearing up by Wednesday this week and get close to having everything ready.
We have drawn up a planting scheme and bought 4 different types of seed potato which we hope we'll be able to plant before the end of March.
So far we have:
6 each of Swift, Estima, Arran Pilot (all first early or early varieties)
10 of Charlotte (a second early salad potato).
They will be planted in the patch of land behind the polytunnel, next to last year's potato plot. In fact, depending on how preparations go, we may fully plant this whole area with potatoes.
I have already planted 2 varieties of broad bean (10 each of The Sutton and Aquadulce) in pots in the greenhouse in the hope that they can get a head start before being planted out into the allotment.
Indoors, I have planted 2 varieties of chilli (Prairie Fire and Ring of Fire - the latter being a good success last year) and in due course they will be planted up into pots for the greenhouse). They are both hot varieties.
Later on I'll plant some tomato seeds in a similar way - Gardeners Delight and one other variety - as yet unchosen!
Hopefully I'll be able to do some more digging and clearing up by Wednesday this week and get close to having everything ready.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)