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.
Monday, 31 March 2014
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)