Just a quick update from yesterday. 15 pre-potted up onion sets are ready for the allotment either tomorrow or over the weekend. Also ready will be the cabbage and broccoli plants into ready prepared deep beds.
14 pots of Roi des Conserves climbing peas (with 3 or 4 peas per pot) are now in the greenhouse and if they successfully germinate they can be grown on a little until being put into the allotment where a prepared bed is waiting for them.
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Wednesday, 20 April 2016
Sunny 20th April!
After what has seemed like endless rain for the past few weeks, finally today was dry and sunny.
This was a great opportunity to check the raised beds and sieve a couple of them and apply manure to the other two.
In one of the freshly sieved beds I planted 3 rows of beetroot, 2 rows of parsnips and 1 row of radishes. They are all mini rows around 3 feet long but once (if) these seeds germinate, it'll be time to sow more beetroot elsewhere and possibly more parsnips.
I'm ready with fleece in case the night-time temperatures drop too much - something distinctly possible judging by current forecasts.
Next to reach the plot will be pre-planted red onion sets and some brassica plants with everything having had a head start.
This was a great opportunity to check the raised beds and sieve a couple of them and apply manure to the other two.
In one of the freshly sieved beds I planted 3 rows of beetroot, 2 rows of parsnips and 1 row of radishes. They are all mini rows around 3 feet long but once (if) these seeds germinate, it'll be time to sow more beetroot elsewhere and possibly more parsnips.
I'm ready with fleece in case the night-time temperatures drop too much - something distinctly possible judging by current forecasts.
Next to reach the plot will be pre-planted red onion sets and some brassica plants with everything having had a head start.
Wednesday, 6 April 2016
October 2015 update
I'll add some photos soon - especially of the chilli crop so far (Long Slim Cayenne and Ring o' Fire, both from the greenhouse) the grape crop at the allotment, and the few squash plants which made it to maturity before the plants just seemed to wither away.
The Winter brassicas are really thriving and with the protection of the new fruit cages and a good dose of slug pellets we hope they'll remain healthy until they're ready to eat.
We've been enjoying the leeks already, and the remaining ones should continue to grow a while longer before reaching their potential.
Martin and Paul gave me a big hand yesterday with a load of manure which Martin had fetched in a trailer from the place where Kay's sister keeps her horse. We've never had such a good consignment of manure so I'll make every effort to prepare the ground and spread the manure over it before winter comes.
The Winter brassicas are really thriving and with the protection of the new fruit cages and a good dose of slug pellets we hope they'll remain healthy until they're ready to eat.
We've been enjoying the leeks already, and the remaining ones should continue to grow a while longer before reaching their potential.
Martin and Paul gave me a big hand yesterday with a load of manure which Martin had fetched in a trailer from the place where Kay's sister keeps her horse. We've never had such a good consignment of manure so I'll make every effort to prepare the ground and spread the manure over it before winter comes.
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| Long Slim Cayenne (left) and Ring o' Fire (right |
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| Butternut squash, yellow courgette and Lord Lambourne apples |
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| Black grapes - maybe Black Hamburg |
2016 here we come!
Very belatedly here's an overview of work on the allotment so far this year.
Most preparation of the ground has been done at the allotment although the soil is very heavy in places after regular periods of heavy rain. Linda and I also have a plan for most parts of the plot so we'll try to stick to that as the year progresses.
First things into the plot - today, 6th April - were 8 x Arran Pilot First Early potatoes and 10 x Swift First Early potatoes. 8 to 12 weeks from now we should see some lovely new potatoes - fingers crossed. The remaining 16 x Charlotte potatoes will be planted within the next two weeks, weather permitting.
In the cold frame I have planted 15 Sutton broad beans which should be germinating any time now. In the greenhouse there are some Gardeners Delight tomato seedlings which were germinated in our own heated propagator, along with some chilli seedlings.
In the greenhouse we have red onion sets planted up in small pots to give them a protected head start before putting them in the soil.
Also in the greenhouse, two types of sweet peas are just germinating, as are some sunflowers. The brassica plug plants from DT Brown's are all thriving having been potted on in the greenhouse: 10 x Broccolli Stromboli, 10 x Cabbage Regency, 10 x Cauliflower Helsinki. Using deep beds and lime in the soil preparation, and covered with enviromesh I'll do my best to produce reasonable crops although good cauliflowers would be a super bonus! 4 x Romanesco green courgettes and 4 x yellow courgette seeds are also in the greenhouse and should germinate within the next 10 days.
Most preparation of the ground has been done at the allotment although the soil is very heavy in places after regular periods of heavy rain. Linda and I also have a plan for most parts of the plot so we'll try to stick to that as the year progresses.
First things into the plot - today, 6th April - were 8 x Arran Pilot First Early potatoes and 10 x Swift First Early potatoes. 8 to 12 weeks from now we should see some lovely new potatoes - fingers crossed. The remaining 16 x Charlotte potatoes will be planted within the next two weeks, weather permitting.
In the cold frame I have planted 15 Sutton broad beans which should be germinating any time now. In the greenhouse there are some Gardeners Delight tomato seedlings which were germinated in our own heated propagator, along with some chilli seedlings.
In the greenhouse we have red onion sets planted up in small pots to give them a protected head start before putting them in the soil.
Also in the greenhouse, two types of sweet peas are just germinating, as are some sunflowers. The brassica plug plants from DT Brown's are all thriving having been potted on in the greenhouse: 10 x Broccolli Stromboli, 10 x Cabbage Regency, 10 x Cauliflower Helsinki. Using deep beds and lime in the soil preparation, and covered with enviromesh I'll do my best to produce reasonable crops although good cauliflowers would be a super bonus! 4 x Romanesco green courgettes and 4 x yellow courgette seeds are also in the greenhouse and should germinate within the next 10 days.
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