The Week on the Plot

Considering it's done practically nothing but rain this week I've managed to spend a little time on the plot.  There is still lots to do, one complete bed needs to be dug which is for the main crop of potatoes.  I've decided to rough dig this bed as it will get a proper digging when I lift the potatoes.


The second early potatoes have gone in alongside the few earlies Dad was given from Arthur.  Two bags of shallots have also been planted.


I'm always a little too eager to sow seeds and once again I did, this time with the runner beans.  They were in the root trainer pots and were nearly 12" tall and desperate to go in the ground, which they now are.  I've put a frame of canes for the beans to grow up and because there is still a bit of a chill to the air, I've put a couple of lengths of fleece around the frame.

Plans

The majority of digging has been finished so we've planned what is going to be planted where.  This plan keeps to the crop rotation idea of not having the same crop type in the same area within three growing seasons, thus alleviating disease.

A whole new growing season, and off to a flying start

Things have changed this year.  I can not dedicate enough time to the allotment to make it viable to keep it in my name, so this year the plot belongs to my Dad, and I'm his skivvy!


We've been busy over the last few weeks preparing the ground for this years crops.  Quite a lot of land was being wasted by the paths between the beds so we have decided to remove them and only have the narrow paths which run widthways across the plot.  This has increased the beds by nearly three feet each which is a considerable amount of space, it just means there is more to weed now!


A number of crops are growing happily in the greenhouse which include beetroot, Brussels sprout, red and green cabbage, leeks and runner beans.  I still have a lot to sow but it is still early days and the nights still threaten frosts or very cold temperatures.

The whole plot

First early potatoes in today (11/04/12)

Still lots of digging to do!

Over wintered greens

Purple sprouting broccoli almost ready for picking

The garlic is looking a little anaemic but have scattered some fish, blood and bone

The onions also look a little hungry so they've been fed as well

The new bed and frame for the blackberries

All this rhubarb, and it's only the 11 April!

View of the plot from behind the rhubarb

The plot is nearly full.

Everything I had in the greenhouse is now planted in the allotment.  This includes...


Brussels Sprouts, calabrese, cabbage, spring cabbage, pak choi, golden chard, beetroot, leeks, butternut squash, pumpkins and courgettes.


The plot has gone from looking sparse and uncared for to virtually full and cared for.


It looks like the blackberry is going to produce a small amount of fruit as are the raspberries.

Damn and Blast!

I was getting on well with the allotment, that was until I damaged my knee.  The Doctor believes I have damaged the soft tissue behind my knee cap.  One thing I have been told not to do is kneel.  Not easy when trying to plant!


Everything is ready to be planted out.  All the brassicas are healthy, as are the chard and squashes.


Now, just need to concentrate getting my knee better and I can get back to it.

A few pictures

Everything is getting on well, even those seedlings which I had to resow because of the sun damage.

 Golden chard

Pumpkin, butternut, courgette, chives and basil 

Broad beans which have not been planted in the allotment 

Cabbages and beetroot 

Cucumbers, brussel sprouts, pak choi and a couple of chard

The greenhouse is filling up.

The recent spell of warm weather has been both a help and a hindrance to me.  Helping by keeping the greenhouse warm and getting seeds to germinate quicker.  Hindering because some of the germinated seeds scorched and died.


Fortunately this has happened early enough to allow a second sowing, which I have done.  I lost leeks, golden chard, calabrese, spring greens and a type of cabbage along with a couple of red cabbage seedlings.  I salvaged the red cabbage and they are coming along quite well now.  These can be seen in the picture below, they're behind the six pots at the front.  Thankfully the expensive cabbages (front of the picture) have not been touched.

The additional broad beans are almost ready to be transferred to the plot.  These were sown to fill the gaps where the over wintered plants either failed to germinate or died.  Some of the gaps where the broad beans will be going currently have endives planted in them.

The above picture shows the pumpkins (left), courgettes (middle) and basil (right).

Don't forget to vote for your favourite potato as there are only a few days left!