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.
Friday, 10 June 2011
Saturday, 4 June 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
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
Sunday, 24 April 2011
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.
Don't forget to vote for your favourite potato as there are only a few days left!
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!
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Getting on well at the plot.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been busy with sowing in the greenhouse, but not at the plot. This afternoon I spent a couple of hours preparing the beds and have sown spinach, carrots, beetroot and parsnips as well as planting the main crop potatoes, which are Rooster, and the second earlies, Charlotte.
Potato beds
Carrots and spinach
Whilst at the plot, my Dad looked after the neighbours!
Broadbeans and endives
Monday, 4 April 2011
Things are rising!
Seedlings that is! Apart from the flowers, everything I have sown has germinated. Some are a little sparse such as the red cabbage but they're getting bigger.
I've sown further brassicas as well. These are calabrese, kale and a cabbage which can be harvested as spring greens.
On the plot, the garlic is growing well and is not suffering from rust yet. The broad beans are coming on slowly and are being left alone by the pigeons, as are the endives. No signs of the onions or shallots shooting yet but they have only been in for a week so plenty of time.
The raspberries seem to have tolerated being moved and are showing signs of growing well. To add to the raspberries I'm going to get a couple of blackberries. This will make the bottom of the plot all fruit which includes rhubarb. Yes, I know rhubarb is actually a vegetable but I'm classifying it as fruit to therefore it is!
I've sown further brassicas as well. These are calabrese, kale and a cabbage which can be harvested as spring greens.
On the plot, the garlic is growing well and is not suffering from rust yet. The broad beans are coming on slowly and are being left alone by the pigeons, as are the endives. No signs of the onions or shallots shooting yet but they have only been in for a week so plenty of time.
The raspberries seem to have tolerated being moved and are showing signs of growing well. To add to the raspberries I'm going to get a couple of blackberries. This will make the bottom of the plot all fruit which includes rhubarb. Yes, I know rhubarb is actually a vegetable but I'm classifying it as fruit to therefore it is!
Monday, 21 March 2011
It's sowing time!
Finally I can start sowing seeds, in fact, I have been. After erecting the plastic greenhouse in the garden, I have sown the following...
Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Red Cabbage, Green Cabbage, Chard, Leeks and Pak Choi. I have also sown Pansies and Gerbera's.
Now that this has been started, the temperature is bound to plummet! I'll be outside wrapping the greenhouse up and lighting a small oil lamp to keep the temperature up.
I popped up to the plot for about 30 minutes this evening and planted the onion sets and shallots. I have a whole bed of onions which equates to around 150 sets, hopefully I'll be in line for a good crop.
A few pictures of where I am with the plot.
Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Red Cabbage, Green Cabbage, Chard, Leeks and Pak Choi. I have also sown Pansies and Gerbera's.
Now that this has been started, the temperature is bound to plummet! I'll be outside wrapping the greenhouse up and lighting a small oil lamp to keep the temperature up.
I popped up to the plot for about 30 minutes this evening and planted the onion sets and shallots. I have a whole bed of onions which equates to around 150 sets, hopefully I'll be in line for a good crop.
A few pictures of where I am with the plot.
The raspberry beds - not much at the moment!
Rhubarb - and it's only March!
The whole plot - some of which still needs digging.
2011 - A New Season
2011 is hopefully going to be a good year for the allotment. I've decided to stick to varieties of vegetables I have grown previously as I can guarantee (as far as I can) a good crop and at the end of the day, that is what I'm after.
The raspberries were looking very cramped in the bed I had originally put them in. Because of this I have split them up and made new smaller beds which have six canes in each. After a recent promotion from Thompson and Morgan, I obtained a further six canes for just the postage. This brings me up to eighteen canes so hopefully I should get a good crop from them.
I like the idea of growing fruit as well as vegetables. This does reduce the amount of room I have to grow other crops though. Blackcurrant's are the most likely plant I will put in but we'll see!
The rhubarb has excelled itself again. Other peoples are only just showing, mine has sticks over 15" long and I've already harvested ten sticks! As with a lot of early rhubarb, it's very sweet and tender.
Sowing seeds in the greenhouse is the next job, that and continuing digging te beds. The grass is becoming a pain again which is why I want to get the rest of the beds framed sooner rather than later.
Nearly forgot, the garlic I planted in November have all germinated. The broad beans however are a different matter. Out of the seventy I sowed, only eleven have germinated. This could be because of the very cold winter we had but I suspect it's more to do with the family of mice I found living under a piece of wood next to the beans. Little buggers!
The raspberries were looking very cramped in the bed I had originally put them in. Because of this I have split them up and made new smaller beds which have six canes in each. After a recent promotion from Thompson and Morgan, I obtained a further six canes for just the postage. This brings me up to eighteen canes so hopefully I should get a good crop from them.
I like the idea of growing fruit as well as vegetables. This does reduce the amount of room I have to grow other crops though. Blackcurrant's are the most likely plant I will put in but we'll see!
The rhubarb has excelled itself again. Other peoples are only just showing, mine has sticks over 15" long and I've already harvested ten sticks! As with a lot of early rhubarb, it's very sweet and tender.
Sowing seeds in the greenhouse is the next job, that and continuing digging te beds. The grass is becoming a pain again which is why I want to get the rest of the beds framed sooner rather than later.
Nearly forgot, the garlic I planted in November have all germinated. The broad beans however are a different matter. Out of the seventy I sowed, only eleven have germinated. This could be because of the very cold winter we had but I suspect it's more to do with the family of mice I found living under a piece of wood next to the beans. Little buggers!
Friday, 12 November 2010
The first of many raised beds
After I responded to an add on FreeCycle, I obtained some timber for making raised beds. The wood was from a man who repaired sheds during the summer months. A couple of pieces were a little rotten but once cut away the remaining wood was fine. An hour or so later and few splinters I've built a couple of raised beds. A little "rustic" perhaps but functional. No more cutting the edges of the beds, just the grass!
Friday, 5 November 2010
Getting ahead!
I had a quick visit to the allotment today and planted 25 garlic cloves (Albigensian Wight), and sowed 70 broad beans (Aquadulce Claudia).
The garlic needs to be overwintered to produce bulbs and not enlarged cloves. This is a large softneck variety and will be ready for harvest in June next year.
I specifically chose Aquadulce Claudia as these beans produce a better harvest if overwintered. My Grandad always said the beans produce a better crop if they are sown in November. I have also read they get less problems with black fly.
The garlic needs to be overwintered to produce bulbs and not enlarged cloves. This is a large softneck variety and will be ready for harvest in June next year.
I specifically chose Aquadulce Claudia as these beans produce a better harvest if overwintered. My Grandad always said the beans produce a better crop if they are sown in November. I have also read they get less problems with black fly.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Weights so far
So, this is what I've harvested.
The crops left on the plot are leeks and parsnips. I've not had any leeks yet but I have lifted a few parsnips.
Potato - Desiree - 8lb 1oz
Potato - Rooster - 8lb
Beetroot - Boltardy - 4lb
Sweetcorn - Kelvedon Glory - 9lb
Butternut - Metro - 2lb 4oz
Pumpkin - Jack O' Lantern - 20lb 8oz
Onion - White - 8lb
Onion - Red - 6lb
Shallot - Unknown - 5lb
The crops left on the plot are leeks and parsnips. I've not had any leeks yet but I have lifted a few parsnips.
Parsnip - Gladiator - 1lb 8oz
Allotment Update - October 2010 - Photographs
Here are a few pictures of what the plot has produced this year.
White and red onions, and shallots.
Jack O' Lantern pumpkins (10lb & 10lb 8oz) and butternut squash
Sweetcorn
Rooster potatoes
Gladiator parsnips
Friday, 22 October 2010
Allotment Update - October 2010
I've spent a few hours on the plot over the last couple of days. The grass has taken hold again and is trying to get the better of me. I will win, honest!
Each bed is being cut to size and dug over very deeply. I would like to frame each bed with timber but this will prove very costly if I have to buy new wood. A little later in the year I am going manure each bed, apart from the ones which are going to be used for parsnips and carrots.
Each bed is being cut to size and dug over very deeply. I would like to frame each bed with timber but this will prove very costly if I have to buy new wood. A little later in the year I am going manure each bed, apart from the ones which are going to be used for parsnips and carrots.
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