Friday 31 May 2013

A day on the Allotment is a happy day!!

Today I managed to escape... for a whole 3 hours up to the Allotment with my right hand man (namely, 8 year old daughter.). 
Lots of tidying up, a  bit of weeding and lots of planting out.
 
 Minipop sweetcorn  -  a lovely mini variety which can be harvested as soon as the tassels appear.  This makes it easier in the unpredictable climate, especially here up north, where it can be difficult to ripen sweetcorn before the end of the summer. These sweetcorn don't need to be in blocks to cross pollinate which also makes it easy for them to grow.   I planted 3 rows with about 8 in each row.

Cauliflower -  These are not easy to grow by any means but I have yet to successfully grown them so am determined to keep trying.    I planted them out with a teaspoon of lime mixed into the soil.  I firmed them down well too which is meant to help them. We will have to see how they get on!

Runner beans - These were ready to go out as they were almost 12 inches tall and starting to flop over!   Its been very warm today and forecast is the same for the next few days so I guessed it might be fine to pop them out.   I had prepared the soil well with lots of manure last autumn.  A runner bean frame was constructed last week and netting put around to help them climb up.  I planted white lady and  scarlet emperor.  Hoping for a few good enough for the show bench.

Courgettes  - I planted lots of these as we love them and any extra can be given away easily.   they have 3 true leaves, (not the baby leaves that first come through but the next ones are regarded as true) and were quite big.   I  dig a small hole with a spade, add lots of well rotted manure and mix it in with the soil, then mound it up into a very small hill and plant the courgette on top.   A small upturned bottle top with the lid removed is placed at an angle towards the courgette, from which I can water the roots easily.    It has worked for the past two years and I have had amazing results with this method.  courgettes are very hungry vege so benefit from the extra nutrients.   They also like to be fed into the season.

I will put some photos on here soon.   If anyone reads this and finds it interesting... or helpful, I would love to hear your comments!! 

Bye for now...

Tuesday 28 May 2013

How can anything grow in this awful weather?

Today at midday, it was about 10 degrees and raining.  Probably a bit warmer down south, but here in the lakes we were suffering.   The heating cannot possibly go on in May, so its woolly jumpers and thick socks all round :) 

A quick pop up to the allotment to see the potatoes are benefitting from the rain, but everything else is growing so slowly.  This time last year the broad beans were ready to harvest, but not for a while will they be ready yet. One has some pretty dappled flowers but the others remain small.

When is a mole not a beauty spot?  when it is one of those unwanted fiends intent on destroying your potential prizewinning peas.  There are many empty spaces for the little monster to push the mounds of earth up into, but no, he (or she) choses the spots where things are newly planted, trying to undo all the hard work of the well nurtured plants.  Bless!!!

The brassicas are looking very green and healthy, lots of netting on to keep the pigeons away. They love to peck the green leaves, and managed to obliterate an entire brassica patch a few years ago, (before I realised the need to net!)

The fennel plants are looking strong, hopefully establishing themselves, though they have been resting in the cold frame for a week, so should be reasonably hardened off. 

Still only have 3 asparagus spears from 5 plants, which is a disappointment, but maybe they will do better next year.  They hate the cold so maybe they are just hibernating this year!

Hoping for some warmer weather soon.!

Sunday 26 May 2013

The secret of good curcubits

Managed to plant some pumpkins and a patty pan squash today.   Even though it is the end of May, the weather seems to have put everything about a month behind.  The risk of frost is still evident and to be honest, it is still a bit cold for many of the tender plants.  I popped a cloche over the pumpkins and rigged up a make-shift affair over the patty pan to protect it for a week or so.

The secret of abundant cucurbits, (squash, courgettes, cucumbers and pumpkins) is, (yes, you guessed it)   well rotted manure!!  Dig a hole and pop some in, mixing it well with the soil, then heap up the soil to make a mound, placing the plant on the top, planting in firmly and water well.  Some slug protection  is a good idea while the plants are babies!

Planting out

Today I managed a quick 90 minutes up on lottie.  I long for more time up there, but time is limited these days and I am sure it speeds up the minute I enter the site! 

I managed to plant out the leeks today, as rain is forecast for the next two days and it might help them to establish securely.    I have lyon prizewinner and Pandora varieties, and found myself with enough leeks to have 8 rows, so that should keep us going for a while  over winter! 

The secret (shh) is to dig in loads of well rotted manure prior to planting out, and use a dibber, pop them in the whole and 'puddle' them in with lots of water. 

Thursday 23 May 2013

Escaping...

Allotments are many things to many people;  a social haven for those who love to chatter while resting on their spades,  a quiet space where you can block out the world and dig/weed/sow/plant and reap, a dedicated area to garden for those without the joys of greenspace at home, and many other genuinely positive reasons.   ~For me, it is my absolute guaranteed 'head space'.  I may have had a tough day at work or the children may have drained me of all energy and sanity - but up on the Allotment I am at peace with the world!  We are lucky to have a lovely environment with sheep in the adjoining field, buzzards occasionally flying overhead and lots of birds.    Owls can be heard in the evenings too, which is just lovely.   

Tuesday 21 May 2013

The allotment with lots of leafy greens spilling onto the communal path.  It has changed a lot over the years, constantly being recreated.  I will post some photos on here of recent changes.


The beginnings of blogging about the great garden passion!

Its been 4 years since taking on an allotment, a great journey into the world of growing and a developing obsession.  This blog will be used as a diary for reference and information.