Cropped first garlic bulb - as big as last year's biggest, from an average sized plant so hopeful of a good return this year. Also cropped mustards, radish, new potatoes (still small).
Another big watering day... no major change in weather pattern on horizon and possibility of hosepipe ban spreading across border.
Planted out another row of (recovered) sunflowers in D2, 3 remaining dwarf french beans, more little gems in A1 - spinach beet and beetroot into C1 - few mixed lettuce into gaps in bed D1.
Friday 25 June 2010
Wednesday 23 June 2010
Dober večer
Pioneer Butternut squash has been nibbled and virtually dead (as expected), so planted out a pair that are hopefully a bit hardier. Substitutes still on bench at home.
Couple of hours watering tonight - ground like a sponge. Picked first spinach beet along with some mustards, radish and lettuce.
Despite 'somebody' supposedly watering well on Saturday, next round of seedlings have suffered badly in current weather and most wiltered and lost. (Sunflowers, salads and radish wiped out). Brassicas fared a little better but possibly because they are bigger and ready to plant out.
Had first new potatoes on Saturday, delicious as ever.
Couple of hours watering tonight - ground like a sponge. Picked first spinach beet along with some mustards, radish and lettuce.
Despite 'somebody' supposedly watering well on Saturday, next round of seedlings have suffered badly in current weather and most wiltered and lost. (Sunflowers, salads and radish wiped out). Brassicas fared a little better but possibly because they are bigger and ready to plant out.
Had first new potatoes on Saturday, delicious as ever.
Sunday 13 June 2010
Salad Days
A sunny Saturday visit to plant out 20 sweetcorn (now a pathetic 3-5" high) along with a test Butternut Squash. Interplanted with little gem lettuce to distract slugs (all in bed F). Scattered Bonemeal and watered in - as run out of dried blood... have used blood last couple of years and seems to give them an excellent fast nitro burst of growth.
Checked a potato plant in E2, but none forming yet - very late this year!
Cleared leeks and salsify out of A1 - save for a row of leeks that will be flowering - and planted peas in their place. French Bean seedlings decimated by a slug in mini polyhouse, only 3 left!
Planted last of leek seedlings into D1.
Although a bit of rain expected in next couple of days, looking like it will be dry after so gave everything a quick water.
Cropped mustards, little gem, radish (some upto golf ball size and not a lot of mouse damage) to make up an excellent salad for tea.
Checked a potato plant in E2, but none forming yet - very late this year!
Cleared leeks and salsify out of A1 - save for a row of leeks that will be flowering - and planted peas in their place. French Bean seedlings decimated by a slug in mini polyhouse, only 3 left!
Planted last of leek seedlings into D1.
Although a bit of rain expected in next couple of days, looking like it will be dry after so gave everything a quick water.
Cropped mustards, little gem, radish (some upto golf ball size and not a lot of mouse damage) to make up an excellent salad for tea.
Sunday 6 June 2010
Here Comes the Summer
A wet week on the cards!
Had first of this year's salad crop yesterday - a small little gem lettuce, some mustard leaves and some very nice radish.
Planting...
Some sunflowers went in ground under a cloche on Thurs and more on Saturday. A 2nd row of radish went in on Thurs.
Potting on...
Tray (~18) of mystery brassicas (maybe cabbage, maybe kale - label wrongly says nasturtium!) potted on on Sat.
Wildlife...
Noticeably less bees around this year - aside from national decline, possibly due to cold winter, possibly due to more activity in allotments removing natural weeds? Relocated a toad from middle of allotment to near new pond -not sure how it will get on with the frogs!
Bad news in 'Newt' pond - saw at least four hiding earlier in year - has gone a little stagnant so refreshed water a bit and added a a scrap of vegetation to try and get it a bit livelier. Had a check on net, and still not entirely clear which they are - suspect from lack of spots they are possibly palmates which like upland moors, but could be common (smooth) newts as they don't have (heavily) webbed feet and from size/shape more likely. Definitely not crested though.
Dismantled woodpile as it was getting a bit untidy and should be relatively uninhabited at this time of year. Broke up rotted wood where possible and applied as a mulch around berry bushes. Put wood pile back together a little neater, with a bit more air space. Was very dry so took out carpet scraps and flat wood to try and encourage a bit more life into it.
Had first of this year's salad crop yesterday - a small little gem lettuce, some mustard leaves and some very nice radish.
Planting...
Some sunflowers went in ground under a cloche on Thurs and more on Saturday. A 2nd row of radish went in on Thurs.
Potting on...
Tray (~18) of mystery brassicas (maybe cabbage, maybe kale - label wrongly says nasturtium!) potted on on Sat.
Wildlife...
Noticeably less bees around this year - aside from national decline, possibly due to cold winter, possibly due to more activity in allotments removing natural weeds? Relocated a toad from middle of allotment to near new pond -not sure how it will get on with the frogs!
Bad news in 'Newt' pond - saw at least four hiding earlier in year - has gone a little stagnant so refreshed water a bit and added a a scrap of vegetation to try and get it a bit livelier. Had a check on net, and still not entirely clear which they are - suspect from lack of spots they are possibly palmates which like upland moors, but could be common (smooth) newts as they don't have (heavily) webbed feet and from size/shape more likely. Definitely not crested though.
Dismantled woodpile as it was getting a bit untidy and should be relatively uninhabited at this time of year. Broke up rotted wood where possible and applied as a mulch around berry bushes. Put wood pile back together a little neater, with a bit more air space. Was very dry so took out carpet scraps and flat wood to try and encourage a bit more life into it.
Tuesday 1 June 2010
May Update
With http://www.butterwickwells.co.uk/ taking up most of our waking hours, time spent at the allotment has been considerably less this May than the last couple of years.
A couple of ok days of weather over the bank holiday allowed a bit of catching up and an audit of where we were at. Cropped a load of rhubarb stalks, much of it exchanged for a couple of pints at the pub. There is something deeply satisfying about moneyless trade, especially when both sides win. We got two pints for something that would have gone to waste - they got over £15 (at overpriced supermarket rate) of rhubarb for a quarter of the price.
Did a bit of late sowing at home on 30th: tomatoes(v.v. late), coriander, butternut squash(v late), french beans, more peas, sunflowers, marigolds.
On 31st did another half tray each of little gem lettuce and radish at alottment to keep succession going.
More to follow...
A couple of ok days of weather over the bank holiday allowed a bit of catching up and an audit of where we were at. Cropped a load of rhubarb stalks, much of it exchanged for a couple of pints at the pub. There is something deeply satisfying about moneyless trade, especially when both sides win. We got two pints for something that would have gone to waste - they got over £15 (at overpriced supermarket rate) of rhubarb for a quarter of the price.
Did a bit of late sowing at home on 30th: tomatoes(v.v. late), coriander, butternut squash(v late), french beans, more peas, sunflowers, marigolds.
On 31st did another half tray each of little gem lettuce and radish at alottment to keep succession going.
More to follow...
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