Springing into shape

Finally a bit of sun and warmth and spared a few hours away from work to get allotment into shape.

18th... Strawberries thinned and replanted in extra raised bed in [D1] but plenty still in ground under Pear trees.

23rd... Onions [D2] and early Potatoes [B1] planted and main potatoes chitting.  Couple of trays of radish and lettuce seedlings moved down into shelving to harden up ready for planting.

24th... Garlic Planted [D2]- 5 months late - tried to recover lost time a little by sticking garlic and onions into a tray of soil to get roots and tops sprouting.  May need to switch to a 2 year plan with garlic.

Beds E1/F1 weeded and soiled dug/raked with a bit of added compost/sand/etc... and then covered up.  Ready for planting.

C2 and E2 tidied up a bit but along with B2/F2 are next on list to prepare.

Forced rhubarb coming along well and close to first early crop.

Lots of seedlings popping up at home... carrots, kale, little gem and lolla rossa lettuce, sweetcorn, and broad beans sprouting.  Tomatoes ready to pot on.

Run out of spare window sill spaces so will hold off next lot of seed planting this week!

Garlic

Bought 2011's garlic bulbs - 3 thermidore bulbs to split up and plant, probably in November.

After this year's bumper crop will have to hunt around to do even better next year, as left them in a bit long and they opened up a bit.  Been checking garlicworld for more tips.

Ajo Ajo Ajo

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.

A New Hope...

Finally managed a quick visit to check on things today.

Although in the main it is a scene of death and rotting destruction, already signs of new life appearing with blackcurrants and blueberries budding well.

Seedlings (Cabbage & Oriental Mustards) coped with cold drought (in plastic box)to varying degrees and still plenty of them alive.

Garlic looking a bit sorry for themselves, but the cold should spark them into cloving well. Scattered a bit more sand over - partly to catch a bit more warmth if the sun comes out and partly for drainage as ground still saturated. Last year's leeks still doing well, if a little small.

Put bin over a rhubarb crown to start off this year's forced chosen one. No sign of life yet.

The deep snow seems to have rotted a lot of the anticipated spring cabbages, but few surviving well. Still a few reds coping ok and cropped a load of sprouts today.

Garlic

Finally, managed to get some garlic bulbs and get them planted before Xmas! (17th Oct) Just have to hope they grow ok now, this years did ok - but small - from a late sowing so looking forward to a bumper crop next summer.

Tried to prevent them from rotting overwinter by using a bulb planter to make some 4-5" holes, filled with mix of compost and sharp sand. Garlic cloves are about 1-2" below soil.


Also last week, managed a sunny day tidying up and planting some mixed oriental mustards and two varieties of Spring Cabbage (a little late). One tray of cabbage and mustards already germinated by the weekend.

Pulled a few wind sown salsify seeding and moved out of leek bed - although not too much difference between them.

Slowly cropping away still... sweetcorn, beetroot, swedes, red cabbage, white cabbage, few early brussels, last of the broad beans. And a couple of blackberries.

Catching Up

June was a warm month and everything has been growing well so now seems an appropriate time to review where everything is at.

Bed A1 (Alliums)
- 2 salsify (2008) grown on for seed - has beautiful seed heads (hundreds collected already)
- Parsley (2008) also grown on - still edible if a little tougher
- 6 clumps of red spring onions
- Leeks, still very small so it may be baby leeks for Christmas dinner.
Bed A2
- Around 60 Stutgarter white onions
- 2 surviving garlic (2008)
- patch of sunflowers (giant russian)
- side row of Little Gem Lettuce

Bed B1 (Legumes)
- Broad Beans (had first early crop for tea last night)
- patch of sunflowers (giant russian)
- row of leeks (2008) - bit tough to eat but fine for flavouring stocks and hopefully will flower for seed
Bed B2
- Peas
- Dwarf French Beans
- Sweet peas for a splash of late colour and food for bees

Bed C1 (Brassicas)
- Khol Rabi - now swelling fast, still no idea what they taste like or what to do with them! Originally intercropped with oriental mustards for salads but now all eaten.
- Swedes (originally intercropped with radish, now eaten)
- Turnips (originally intercropped with radish, now eaten)
- Summer/Autumn Cabbage (with 1 last spring cabbage remaining)
Bed C2
- Brussel Sprouts (intercropped with summer cabbage)
- Red Cabbage (intercropped as above, and 1 savoy)
- Cauliflowers (eaten half so far, and intercropped with radish)
Bed F1
- radish
- oriental mustards
- little gem lettuce
these will all be eaten over the summer to leave just:
- broccoli
- kale nero

Bed D1 (Roots)
- Carrots
- Beetroot
Bed D2
- Charlotte 2nd early potatoes (first taste laste week!)
Bed E1
- Jersey Royal 1st early (about half plants eaten so far and absolutely delicious)

Bed E2

Sweetcorn (growing strongly, but not quite so good as last year as July has been so much cooler)
- a border of dwarf sunflowers on 3 sides
- side row of Little Gem lettuce (under a cloche to keep tender)