A warm dry April has provided ideal growing conditions – if only we could find sufficient time away from http://www.butterwickwells.co.uk/ to take advantage of the good weather. The big allotment re-design will have to wait another year!
Progress update:
A1 – Originally earmarked for sunflowers, but switched to Broad Beans, planted out over Easter after a week or so outside at home to acclimatise to early April indoor sowing. Slightly droopy at first so hopefully they will toughen up quick.
B1 – POTATOES (international Kidney aka Jersey) planted out early April, good amount of growth now peeking out. Will have to watch for any frosts.
B2 – still to prepare for... sweet corn?
C1 – LETTUCE planted between last year’s leeks which are approaching readiness – Couple of unsuccessful attempts, with a couple of lines of seedlings mysteriously vanishing overnight. Stalks still in ground, but nothing above... unlikely to be slugs as too dry and sanded around. Possibly slugs/snails, or more likely mice?
C2 – prepared ready for peas (first batch just sown at home)
D1 – LETTUCE – third batch planted out, of slightly bigger, seedlings so hope they will fare better.
D2 – ONIONS and GARLIC coming along nicely.
E1 – New carrot raised bed installed but a little light on soil.
E2 – Still a handful of SPRING CABBAGES cropping, with Main POTATOES (Wilja) belatedly put in around them over Easter.
F1 – prepared.
F2 – still to prepare for Brassicas (Plenty of Cabbage, Savoy, Kale seedlings on the go) – an early line of radish slowly up to marble size. Another week or so and may start to crop.
Other seedlings in progress... beetroot, sunflowers, chillies, peppers, tomatoes, basil, and sage, well only 1 sage germinated so far. Need to start off another round of salads and a few more savoy as low germination rate from first batch.
G1 – RHUBARB – Forced batch finally rocketed in the heat and were pushing bin off, so cropping and eating away. The batch in H2 is getting a bit out of control so will need splitting and moving (although as nowhere to put them, may sell/donate instead).
G2/H1 – Blackcurrants, Redcurrants, Blueberries and Gooseberries all seem to be flowering well with the promise of a bumper crop this year.
H2 – Pears and Cherry Trees all blossoming well, with cherry-lets just starting to form!
Showing posts with label Lettuce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lettuce. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Autumn
Brief late afternoon visit after weeks of neglect - surprisingly busy on the site, with quite a few around getting in last minute jobs before it gets too cold.
Still not planted garlic and getting a bit late unless we get a mild spell - or I cloche them to get them going (but plastic does not survive well in winter). Corn never quite made it and a few frosts have seen them off - will have to plant earlier next year.
Cut down the remaining sunflower heads to extract seeds and cropped more (gigantic) sprouts, cabbage, sweded, beetroot and salad leaves.
Remaining pears had mostly been blown off trees but still good to eat and very juicy - mainly from Conference tree.
Still not planted garlic and getting a bit late unless we get a mild spell - or I cloche them to get them going (but plastic does not survive well in winter). Corn never quite made it and a few frosts have seen them off - will have to plant earlier next year.
Cut down the remaining sunflower heads to extract seeds and cropped more (gigantic) sprouts, cabbage, sweded, beetroot and salad leaves.
Remaining pears had mostly been blown off trees but still good to eat and very juicy - mainly from Conference tree.
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...
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Here comes the rain again
Not much going on with all the wet weather, but Saturday's respite allowed the late redcurrants, gooseberries and the remaining jersey potatoes to be cropped before slugs, wireworms, etc cause too much damage. Couple of the Charlotte's had gone yellow and wilted, but didn't have time to dig up so hopefully nothing that will spread too quick.
Carrots have been decimated - carrot root fly the most likely culprit, as we didn't put nets up around them this year.
Early peas deliciously ready with 2nd batch not far off. Yesterday's haul also included lettuce, cabbage and caulis.
Blueberries just starting to ripen, so will have to get nets over next visit before the birds spot them.
Last week, in between heavy showers, managed to get all the blackcurrants picked, exactly 5 pounds (after a pound or so were bartered away in the pub!) - washed and frozen pending next jam making session.
Speaking of the weather, I was highly sceptical in Spring - (primarily because the general conditions were the same as the previous couple of years suggesting a similar North Atlantic Oscillation situation, but also because of the exceptional sunspot shortage) - when the Met Office predicted a much hotter drier summer this year and sadly it has turned out much worse than last year, and almost as bad as the year before.
Carrots have been decimated - carrot root fly the most likely culprit, as we didn't put nets up around them this year.
Early peas deliciously ready with 2nd batch not far off. Yesterday's haul also included lettuce, cabbage and caulis.
Blueberries just starting to ripen, so will have to get nets over next visit before the birds spot them.
Last week, in between heavy showers, managed to get all the blackcurrants picked, exactly 5 pounds (after a pound or so were bartered away in the pub!) - washed and frozen pending next jam making session.
Speaking of the weather, I was highly sceptical in Spring - (primarily because the general conditions were the same as the previous couple of years suggesting a similar North Atlantic Oscillation situation, but also because of the exceptional sunspot shortage) - when the Met Office predicted a much hotter drier summer this year and sadly it has turned out much worse than last year, and almost as bad as the year before.
Friday, 15 May 2009
A whole lotta sowing going on
Taking full advantage of the new Polly House... which is packed out and has miraculously not blown away despite first strong westerlies, and then a week of stronger easterlies since we put it up.
Thur 7th May:
12 Savoy Cabbages seedlings potted on;
100 * Rhondo Peas 10* Sweetcorn (to finish packet off) 40* Dwarf French Beans 30* Russian Giant Sunflowers and a tray of Nasturtiums sown.
Sun 10th May:
6 Broccolli seedlings potted on;
Trays of seeds sown: Chantennay Carrots Penstemom Calendula
Seedlings planted out into the ground: Radish Mixed Salad Little Gem (Bed E) and Mixed Oriental Mustards (Bed C1) - to replace those eaten (by slugs/snails not us!).
Mon 11th May:
More sowings: 12 Physalis from an old packet Spinach Spinach Beet Sweet Peas
Weds 13th May:
And even more sowings: Mixed Salad Little Gem Mixed Oriental Mustards Beetroot (Choggia)
Thur 7th May:
12 Savoy Cabbages seedlings potted on;
100 * Rhondo Peas 10* Sweetcorn (to finish packet off) 40* Dwarf French Beans 30* Russian Giant Sunflowers and a tray of Nasturtiums sown.
Sun 10th May:
6 Broccolli seedlings potted on;
Trays of seeds sown: Chantennay Carrots Penstemom Calendula
Seedlings planted out into the ground: Radish Mixed Salad Little Gem (Bed E) and Mixed Oriental Mustards (Bed C1) - to replace those eaten (by slugs/snails not us!).
Mon 11th May:
More sowings: 12 Physalis from an old packet Spinach Spinach Beet Sweet Peas
Weds 13th May:
And even more sowings: Mixed Salad Little Gem Mixed Oriental Mustards Beetroot (Choggia)
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