Time for a Chit

Bought this year's Onions sets and seed Potatoes from Gordon Riggs this week.

Went for International Kidney (aka Jersey Royals but not allowed to call them that as they have PDO status) for earlies as they always do fantastically well and am experimenting with Cara for maincrop. Never tried, or even heard of this variety before but supposedly have good disease resistance.
Plumped for Stutgarter onion sets again as they always store so well... remainder of last year's are still hanging in perfect condition from kitchen window. One bag of sets produces just about eactly 1 year's supply of onions... a tremendous return for 99p plus a few hours spent preparing ground, planting and the occasional bit of weeding. Cheaper and less time consuming than buying them.Will get the potatoes chitting as soon as I make room and then aim to get onions and earlies in ground by mid-March depending n weather, with the main crop going in at Easter as usual.

Must get round to planning this year's design and crops soon. Sadly, I suspect other commitments this year may mean the last couple of happy Spring's spent cycling to the allotment and sunbathing in cold easterlies - I mean working hard - may not be repeated.

Tod on the telly - Todmorden seems to be the current favourite with Country Tracks and My Dream Farm both screening this week - it seems that you daren't leave the house without checking for camera leads the past year... mainly down to the success of Incredible Edible Tod.

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.

End of Year...

Not a lot of action going on past couple of months, bit of tidying up, plenty of cropping brassicas and garlic has sprouted.
Seedlings not checked for a while but were still alive and hopefully dormant not dead!

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.