I had decided yesterday it was going to be too cold to go down to the allotment today ,however when i looked out this morning and saw the ground wasn't frozen and the sun shining i told my son callum to hurry up and get ready for the allotment.
We were well wrapped up but it didn't seem that cold with the sun warming us up ,it was only when the sun went in that we really felt the chill....
Todays task was to plant some shallots i didn't grow any last year but did the first year i took on the allotment ...i did miss them last year as i like using them in casseroles ..... anyway they are now in the ground :)
I quickly limed the area were my cabbages and cauliflowers are going to be it all helps with clubroot!!
We did manage to hoe around the strawberry plants too my plot looks almost weed free now :) ....not for long though I'm sure!!
Brought home the last 2 parsnips from my plot :( and a leek ....... it was a good morning and nice to see others there too ...can't wait to go down again soon :)
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Sunday 27th January 2013 after the bad weather finally able to get on my plot
I was very happy this morning when i looked out to see no more white stuff on the ground :)
I took callum with me to the allotment this afternoon i only planned to pick a cabbage and dig up some parsnips but we ended up doing more!!
I decided to dig up some leeks and the last 2 remaining savoy cabbages this left us with more ground to dig over , it was was good to finally be able to do something to the soil when i did go down just before christmas the ground had been frozen so we couldn't dig where the carrots had been and i was beginning to think it would have been a mad rush to get it done in time, the only bits left now are where the two cages stand
Also dug up some parsnips i think there are about 2 left ,i checked on the purple sprouting broccoli and found it was ready :) there are lots of side sprouts forming so looks like i'll be getting lots more to pick soon
I took callum with me to the allotment this afternoon i only planned to pick a cabbage and dig up some parsnips but we ended up doing more!!
I decided to dig up some leeks and the last 2 remaining savoy cabbages this left us with more ground to dig over , it was was good to finally be able to do something to the soil when i did go down just before christmas the ground had been frozen so we couldn't dig where the carrots had been and i was beginning to think it would have been a mad rush to get it done in time, the only bits left now are where the two cages stand
Also dug up some parsnips i think there are about 2 left ,i checked on the purple sprouting broccoli and found it was ready :) there are lots of side sprouts forming so looks like i'll be getting lots more to pick soon
Saturday, 26 January 2013
26/01/2013 pineberrys and sweet potatoes
Really need to get to my allotment i have some purple sprouting broccoli I'm sure must be ready to pick,all the snow and ice have prevented me going anywhere near it:( ..... i really cant wait it must be around 3-4 weeks since i last went down i even had to buy parsnips this week!!
I'm going to try and post my allotment comments from this blog this year,it's easier to look back on when im wondering when i planted things ,i will keep the pictures on facebook though and of course link the posts to facebook
Today i put my first and second early potatoes in to egg trays and started them off chitting ,I'm later this year!! they are now on top of my kitchen cupboards where it's cooler and light they do well up there :)
I mentioned last year that i was going to track down some pineberries that didn't cost the earth and 2 days ago i did just that ,so i'm waiting for delivery of 12 pineberry plants they are basically white strawberries that taste of pineapple ...i'm very excited to see how they do :)
Ive been ordering a few seeds this week too, not many though i have 3 quality street tins full of packets!! i haven't bought them all though most came free with the grow your own magazine i buy each month
In the next couple of weeks I'm hoping the big freeze doesn't return as i need to clean the greenhouse inside thoroughly with jeyes fluid before i sow this years seeds...... have to say I'm finding it difficult not to start sowing seeds!! but something I've learnt the past few years is ,it's better to wait until march with the better light conditions...... but i will be sowing flower seeds soon :)
One more thing i have started off the sweet potatoes they are in water ...im hoping they will grow slips that i can then plant on to the allotment many have tried this and it does work ....fingers crossed!!
I'm going to try and post my allotment comments from this blog this year,it's easier to look back on when im wondering when i planted things ,i will keep the pictures on facebook though and of course link the posts to facebook
Today i put my first and second early potatoes in to egg trays and started them off chitting ,I'm later this year!! they are now on top of my kitchen cupboards where it's cooler and light they do well up there :)
I mentioned last year that i was going to track down some pineberries that didn't cost the earth and 2 days ago i did just that ,so i'm waiting for delivery of 12 pineberry plants they are basically white strawberries that taste of pineapple ...i'm very excited to see how they do :)
Ive been ordering a few seeds this week too, not many though i have 3 quality street tins full of packets!! i haven't bought them all though most came free with the grow your own magazine i buy each month
In the next couple of weeks I'm hoping the big freeze doesn't return as i need to clean the greenhouse inside thoroughly with jeyes fluid before i sow this years seeds...... have to say I'm finding it difficult not to start sowing seeds!! but something I've learnt the past few years is ,it's better to wait until march with the better light conditions...... but i will be sowing flower seeds soon :)
One more thing i have started off the sweet potatoes they are in water ...im hoping they will grow slips that i can then plant on to the allotment many have tried this and it does work ....fingers crossed!!
Monday, 17 September 2012
17th September 2012
I thought i would do another post in this blog i have been neglecting it again :(
Ive just been reading last years September entry at the end of the month and apparently it was very hot!! i cant remember this
I did manage to get to the plot this morning as usual Mr mole had been busy *shakes fist* although i should be very grateful this time there were no crops ruined!!
Ive just been reading last years September entry at the end of the month and apparently it was very hot!! i cant remember this
I did manage to get to the plot this morning as usual Mr mole had been busy *shakes fist* although i should be very grateful this time there were no crops ruined!!
It was quite busy there this morning i think it was the sunshine. as usual lots of tiny weeds had appeared so it was out with the hoe I'm sure there is a weed fairy that sprinkles seeds and casts her wand overnight!!
I was emptying my bright pink wheelbarrow when another plot holder asked if i wanted some everlasting spring onions?? Ive never heard of them ,i was told they just keep on dividing all year long and are frost hardy too.
Here they are everlasting spring onions also known as welsh onions as i found out when i got home ,you just split them up to a small clump of around 4 and put them in the ground and they just grow and keep dividing :) they are frost tolerant to around minus 10
and this is how they look now they are in the ground ,the man who gave them to me had 4 rows he said he had far to many so was giving them away or on the compost heap they would go ,I had some with a salad you just peel back the brown skin and they are just like spring onions that separate and mild tasting too they last for years as they just keep on dividing, he said he pulls off what he needs and plants them back in ....fantastic :)
Saturday, 25 August 2012
25th August 2012
I haven't been keeping up to date with this blog!!! which wont be useful next year when i want to look back and compare growing .....
There are 2 things that have done badly this year at the allotment they are onions which bolted,split and then rotted and the first lot of beetroot that were attacked my flea beetle .
Next year i will sow the beetroot much later in the year as only a few weeks ago i started off some in the greenhouse then planted out ,they were picked today!! really big too I'm impressed.
All of the squashes......pumpkin,courgettes,and butternut squash are doing very well i did panic a few weeks ago because of the cold wet weather they were struggling but they are doing fantastic
The runner bean harvest is is full swing so every time i go there are lots to pick then i come home and spend ages chopping them for the freezer that way we can enjoy them all year round.
My potatoes did get blight but the second and first earlies were eaten and the were fine ..... the maincrops ,i ended up chopping the leaves and stems and now I'm gradually digging them up to store them fingers crossed they will be ok the red roosters have done really well I'm impressed ..... i have another 2 rows of others to dig up then that will be it for another year :)
There are 2 things that have done badly this year at the allotment they are onions which bolted,split and then rotted and the first lot of beetroot that were attacked my flea beetle .
Next year i will sow the beetroot much later in the year as only a few weeks ago i started off some in the greenhouse then planted out ,they were picked today!! really big too I'm impressed.
All of the squashes......pumpkin,courgettes,and butternut squash are doing very well i did panic a few weeks ago because of the cold wet weather they were struggling but they are doing fantastic
The runner bean harvest is is full swing so every time i go there are lots to pick then i come home and spend ages chopping them for the freezer that way we can enjoy them all year round.
My potatoes did get blight but the second and first earlies were eaten and the were fine ..... the maincrops ,i ended up chopping the leaves and stems and now I'm gradually digging them up to store them fingers crossed they will be ok the red roosters have done really well I'm impressed ..... i have another 2 rows of others to dig up then that will be it for another year :)
Thursday, 12 July 2012
12th July 2012
It's been a while since i wrote on here so thought I'd update with a few ramblings :)
Couldn't believe it this morning the sun was shining as predicted!! managed to get to the allotment for 9:30am.
The allotments aren't a typical allotment site it's more like veg gardens all are very well kept as is the site it's not very big but i like it there i always feel safe there are houses all around and a main road so you are always seen.
I did lots of weeding I'm sure it rains weeds there!! most of it by hand as the hoe hurts my dodgy back.
I have a small salad area with a few lettuce and radishes so after weeding that i sowed a few more seeds of both.
Next was to find out what was nibbling my turnip leaves, it was the same holes that were all over the beetroot leaves and eventually they stopped growing ,on close inspection i found what i was looking for the flea beetle, i thought it was them but haven't seen them until now, they jump like fleas horrid things .... gave them a spray and sowed a few more turnip seeds in the row, fingers crossed they leave them alone.
Pleased to say all squashes are now looking much better :) the round courgette and normal courgette are producing again and looking green rather than yellow.
The pumpkin has tiny flowers starting and has really started crawling along .. finally the butternut squash is looking much bushier I'm not sure it will produce the weather hasn't been warm enough for it but we'll see :)
My first french beans are growing and the runner beans have quite a few flowers on them now :) even the sweetcorn is starting to look well.
One of the other plot holders told me to go and pick as many raspberries as i wanted ,as he didn't want anymore i picked about a pound in weight and made some raspberry jam with the seeds removed tastes lovely :)
There might be more yet as he has told me to pick anymore i see :) I'm really lucky to have such nice plot neighbours .
I had a bit of an accident today :( after picking peas, courgettes,strawberries and digging up a few potatoes i was rushing around putting everything back in my shed all going well until i stepped in to the shed on to the rake and BANG!! ouch the handle hit me in the side of the head ...it really hurt ... but i did laugh afterwards hoping no one had seen it ,i have a nice trophy lump behind my ear now!!
Couldn't believe it this morning the sun was shining as predicted!! managed to get to the allotment for 9:30am.
The allotments aren't a typical allotment site it's more like veg gardens all are very well kept as is the site it's not very big but i like it there i always feel safe there are houses all around and a main road so you are always seen.
I did lots of weeding I'm sure it rains weeds there!! most of it by hand as the hoe hurts my dodgy back.
I have a small salad area with a few lettuce and radishes so after weeding that i sowed a few more seeds of both.
Next was to find out what was nibbling my turnip leaves, it was the same holes that were all over the beetroot leaves and eventually they stopped growing ,on close inspection i found what i was looking for the flea beetle, i thought it was them but haven't seen them until now, they jump like fleas horrid things .... gave them a spray and sowed a few more turnip seeds in the row, fingers crossed they leave them alone.
Pleased to say all squashes are now looking much better :) the round courgette and normal courgette are producing again and looking green rather than yellow.
The pumpkin has tiny flowers starting and has really started crawling along .. finally the butternut squash is looking much bushier I'm not sure it will produce the weather hasn't been warm enough for it but we'll see :)
My first french beans are growing and the runner beans have quite a few flowers on them now :) even the sweetcorn is starting to look well.
One of the other plot holders told me to go and pick as many raspberries as i wanted ,as he didn't want anymore i picked about a pound in weight and made some raspberry jam with the seeds removed tastes lovely :)
There might be more yet as he has told me to pick anymore i see :) I'm really lucky to have such nice plot neighbours .
I had a bit of an accident today :( after picking peas, courgettes,strawberries and digging up a few potatoes i was rushing around putting everything back in my shed all going well until i stepped in to the shed on to the rake and BANG!! ouch the handle hit me in the side of the head ...it really hurt ... but i did laugh afterwards hoping no one had seen it ,i have a nice trophy lump behind my ear now!!
Friday, 29 June 2012
29th June 2012
When i stepped out this morning i didnt really want to go to the allotment as it was so windy!! but went anyway had to finish off from what i was doing yesterday before the storm hit.
Planted my winter king cabbages and netted them not easy when the wind is blowing!!
Checked on my peas and some were ready so picked some and brought them home
These are greenshaft different from last years ,have to say im very impressed so far the pods are huge and some had 11 peas inside i have half a row of these and the other half and hurst greenshaft
It takes a while to check every pea before picking it i need a pea harvester lol
Next back to the strawberries picked another 2lb today and yet again there are still many more to pick!
then dug up some more new potatoes
Hoping to pop down again tomorrow morning to put another row of peas in a different variety that can be planted up to july .... there is a nice gaop for them now a row of first earlies have gone
Planted my winter king cabbages and netted them not easy when the wind is blowing!!
Checked on my peas and some were ready so picked some and brought them home
These are greenshaft different from last years ,have to say im very impressed so far the pods are huge and some had 11 peas inside i have half a row of these and the other half and hurst greenshaft
It takes a while to check every pea before picking it i need a pea harvester lol
Next back to the strawberries picked another 2lb today and yet again there are still many more to pick!
then dug up some more new potatoes
Hoping to pop down again tomorrow morning to put another row of peas in a different variety that can be planted up to july .... there is a nice gaop for them now a row of first earlies have gone
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