2014

Not sure what happened to 2013 but it seems I didn't post anything, oh well here goes 2014.

We gave up plot 58 last year and just have plot 59 now, it was much easier to manage last year and hopefully, given a little time we will get the plot how we want it. The potatoes are all in, 1st earlies, rocket are in the raised bed, planted on the 20th of March, they are showing above the soil and I keep earthing them up because we have had some cold nights.

All the trees are covered in blossom so hopefully we will have a good fruit crop this year.

 

So far this year we have planted the potatoes, as well as the 1st earlies we have Winston 2nd earlies and 2 lots of main crop, Maris Piper and Golden Wonder.  I have sown 1 row of peas, variety Lincoln, planted some lettuce into the cold frame, iceberg and little gem, started off from seed at home, I have also planted out some beetroot seedlings and sown some seed direct.

2012

Well, what a wash out! The year got off to a reasonably good start, with march being very warm and sunny, but April was rain, rain and more rain! And so have the first 5 days of may, although today (6/5) has been dry with sunny spells. Due to the weather we haven't been able to do much on the plots in the last couple of weeks, went over today and made the 'maypole' for the runner beans, white lady, which are currently growing in pots in the greenhouse, along with the sweet corn, incredible. Notice my carrots in the small blue bed have germinated, they are early Nantes,I began to think they had been washed away! Covered the bed with debris netting. The broad Beans are just starting to push through too. Still picking purple sprouting broccoli, loads of rhubarb and picked the first proper picking asparagus of the year yesterday, it's been so slow this year due to the wet and cold weather.

2011

Well, haven't written for a while but it's all change down the allotments. We no longer have plot 61 and have taken on plot 58 so we now have 2 plots together and it is making things a lot easier.

Last week we put Thomas' pond in and added a small water lily to it, the water seems really cloudy but hopefully next year there will be some tap poles.

On Tuesday night there was a frost with the temperature getting down to 1.5 degrees, the runner beans were covered with fleece so they were fine but the potatoes and kiwi took a bit of a hit, the main crop seem to have been hit worse than the earlies, which is good, they will soon recover.

Removed the fleece from the runner beans today, half white lady and half scarlet emperor, all from seed saved last year.

Planted out 45 sweetcorn plants today, ovation.

Hot, hot, hot!

It has been far too hot this week to do much, i have been over each morning to water the squashes and pick strawberries, i picked 8 lb this morning, i had only taken 2 punnets with me so i ended up having to put them in a bucket! So far we have picked 16lb 6oz of strawberries since the 15th of June, they are charging £1.70 a lb at hill farm so thats about £27 worth.

everything seems to be growing well, we dug the first lot of potatoes on the 18th of June.

Picked the first tomato of the year yesterday, it is a garden pearl which id a tumbling variety.

Cold start to May

The first 2 weeks of may have been quite cold and this week we had some quite bad frosts which has taken it toll on the potatoes.

I have been told that they will recover, it just slows them down a bit and doesn't look very nice.

It doesn't seem to have affected the strawberries or any of the fruit trees though which is good, luckily I hadn't planted any beans or sweetcorn out yet.

Apple tree blossom


potatoes



first tomato



Not much happening at the moment, just trying to get the digging finished so things can be planted out soon. I did put some autumn spear brocolli and all year round cauliflowers into the covered raised bed this morning and some lettuce plants. I have been having trouble getting the butternut squashes to germinate but i put them in the heated propergator and they have finally started to come up. Sowed another tray of white lady runner beans as the last lot just rotted.