29 Aug - Sarpo Mira Potatoes

This year I've planted the 'blight resistant' Sarpo Mira potatoes for the the first time to see how they would perform. I've tried a few types of potatoes over the years, mainly King Edward, Desiree and Maris Piper - unfortunately though, they have always succumbed to blight early in the year. (Below - Sarpo Mira still growing well at the end of August / start of September).

When I started on my allotment in 2007 as a complete beginner I was confused by the books telling me to dig up my main crop potatoes in September when on my plot my potatoes (planted in April) would rarely make it past the end of July or the start of August. When I learned a bit more I realised that the dreaded potato blight ensured that the plants would't grow to their full potential.

To combat the smaller potato crop due to growth being curtailed by blight I decided to try Sarpo Mira, a NON-genetically modified potato, in the hope that it would last a few weeks longer so the tubers could put on a bit of weight. (Below - Sarpo Mira have benefited from an extra month growing). 

Well has it worked? The answer is a resounding 'yes'. While my neighbours' potatoes have wilted because of the blight, my Sarpo's are still pretty good. There is now evidence of blight on the some of the leaves but the plants don't seem to fully succumb with the majority of stalks still appearing dark green.

I dug a couple of tubers up today and was pleased with the size. Unfortunately, because I planted potatoes after the brassica rotation and the soil was limed, I have quite a bit of scab which I have always suffered from (next year I will alter the rotation sequence), still, the tubers have benefited from an extra month in the ground and are a good size. Sarpo Mira and the other Sarpo derivatives will now be my potato of choice for next season.  If you suffer from blight then put Sarpo's on your seed list for 2015. That's it, bye for now ...

21 Aug - First Crop Of Winter Squash

Since my last post (11 Aug) things have been relatively quiet on the plot. I've been picking runner beans, French beans, tomatoes, cucamelons, cabbage, sweet peppers and courgettes routinely, dodging the persistent showers that have been plaguing August so far.

I noticed yesterday that my Sweet Dumpling (and hybrids) Winter squash bed were already looking worse for wear. Powdery mildew had got a real grip on all the plants, probably due to the recent wet weather, and there were no further female flowers being produced. Luckily the plants has done well to date and there were a good number of squashes on the plants that were ripe. (Below powdery mildew on the leaves).

The mildew didn't seem to be affecting the butternut squashes, pumpkin and the other bed of Sweet Dumpling on the new patch though the courgettes have a fair dusting. I thought it better to pull up the affected Sweet Dumpling plants now as leaving the squashes on wet ground and the mildew to spread didn't seem to be a good option.

As I saved some seed from last year I got two types of Sweet Dumpling - those that remained true to the parent and those that were hybridised with a pumpkin - the hybrids I've named 'Sweet Pumplings' - though until eating I wasn't sure how they would taste as some hybrids can be bitter. The 'Sweet Pumplings' look like their small parents in colour but are about five times the size. (Pictured below - in the box are some small proper Sweet Dumplings with a few hybrids, while I'm holding one of the 'Sweet Pumplings' - they're whoppers).

We decided to do a bit of a taste test last night so one of the 'Sweet Pumplings' were cut up into segments and oven roasted with a bit of olive oil and seasoning - this is the way we normally have squash. The family gave them a try and ... the 'Sweet Pumplings' were fantastic, so sweet like the parent (thank goodness as we are not fussed on pumpkin flavour) but taking their size from the pumpkin, providing much more per squash.

I've completed a bit more digging on the new plot, I reckon I've got about a quarter of the bed left to turn over now. The one under the plastic is already dug. Unfortunately I've also got to dig over the areas vacated by some of the completed crops like the onions and some of the squashes. I'll get there in the end and should be able to get it all together by the Autumn.

My four rescued battery hens have settled in well and are producing three eggs a day, I suspect that either one isn't laying or they are taking it in turns to have a rest day - who knows? Anyway, they seem happy enough in their run, scratching around. There are also stubs of new feathers appearing on their bald patches so hopefully they will be fully 'clothed' before the winter sets in.

That's it for this post, see you next time ...

11 Aug - Heavy Rain, Plums, Pumpkins & Poultry

Wow, what a day it was yesterday (10th Aug). Apparently we caught the tail end of tropical storm 'Bertha' which has made it's way over the Atlantic. The winds didn't get as high as expected, thank goodness, as my bean poles were already swaying in what wind did arrive. Nevertheless, the rain was extremely heavy for a number of hours and the drainage problems that plagued the site last Winter re-appeared. Unfortunately the small river that regularly appears in heavy downpours runs across the new section of my plot and I might have to think about creating a channel for it to flow away.

The day before the rain arrived I started clearing the third bed on the new half of the plot, another 6 foot by 32 foot. Again, it was a process of removing all the rotten planks, laying out the bed boundaries with pegs and string then starting to dig. The good news is that a lot of this bed, at least half, had been covered for sometime so the weed and grass problem isn't as bad as the previous bed. Rain stopped play so I've covered it again and will plug away at it when the weather improves. Still, a start has been made.

On the new half of the plot I've inherited a plum tree which seems to be doing OK. When it's finished fruiting in a month or so I think I'll prune it back to stop it from getting too tall. Not sure what the plums will be like but as it's been planted on an allotment I'm hoping that they will good to eat or good enough to make wine from them.

I planted two pumpkin plants from saved seed in early June - the variety was supposed to be Jack O'Lantern. However, one plant has come 'true' to the parent but the other is a hybrid, probably crossed with a Sweet Dumpling that happened to be next door to it last year. The hybrid is producing a number of large squashes while the pumpkin seems to be intent on producing one large fruit. (Below - Jack O'Lantern pumpkin growing well - the bottom image is the smaller but more prolific hybrid cross).

Finally, the rescued hens have been on the plot for a week now and are settling in well. I'm getting at least two eggs a day, with the odd day seeing three laid. The hens have taken to scratching around in their enclosure and it's a pleasure to see them have the freedom to walk around. They are great fun, each with their own character - though I must say without feathers they are rather ugly (but don't tell them that). They've been named after characters in the BBC radio soap, The Archers - we have Clarrie, Lillian, Jennifer and Jolene. Yep, I know, that's what happens when you have a wife and kids ...

Bye for now'.

04 Aug - Poultry, Cucamelons & Primo II

August has started with a radical change to the plot, namely the arrival of four hens. My wife and I registered with the British Hen Welfare Trust a few weeks back and picked up our 'rescued' hens on Saturday 2nd August from a local collection point. The hens are ex-battery/barn and have probably never been outside before. They are bald in places and are generally unkempt; despite their poor start in life they are engaging, curious and are a pleasure to interact with. I've been assured that their appearance will improve over the coming months due to their improved living conditions. (Below - the hens step outside for the first time for a bit of free-ranging).

The first week of August has seen sunny intervals interspersed with heavy downpours so, as most of the onions have 'gone over', I decided to take them up to start the drying process. Last year I left a batch of them in the greenhouse - big mistake as they were ruined by too high temperatures. This year I'm drying them in the shed ensuring that things don't get too hot. These onions are Sturon grown from sets - (see 16th March 2014 post) - and provide good sized onions.

(Below - Sturon onions drying in August so they store throughout the Winter).

The squashes are still developing well though my saved seed from last year has resulted in an eclectic mix, some have come 'true' to their parent as expected but others are definitely hybrids. I've no idea how these crosses will taste but we'll find out in the Autumn. I'll post some pictures when I start storing them.

I've picked and eaten my first ever cucamelons. They are an interesting fruit providing a zesty cucumber/melon mouthful. I've grown these in the greenhouse but apparently they can go outside - I might try them on the plot next year.

My two notable failures this year are kohl rabi and sweetcorn. All the kohl rabi planted so far have initially grown well but then have been demolished by various pests including pigeons, slugs and even ants. The sweet corn looked great in their deep root trainers but they just didn't get away after planting; all of them are shorter than they ought to be and half of them are totally stunted. There are cobs on them and I might get some corn but the plants are very poor probably due to being transplanted as they don't like being moved around. Perhaps sow where they'll grow next year then?

I've just cut my first summer cabbages, Primo II (aka Golden Acre). They always perform well and heart up into heavy, dark green plants if the usual pests are kept at bay. The Winter cabbages, Ormskirk Savoy, I planted last month are coming on well and have put on good growth too. (Below - Primo II cabbages before cutting).

I'll end this little round-up from the start of August with a general picture of the plot. A gap has appeared now where the onions were but the rest still looks busy with the squashes and beans taking up loads of space. Bye for now.