26 Dec - Review Of The Year

It's that time again when I take a quick look back at the year and review what went well and what didn't. Well, there was quite a few 'didn'ts' in 2018 largely due to the drought we had that stretched from the middle of June to the end of August.

I'll bang through my proposed growing list for 2018 as published on Dec 06 2017. The Musselburgh leeks failed as they were transplanted just as the drought started and they really didn't get underway. The Alicante tomatoes did well in the greenhouse and produced well into the late Autumn. Also the Corno di Toro Roso sweet peppers were lovely, this is the first time I grew these and will be doing so again. I did have to move them from the greenhouse to the open air as it was too hot for them, though it was an usually hot year.

Broad beans died because of the drought just as they were developing pods; the French and Runner beans were OK but they didn't last into the Autumn and went 'over' rather quickly - again I think the lack of water took its toll. The garlic started well but died in the space of a fortnight and the Sturon onion sets remained small and were finished a month early.

Salad crops were OK, plenty of lettuce and mixed leaves though they eventually went to seed due to the heat. Salad onions failed along with the radish that largely bolted. As for the brassicas, they were more resilient than I thought: the Summer Primo II cabbages produced well and the Winter Cabbages Tundra F1 are looking tatty but are still edible as I write. (I'll probably sow these a month later in May next year). The Brussels sprouts, Bosworth F1 have developed well and have produced a decent crop despite an attack of white fly and the pigeons picking at the tops again. I didn't sow Kale as planned due to lack of room.

Potatoes - the earlies, Rocket, were ready before the drought hit in June so were as expected. The main crop Sarpo Mira never developed the large plants above ground that they normally do, they looked small and stunted well into the Autumn and I lost a few plants too. I was therefore surprised to get some nice spuds from those that survived. I had some decent sweetcorn but quite a few went unpicked and ended up as chicken treats.

As for the other root crops, the Gladiator F1 parsnips failed to germinate, not a single seedling appeared despite sowing a good pinch per position; I've never had this before. A major success were the carrots especially the Resistafly which produced loads of decent sized carrots over the season despite me totally over-sowing them; these have become my new carrot of choice for planting directly in the plot. The Sweet Candle carrots in the barrel are still there and I've been pulling the odd one through the Autumn and Winter. The Bolthardy beetroot grew and developed through the season as if it was a normal Summer and seemed unaffected by the dry weather; it's pickled in jars and is being eaten over this Christmas period.

The courgettes did OK, plenty on them but they died off a bit sooner than usual. A decent pumpkin developed too though I was worried for a while! The largest success in 2018 has to be the Winter squash, namely the Hunter F1 butternut. The butternut enjoyed the heat and I watered them regularly through my funnel system, (I always bury a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off upside down next to the squash when I first plant them out - this funnel ensures that the water and liquid feed get straight to the roots). 

Over all, 2018 was a forgettable year on the allotment mainly due to the drought and I'm still getting to grips with a much smaller allotment after giving up the other half. There's still some decisions to be made on the best things to grow in a smaller plot. Anyway, that's 2018 done and dusted, we've had cold weather and snow early in the season then baking sun and drought through the Summer. Let's hope 2019 is better.

Bye for now.

30 Nov - All Quiet On The Plot

November has been a quiet month for me this year. Last year I had parsnips, cabbage, leeks, sprouts, carrots and kale in the plot with potatoes in sacks, large onions in string bags and squash on the shelves. 

This year, due to downsizing and the drought things are different; I still have sprouts and cabbage with a few small onions in bags, large carrots still in their barrel and quite a few large butternut left. We have just finished the last of the potatoes but there are no parsnips because of bad germination, the leeks got hit by hot weather and I didn't plant kale.

The Cream Crested Legbar chickens are in moult at the moment so no eggs. I've been working out their ages and I've now had them three years, around this time in 2015 at point of lay so I can add another five months to that. I expect a few more eggs after this moult and maybe a few in the Spring but they are coming up to laying retirement. If I want eggs then I need a couple of new hens for 2019.

Well, that's it for November, not a lot happening at the plot. Next stop December! Bye for now.

31 Oct - Pumpkin Carving & First Sprouts

On Sunday (28th) I picked my first handful of my Bosworth F1 Brussels Sprouts. Despite the hot, dry Summer the sprouts are looking pretty good though they have a touch of white fly. I'm usually able to start picking toward te end of October and this year is no exception. Bosworth F1 always so really well for me, they start relatively early and will stand all the way until March with minimal 'blowing'. Highly recommended.

Well, the pumpkin that I didn't think would form this year, finally achieved its purpose on Halloween. It was carved, as usual, by my wife.

Loads of children knocked the door this year 'Trick or Treating' and there were quite a few positive comments about Mr Pumpkin. That's it for October, I'll end this post with a final shot of my Halloween pumpkin. Bye.

24 Oct - Clearing The Plot For Winter & First Frost

I've had a bit of time to put my back into the allotment this week so on Monday (22nd) I took the bean poles down and began to weed the area. I think I let things go a bit far in terms of weeds this year; I usually hoe when required and then stick the petrol tiller over but this year I had to dig over the plot with a fork to get all the nasties out before using the tiller.

Virtually everything on the plot is done now except a few small leeks, carrots in a barrel and the Winter brassicas. The Resistafly carrots have done well and I've stored a load of them to eat over the next few weeks; what remains of the sweet corn cobs are in the shed for the chickens as a treat.

I was surprised to see that I actually had some main crop Sarpo Mira potatoes despite the plants looking small this year due to the conditions. Still, there were some lovely big spuds and I've a few in store for the next month or two. With the ground cleared it was more weeding and rough digging on the Tuesday (23rd). I managed to get things sorted to my satisfaction by the end of the day.

Yesterday (24th), with a few aches and pains I trundled to the allotment for the last part of the clearing process. Everything had been weeded and forked over so I decided to break out the little petrol tiller and give it one blast over. By the time I had finished it looked in good enough condition to go through the Winter even if my back wasn't!

After lunch I started covering the plot with my plastic covers. Some people say you have to leave the soil break down in the Winter frosts; I disagree, my tiller does the breaking down and the covers stops the compaction of my clay soils in the Winter rains. They also ensure that any weeds don't get light for five months. Come Spring, I can take the covers off, give it a once over and I'm good to go. It works for me.

Finally for this post; I went to feed the hens this morning and the thermometer was reading 2 degrees at dawn and there was frost on the roofs of sheds and houses alike and patches in the grass and undergrowth. Brrrr ...

That's it for now, I expect I'll post my usual picture of the pumpkin carved by my wife on Halloween, until then, bye.

29 Sep - Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Harvested

It's been quite cold in the mornings these past few days and the large leaves on the squashes have shrivelled up quickly. The squashes still on the vines won't be getting anymore nourishment so I thought I'd best get them picked.

The pumpkin set quite late on, around a week into August. Nevertheless it has done well in seven weeks weighing in at 15lb and is a good size for carving in October. The butternut have loved the hot Summer, I actually brought one down to the house and measured it - 9.5 inches long (24 cm).

The harvest has been excellent for the butternut, they are large and well formed. There's the odd runt; the first few that developed earlier in the season stayed relatively small with others on the same plant going on to get much bigger. I also did my best to pick off any that formed too late as they wouldn't have chance to develop - there's no point in letting a plant use up energy on hopeless cases.

I've also taken the nets of the brassicas now, the Cabbage White threat is over and the plants are large enough to cope with the odd peck from a pigeon. I cleaned up and weeded around the area and then moved on to clear the butternut bed. The plants were put in the compost bin and the ground given a rough dig then broken down further with the petrol tiller.

That's it for now. Bye.

18 Sep - Peppers, Pumpkin & Beetroot.

One thing I haven't talked about so far are the Corno di toro rosso red peppers I sowed for the first time this year. Well, they've been absolutely fantastic. I originally had them all in the greenhouse but it was simply too hot, luckily all but one were in pots so I moved them outside and they flourished. This variety has turned out to be large, tasty and very sweet - really lovely peppers which I will definitely be sowing again next year.

The Cobra French beans are done now and the runner beans seem to be fading quickly this year too. I've a fair few meals from them but not as many as previous years and there's none in the freezer - clearly the weather has taken its toll on the beans this season.

As usual, I've picked all the beetroot in one go so I can pickle them. The beets have done pretty well being as I hardly bothered with them since planting them out a the end of May. They survived the drought, insects and other issues and have just plodded on unconcerned and uninterrupted. After a quick clean, they were taken home, boiled, peeled, chopped and placed in pickling vinegar. I had more than enough for two large jars.

Finally it's pumpkin update. All is going well and the late developer is really motoring along, I'm well pleased.

That's it for now. Bye.

24 Aug - Drought Finally Ends

Yes, there's been rain. Not loads of it but enough to give the allotment a decent watering. More good news, the pumpkin that formed earlier in the month has grown rapidly and I'm now confident it will be a decent size. Phew, back in July I thought that I was going to be pumpkinless!

The butternuts continue growing well and the brassicas have come through the heat without too much of a problem with the Brussels sprouts and Tundra F1 Winter cabbage still standing. I've had a couple of the Summer Primo cabbages already.

I think along with the broad beans, the leeks are basically a write off with the main crop potatoes still in the balance. The spuds are still alive but the plants are small. As normally happens, the salad crop is going to seed but the carrot crop is doing really well. I've been surprised by the Resistafly carrots, despite the weather and me over sowing them, they are developing nicely.

Well, September is just around the corner, see you then. Bye.

13 Aug - Onion Picking & The Drought Continues

The hot dry weather has continued and this has had differing effects on the allotment crops, some are doing well while others have given up the ghost. Let's start with one negative, the onions which I've taken up today as there were no green leaves on them - they had basically gone. What a pathetic crop too, no weight on the onions at all. I have a few left over from last year which are four times the size. Oh well.

On the positive side, the butternut are thriving and I'm in for a bumper crop if all goes well and, a pumpkin has finally developed! Actually. two formed but one survived which was probably for the best. Fingers crossed there will be a pumpkin for Halloween!

That's it for now. Bye.

19 Jul - Dry Weather Takes A Toll

Well, it's officially a drought situation with the hot dry weather continuing for over a month. Despite hand watering, the lack of rain has taken its toll on the allotment. Most of the plants are suffering except the Butternut squash which seem to be loving the heat.

Just as the broad beans were coming up to harvest point, they just withered away and died. Likewise, despite my optimism in the last post. the leeks have also suffered badly and are showing no real growth. The onions are dreadful and are looking like they are going 'over' a month before they usually do. They have no weight on them at all.

I'm not convinced that the main crop potatoes will have anything under them come Autumn though the sprouts and cabbage seem to be surviving with daily watering. On the pumpkin front, not a single female flower has been seen, all male. If one doesn't set in the next fortnight or so then there won't be enough time for a pumpkin to grow and ripen.

That's it for now. Bye.

29 Jun - End of Month Round Up

Wow, it's been hot! We've had about a fortnight now of dry sunny weather with no rain. Temperatures have been in the 27-30 degree range day after day. I've been watering the strawberries in pots every day along with the squashes.

Talking of the squashes, they have really enjoyed the hot weather and have come on in leaps and bounds since they were planted out at the start of the month. The pumpkin Big Max is flowering and I hope to get a fruit set in the next few days. 

Likewise, the butternuts are forming fruits and I'll have to keep an eye on them as I only want two per plant in an attempt to get larger squashes. The onions are ticking along nicely and the brassicas are too with the sprouts and Winter cabbage especially good. I've staked the sprouts now as they were bending toward the sun as they were growing. The carrots in the barrel, Sweet Candle, are really bushy and the row of Resistafly carrots are likewise growing well.

I started digging my early Rocket potatoes from the middle of the month, probably a week or so later than previous years due to a cold March and April which saw them get off to a slow start. The runner and French beans are already at the top of their bamboo canes and are flowering nicely. I look forward to some beans very soon.

The broad beans now have long pods on them and they will probably be harvested by the end of this month. I was a little worried about my leeks at the beginning of June because they looked awful and I thought I had lost the crop due to a few hot days just after planting. I'm glad to day that I only lost three or four and that the rest have revived. They need a bit of weeding but they're not as bad as I thought.

I've been cutting Little Gem and Lollo Rossa lettuce along with mixed leaves. The row of beetroot I planted out as plugs have grown so well that I will have to thin them out a little to get good sized beets. 

I've been picking strawberries from their pots and have already obtained larger pots for them to be transplanted into for next season. The rhubarb is an early variety and is now 'going over'. I didn't take any stalks this year as I wanted it to get settled in its new place after being transplanted. The Autumn Gold raspberries are doing really well in their pots next to the shed but the Summer fruiting version have not flourished in their new position - I think it's just been too dry for them there despite me chucking a load over water over them every so often.

No sign of the hot dry weather abating as I write. So, bye for now.

03 June - The Great Rail Fence Goes Up

The past few days have seen a change on the site. The Allotment Association deem a few inch drops between plots to be a hazard to health and safety so large rail fences have gone up to protect us. Never mind that proper paths are basically non-existent on many parts of the site, a few inch drops that no-one has ever fallen down, are of such importance that substantial fences have to be erected. Ho hum, it's a nice job but money could have been more usefully spent on paths.

Anyway, the Defender courgette plants have been planted out at the top of the last vacant bed and a Big Max pumpkin has been put in at the bottom. The gap in between has been taken up with eight Hunter F1 butternuts. That's basically all the planting done now.

The leeks I put out last month look terrible at the moment. I'm not sure why, perhaps it was the hot few days we had after they were planted out really effected them badly. I've certainly lost a few. I'll keep watering them to see how many can be saved.

More bad news for the parsnips, no germination at all. No parsnips this year I'm afraid. Lesson learned, new seed every year from now on! On the theme of bad news, the garlic has been poor, I've only got a few plants left and they don't look like much. Very disappointing given that I bought new bulbs this year - maybe a bad batch? It's unusual to have so many just come to nothing.

Well, on that sour note I'll leave it for this post. Bye for now.

28 May - Beans, Sweet Corn & Leeks

On the 19th May I set out my runner bean canes to let them settle in. I also gave my strawberries in pots a bit of a feed and began to thin out the Sweet Candle carrots in the barrel to around three strong plants per position - these will finally be thinned to one.

Yesterday, the 27th May, I planted out my French beans (Cobra) and my Runner beans (Firestorm) at the base of the canes. For each I dug a hole, back filled with rough compost from the bins and added a little fertiliser. I only have two rows of eight canes so planted two French beans to a cane on one row and a single runner bean plant per cane at the opposite row. The Cobra aren't as dense as the Firestorm so hopefully two beans to a cane won't be a problem.

Today, (28th) Bank Holiday Monday, I planted out my sweetcorn Incredible F1. There are three rows of five plants which will be plenty for the family and the odd treat for the hens. A line of beetroot (Boltardy) also went in next to by Resistafly carrots.

Finally today I set out my leeks, Musselburgh. As usual I removed them from their deep pot where they had been transplanted and teased them out into a bunch of strong plants, trimming any really long roots with scissors. I used a large, thick dibber to make a deep hole and the leek plant was simply dropped in with an inch or so of leaves showing above the surface. 

The holes are not back filled, I simply fill them with water using a watering can which washes enough soil over the leek roots at the base of the hole. A combination of the leeks growing and soil movement will soon fill the dibber holes. Also, the leeks need to go in deep because they need to blanche under the soil. The rows were covered with a cage of enviromesh because we now tend to suffer from leek-moth in S. Wales.

The maincrop potatoes have now been mounded up and a bit of hoeing done to clean the soil of the various weeds that have been springing up everywhere. The brassicas planted earlier this month have gone a lovely green and look really well. The broad beans are covered in flowers and I have supported the two rows with horizontal canes. There has been a touch of black fly on the tips so I have sprayed as a precaution. 

The only two things that haven't gone so well is the garlic which looks a little sparse despite having freshly bought in cloves this year and the parsnips which haven't germinated as yet. Parsnips do take a long time but it's been just over a month now, still I live in hope!

Unfortunately I placed my squashes outside to begin the hardening off process and the slugs destroyed a few of the butternuts. I've still got enough left for planting out in early June but it's a tad annoying. For the second time I've potted on the butternuts (Hunter F1) and courgettes (Defender F1) into larger pots. The pumpkin (Big Max) has also been put into a much larger pot as the brute was trying to escape; it too will be planted out in the next fortnight or so.

That's it for now. Bye.

10 May - Brassicas Planted Out

Well, what a lovely early May Bank Holiday, the temperatures were literally record breaking in some places. It was hot here in South Wales which allowed plenty of work to done on the allotment. The main job was the removal of the covers from the last bed. Apart from the odd left over potato sprouting underneath the black plastic, the soil was pretty good if some what moist. I left it for a day to dry a little then I blasted it with the Mantis tiller. I raked in some general purpose fertiliser and there it will now sit until early June when the squashes will be planted out.

The bed next door will be the Winter bed with leeks, some roots and brassicas. Here a row of the Resistafly carrots I sowed around the 24th April have germinated, their small narrow leaves are showing well. No sign of the Gladiator parsnips I barred in at the same time though. I've erected the frame and nets for my brassicas, leaving enough room between the frame and the carrots to get a row of beetroot in and a couple of rows of leeks.

I sowed the brassicas on the 15th March in a heated propagator and raised them in a cold greenhouse. The seedlings were potted on into small individual pots. They have been hardening off for a week outside before being moved to the allotment for planting out. I've put in eight Bosworth F1 Brussels sprouts, spaced out with at least 2 foot between them down the outside. Right down the middle are a row of Tundra F1 Winter cabbages and the gaps are filled in with half a dozen Primo II Summer cabbages. The idea is that the Summer cabbages will develop first and will be finished by the end of September leaving the much slower growing Winter cabbages and the larger sprout plants much more room to develop just when they need it. To avoid root fly I have used rubber collars where possible.

As for the rest, the early potatoes have been earthed up for a second time and are showing strongly through the top of the mounds. The broad beans have put on new growth and will require some support soon. The onions and garlic are well underway and along with the Resistafly carrots in the ground, the Sweet Candle carrots in the barrel have germinated well.

The row of Mesclun mix I sowed at the start of the month have appeared and next door I've planted out a few Lollo Rossa and Little Gem lettuces. There are signs that the main crop Sarpo Mira potatoes are showing but as I've changed the direction of the beds there is some overlap in position where last year's spuds were grown so, I'll wait until I see three clear rows before earthing up or I might be encouraging a 'stray' from last year.

Well, that's it for this first post of May. Bye for now. 

24 Apr - Sowing Squashes

The past two days I've been sowing more seed in the greenhouse; most of which are the Summer and Winter squashes. First I sowed the prolific Defender F1 courgettes; Defender are a green variety and I'm only growing these this season and not the yellow Atena. I'm hoping to get two good plants which will provide plenty of courgettes for a family.

Also sown in pots are pumpkin Big Max. These are basically ornamental as we aren't too keen on the taste; still, it's nice to have a home-grown pumpkin to carve for Halloween at the end of October. This has become a bit of a tradition for us.

I've also planted some Butternet Hunter F1. We have tried all sorts of squash over the years, Turks Turban and Crown Prince were good growers but for taste, Butternut seems to be the family favourite. So, given my reduced space, Butternut it is. 

Also in the greenhouse the tomatoes, Alicante, have been planted into their final positions with fresh soil from the allotment compost bins. A few plugs have been prepared with Beetroot seed, Boltardy, to grow on. I just want enough for a row for pickling for Christmas.

On the allotment I have taken the covers off the third bed (of four) and have given it a blast with the Mantis tiller. The bed was given granular fertiliser and was raked over flat. This will be the Winter bed this season, accommodating brassicas such as Winter cabbage Tundra F1, Bosworth Brussels sprouts, Musselburgh leeks, Gladiator F1 parsnips plus a few other bits and bobs like Primo II Summer cabbage and a row of carrots. The idea is to keep together all the crops that will stand into next Spring in one bed so I can totally cover up the other beds for the Winter; it's a pain if there's cabbage in one, leeks in another etc.

That's it for for April, see you in May. Bye.

23 Apr - Broad Beans, Spuds, Carrots & Parsnips

I prepared the carrot barrel at the start of the month by sawing the top third off and refreshing the sand/compost mixture. I took the opportunity to drill a few more holes in the bottom too as I found it wasn't draining properly last season. On the 14th I used an old yogurt pot to measure out some circles and sowed a pinch of Sweet Candle in the centre of each one. When these germinate I will thin to one plant per spot.

On the 18th I rolled back the rest of covers off the second bed, apart for a three foot section at one end where the runner beans will go next month. Again, the soil was pretty good having been tilled last Autumn before being covered. I did give it another blast with the tiller and a rake over. I planted out the Bunyard's Exhibition broad beans, just a couple of rows. The weather up until the weekend was sunny and warm, up to 22 degrees before dropping again to a more seasonal 12-14 degrees today.; the broad beans had a week of sunshine to settle in. At the other end, next to the garlic, I planted out a few cells of White Lisbon Spring Onions in a row. I prefer to start them off in plugs and put them out in small clumps which I can thin naturally as I pick them.

The main crop potatoes also went in on the 18th so both the earlies and main crop have filled the first bed. A third of the bed is made up of four rows of early Rocket while two thirds of the bed are given over to three rows of main crop Sarpo Mira. The earlies are beginning to show already having been planted last month though I do have concerns that things might have been too cold so I won't be surprised if there are a number of gaps in the lines this season. I haven't dug trenches, I just used a spade to dig a suitable hole and popped them in. Also, the ground is still flat, I'll ridge up when the potatoes start to show.

Today was a lot cooler that it was over the weekend. Nevertheless, I took the opportunity to get some seed sown. Having removed the covers from the third bed yesterday and tilled it over, it was time to sow some roots. I used my normal bar method to create a row of deep conical holes which I filled with sieved compost from the compost bin. I sowed a load of Gladiator F1 parsnip seeds at each position and will of course thin to one strong plant.

Next to the parsnips I created a 'V' shaped trench by wiggling a spade back and forth and again I filled it with sieved compost. I sowed a line of carrots on top. I have two types of carrots this year, my usual Sweet Candle large carrots in the barrel and, I'm trying for the first time Resistafly carrots in the ground. As my stony clay doesn't lend itself to good carrots the back-filled 'V' trench really helps.

Well, that's it for now. Bye.

08 Apr - Onions, Garlic & Brassicas

Last week, on the first of April Easter Sunday, I took the opportunity to plant out the Sturon onion sets. I put out a fair few rows but still had some left over. As we have used far less onions this year, still having a crate full, I'm not planting so many due to reduced space. 

Today (8th), next to the onions, I have planted out my garlic, I've been using my own grown cloves for the past few years but I decided to refresh my stock by buying some in this season. Again I've gone for Germidour. I set out two rows of cloves and I'm hoping to get around a dozen to germinate. I kept the bulbs in the fridge for a month to give them a blast of cold so hopefully they will grow and divide properly.

Things are kicking off in the greenhouse. I've transferred the peppers and the tomatoes there as things have warmed up a little and the plants need more light. The brassicas (sown 13th March), Primo II Summer Cabbage, Bosworth F1 Sprouts and Tundra F1 Winter Cabbage - have all have germinated well and will need potting on in a week or two. I also sowed Bunyard's Exhibition broad beans at the at the same time too. They have grown rapidly in cells so I'll be hardening these off outside over the next week along with the leeks.

The greenhouse has had a bit of a tidy up. I've sorted out the tomato bed by clearing the weeds, digging the bed and replacing the pot soil with a new mix of multi-purpose and compost from the allotment bins which has rotted down over the Winter. The canes were already wired in well so I left them. I'm only growing on six tomato plants this year so I will plant two sweet peppers as well as having a few in big pots.

 That's it for now. Bye