25 Mar - Early Potatoes Planted

There is no doubt that March 2018 has been cold. Not only did we have the second heavy snows of the season at the start of the month but, there was another dump of snow on the 18th of March! Luckily it didn't hang around too long. (Pic - 18th March and more snow).

On Saturday 24th there was sun at last; this gave me chance to get on the plot and do some long overdue jobs. The first was to clear the Winter brassicas from my old plot #10 to make room for new owners. There were a couple of kale plants and a few old Winter cabbages that got spread amongst the hens on the site. I also picked the best of the remaining Brussels sprouts and composted the rest - there's a few leeks left which I'll go through, moving and heeling in a few of the best and composting the remainder. (Pic - last of the Bosworth F1 Brussels sprouts - a bit tatty now but fine to eat).

The sprouts did well despite being attacked, for the first time, by pigeons in November. I had to net them for the Winter season and they went on to grow well. I've sown Bosworth F1 again this year, they can be picked from late October to the end of March and they stay tight without 'blowing' open. Highly recommended. (Pic - my former plot #10 cleared of Winter brassicas).

I decided to have a peep under the covers where my early potatoes are going to be planted. The plastic covers have done an excellent job; so despite the rain and snow over the past few months the ground looked workable. I rolled up the plastic, fired up the tiller and gave the ground a quick turnover though it really didn't need it for planting potatoes as it was brilliant. 

The clocks went forward today (25th) and once again the sun was out. Despite the forecast saying things might get a bit wet and cold this coming week, I decided to get my Rocket early spuds in. Like every year at this time, I will have to keep an eye out for the tender shoots and ensure that the soil is mounded up over them especially if a frost is forecast. As earlies require less planting distance I managed to get four rows of seven in a third of the bed - the rest of the space will be taken up with three rows of main crop in about three weeks time. (Pic - early potatoes go in 4 rows of 7 tubers).

I experimented last year with non-trenching, i.e just digging a hole and adding the tuber and a little fertiliser then back filling. (So much easier on my back!). To be honest, I didn't notice any difference in the harvest. I did this with my main crop spuds and not the earlies so I'll see if this method produces the same results for my Rocket. I haven't mounded over the top after planting this year either, I have decided to start earthing up when I see the shoots; to do it gradually and in stages.

The broad beans and brassicas I sowed in my last post have germinated. I've moved them from the heated propagator and have stuck them on the greenhouse. Again, I will have to watch the weather forecast for frost and protect them if needed. I've potted on my tomatoes and sweet peppers but as they are very tender, they are still on the windowsill in the house.

That's it really, I've finally taken advantage of a weather window to get some things done on the plot. Fingers crossed for some better weather! Bye for now.

13 Mar - Sowing Brassicas, Broad Beans & Spring Onions

With the first week of snow and ice, March has seemed pretty cold this year and there has been significant rain too. Finally, we've had a few signs of Spring over the past few days with daytime temperatures getting up to around 14 degrees. The forecast anticipates another dip in temperatures this weekend with possible frosts at night and two days of 4 degrees but, temperatures are set to rise again next week. We really need some dry, fine days so the soil can be prepared for the early potatoes and onions sets.

In anticipation of Spring arriving in the next week or two, I've been sowing brassicas. All sowings have gone into cells and will be put into a heated propagator. I've sown my cabbages, both Summer and Winter varieties. My Summer cabbages are Primo II (aka Golden Acre), they always heart up well into a large size. My Winter cabbages are Tundra F1, they are much slowing growing so need to be sown now so they are ready by the late Autumn and early Winter after the Summer cabbages have been harvested.

Time to think about Christmas! OK, not really but if you want Brussels Sprouts for your festive lunch then it's time to sow them this month. I've gone for Bosworth F1 again this year as they always produce loads of sprouts and don't 'blow' open. I recommend that you spend an extra few pence on F1 sprout seeds as they will give you better crop than the cheaper, old varieties. Remember to protect against pests by netting brassicas.

Broad beans have also been sown. This year, like last, I've gone for Bunyard's Exhibition; they produce a large crop of broad beans though they do require staking and tying as they grow. Once germinated they will grow rapidly so will have to be planted out relatively quickly. Broad beans are pretty good and they will grow well if planted direct into the plot, just pop two or three seeds at every station and thin down to one plant.

Finally today I've sown some Spring onions (White Lisbon) into small cells as well. Salad onions are supposed to be easy to grow direct but I've seldom got good results doing this so I sow a small pinch of seed into each cell and plant them out in clumps when they are ready.

Everything sown today has been placed into a heated propagator to start them off. Hopefully the temperatures will be high enough by the end of the month so the young plants can be transferred to an unheated greenhouse to grow on, (I always keep an eye on over-night temperatures until May just in case I have to cover them with fleece to protect against frost).

That's it for now, bye.

02 Mar - It's Spring! Er... Not Really

In your mind picture yellow daffodils nodding their heads on a warm breeze. The birds singing in the branches as they build their little nests and the grass bright with its first flush of green. Well, forget that, the first day of meteorological Spring 2018 looks like this ...

And this ...

And this ...

Needless to say that the allotment is on hold until warmer weather decides to invade South Wales. The seedlings I sowed in January and February are all huddled up on the windowsill in the house with leaves searching for the radiator rather than the sun! I've also ensured that my chitting potatoes are out of the freezing minus temperatures too. Here's an incongruous picture of one of my tomato plants in the window with snow in the background.

It's hard to believe that I might be planting out my onion sets and early potatoes in three weeks but it's highly probable that I will be. Once this cold blast of air has moved away from the UK temperatures should rise quickly and I won't be surprised if we see 10-12 degrees very soon. Fingers crossed that I can get out on the allotment by mid-March to really kick the season off.

Bye for now.