26 Nov - Lovely Autumn Day

Not too much happening on the plot - no surprise given the growing season I've had coupled with the time of year.

All of a sudden, virtually overnight, the leaves have dropped from many of the trees and Autumn gold is turning to bronze on those leaves which have managed to cling on for a few more weeks . 

I've had a bit more of a tidy up and the remaining spent beds cleared of crops and weeds. They've been covered for the Winter. Only one bed remains now, it contains some stunted sprout plants, useless for me but will be hen food in Winter, parsnips and a few January King cabbages.

That's it for November and probably the season too. See you next year. Bye.

13 Sep - Friday The 13th !!

It's Friday 13th, not that I'm too worried about having bad luck today because, as you know if you have read my previous posts, this year has been unlucky throughout. Anyway, I've continued to tidy up the plot. 

I've had a weed around the brassicas, not much there to be honest apart from a few Winter cabbages (January King). I'm keeping the stunted and under-developed sprouts in the ground because the leaves will provide some much needed greenery for the hens in January and February when the grass is gone. Chicken food is all they are fit for.

I've finally admitted to myself that the squashes have had it, apart from a few small butternuts, the crop didn't materialize this season so I've cleared the beds, dug them over and covered them with my plastic covers. Out of sight, out of mind. The same goes for the potato bed, all finished so dug over and covered until next year.

That's it really, so bye for now.

24 Aug - Already Wrapping This Season Up!

As I said in my last post, I've had a bad season. It's usual to have the odd failure, pests, disease, weather, bad luck, etc, can all hit a particular crop and cause a failure - it happens. Unfortunately I've had a number of different problems hit my allotment and the results have been the worst year for growing veg I've had in a dozen years on the plot. It's truly been an allotment annus horribilis.

I was right about the Picasso main crop spuds (see my last post) they dwindled away to nothing and there was very little in the ground underneath them. The squash plants remained small, undeveloped and fruitless despite the weather getting hotter - they just didn't get off to a good start after being planted out and never recovered.

I'm not going to have a rant about Shirley F1 tomatoes this month; I know people swear by them but they've been pretty useless for me on two occasions now. Sorry, they're over priced, unreliable and not worth the effort, I'm going back to cheap and cheerful next season, give me simple Alicante, Roma, Gardner's Delight or Alisa Craig any day.

My Sturon onions have done well though, even despite some very dry weather throughout July and August. I have had to water them and they aren't the biggest I've ever grown but they're respectable. 

My Firestorm runner beans were doing well until some freak high winds the other night snapped and demolished the supporting canes - oh dear, more disaster! Still, at least we managed to eat a good number of them. I've had lettuce from the plot, the carrots in the barrel look good and the parsnips look healthy so that's something.

I'm already clearing the plot in places, there's a few early spuds to come up and the whole potato bed can be cleared of any remaining weeds and leveled out with a rake. It's already pretty well dug over. I've removed the broken runner beans and canes this week and weeded the area. The squash bed has been an utter disaster, what a disappointment this year, never mind, I'll try again next season.

Well, I'm winding down already, a bit of an anti climax. Usually the plot would be busy into late September and early October with squashes galore but not this year. 

That's it. I'll post next month if there is anything to say! Bye for now.

26 Jul - It's An Annus Horribilis!!

Well, things aren't going great, I'll admit it. Let's go for the successes first. Runner beans have developed well, the onions likewise, we are still eating my Rocket early potatoes, there's a load of broad beans in the freezer and the tree is full of ripening plums.

Now to the bad news and this season there appears to be a lot of it. The Picasso main crop potatoes look pathetic, the plants are small and I doubt very much if there's anything worthwhile underneath them. The brassicas are awful - I said last month that I had given some spare sprout plants to my allotment neighbour and his Brussels were twice the size of mine, well, his have all keeled over and died. Closer inspection has shown root fly at the base. Both my summer cabbage and sprouts are stunted, no doubt due to a lack of root development despite rubber disks at the base of the stems.

The most tragic for me are the Winter squashes which usually provide lovely food well into the new year. Not this time. None of the squashes have flowered at all, not even the courgettes which usually produce so well that they are a plague by the end of the Summer! 

I'm not sure about the Picasso spuds, maybe they just aren't suited to my clay soil but more likely it's because the weather has been dry and they have suffered. The brassicas have been hit by root fly, I'm certain of that so I'll have to have a think about how to combat that next season.

The squash failure is curious but I think I know why they haven't done well for me this year. I planted them out in early June as usual but unfortunately the weather became relatively overcast and cool for a few weeks. Squashes really don't like that and cooler temperatures just after planting really interrupt their development cycle. I'll leave them in the ground but I know from past experience that signs of fruiting should be appearing by now if there's going to be a decent crop.

Anyway, I'll sign off with a picture of a more fruitful squash crop from a previous season just to remind myself that I'm not a total idiot! Bye for now. 

22 Jun - Early Spuds & A General Round-Up

The Rocket early potatoes have not disappointed; I've been digging lovely sized spuds since the very beginning of the month. Good ol' Rocket, they've come up trumps once again. This shows that my easy plant method is quite suitable for potatoes. Saying that, the Picasso main crop I'm trying for the first time this year, look a little 'weak'. There's still plenty of time for the spuds to develop and, after all, it's what is going on underground that's important. Fingers crossed.

The final bed this year has been dug over and the Winter squashes planted out, Butternut Hunter F1, Big Max pumpkin and some generic courgette, possibly Black Beauty. I've planted all the squashes in the usual way; i.e, planting an upside-down plastic bottle with the bottom cut off next to the plant to act as a funnel for watering and feeding. It looks silly at first but when the plants go haywire it's difficult to see the bottles let alone where the stems go into the earth.

I'm not sure if my precautions against brassica root fly have failed but both the sprouts and Summer cabbage look like they are struggling a little. It appears they just haven't 'grown away' since being planted out. I'll give them a bit of a feed and will hope for the best. What's galling is that I gave some spare Brussels Sprout plants to my allotment neighbour and his are double the size of mine - there's something up on my plot and it isn't good!

The onions are doing OK and are beginning to swell; the broad beans are romping away too. A word on broad beans - I'm not a fan of insecticide but I do use it on the broad beans at a very specific time. Just before the flowers come out I spray the tips for black-fly which is a real pest on broad beans at this time of year. Spraying later hurts the bees which love the flowers and isn't good at all - likewise spraying earlier doesn't catch enough of the black-fly to be effective. Any infestations after flowering can be dealt with simply by nipping out the affected area, usually the growing tips.

That's it for me. Bye for now.

31 May - Beans & Squash

At the end of last month I sowed runner beans, Firestorm, into long root trainers in the greenhouse. They develop so rapidly that sowing them too soon when it's still cold outside will leave you with large plants running out of nutrients and past their best. The end of April to early May seems right for runner beans; they are ready to go out the in late May.

Meanwhile their more hardy cousins, the broad beans, are getting away well in the plot; so too are the onions which are all sprouting green shoots. I've set out the frame and nets for the brassicas and have planted out Summer cabbage Primo II and the sprouts, Bosworth F1. Recently I've noticed that root fly seems to be a problem on the site with a number of site holders seeing their bassicas collapse and come to nothing. To help with this I'm putting rubber disks around the plants to provide some protection from the root fly.

Things are generally moving along, I've put out some lettuce in the plot, Little Gem and Lollo Rossa; I've sown a line of Bolthardy beetroot directly and have noticed that the parsnips, Gladiator F1, I sowed last month are finally germinating (I forgot to mention these in April). I've also sown a few rows of Resistafly carrot along with some Sweet Candle carrots in a barrel.

Earlier this month I sowed my usual Hunter F1 Butternut, Courgette and a couple of pumpkins for Halloween, Big Max. They have grown on well in the greenhouse and will be ready to go out next month. Just like the runner beans, sow too early and you end up with large plants, getting past their best stuck in the greenhouse but it's too cold for them outside.

That's it from me. Bye for now.

13 Apr - A Busy Month

First my Sturon onion sets were planted early in the month; I usually try and get them out the same time as the early spuds but a few weeks late isn't going to be a problem. Usual planting strategy, make sure the soil is finely tilled with a bit of fertilizer raked in. Simply push the onion sets into the earth (root plate down) a couple of inches apart so the stem is showing above the soil. Simple really. Check regularly until rooted as the birds often pull them up by the stems, probably thinking they are worms. Just push any uprooted onions back into their spot.

My main crop potatoes have been planted, I'm trying Picasso this year. Just a few rows to see how they go. The best main crop I've ever grown are Sarpo Mira but unfortunately I can't get them locally and my downsized plot doesn't justify postage costs for such a small amount.

I've sown in long root trainers and subsequently planted out some broad beans, Bunyards Exhibition. They always do well though watch out for black fly just before the flowers appear. They will need support as they grow.

I've transplanted the Bulls Horns peppers into their own pots to grow on in the greenhouse. Peppers are quite slow growing so I start them off early in the year inside a heated propagator. The Shirley F1 tomatoes (see my complaints about them in my last post) seem to look a bit poor, ho hum. Bosworth sprouts and Primo cabbage have been thinned to one per cell and are developing well in the greenhouse.

That's it for now. Bye.

04 Apr - Dusting Of Snow

Typical, just after I've put my early spuds in the ground we have snow! Still, I don't expect it to last and the spuds are safely underground and I've popped the covers back on. Just a couple of pics.

Bye for now.

25 Mar - Early Potatoes

I'm sticking my usual Rocket early potatoes into the plot. I like Rocket, they're cheap, easy to grow and very reliable. Plant them them now and I'll be eating them the first week of June, regular as clockwork.

These days my back doesn't want to go through the whole trench digging routine, anyway, it's not required. My method involves far less earth moving. I use a string line to help me get a straight(ish) row (or a plank can act as guide if you are using one to stand on), I then set the spuds out about a foot apart on the line (12" earlies, 18" for main crop). 

Remove the string guide line. I move the first spud in the row out of the way, usually towards me but keeping it in line with its original position and dig a hole adding a little fertilizer into the hole and around the spud next in line on the surface. Pop the moved spud into the hole and move the next one out of the way. Dig the hole for the next one, using the earth you dig, along with the fertilizer you just sprinkled on it, to fill the previous hole. That way you shovel a lot less earth and you ensure a little fertilizer is all through the earth above the spud, not just around it. Continue down the row until all the spuds are planted. You can wait until the shoots start to show or earth up after planting.

That's it from me. Bye.

15 Mar - Potatoes and Brassicas

The weather has been good these past few weeks and this has allowed me to get on with preparing the allotment for the upcoming season. I've pulled the covers off the bed intended for the potatoes, let it dry out for a few days then gave it a quick go with the tiller.

Meanwhile in the greenhouse I sowed my usual Bosworth F1 Brussels Sprouts which are usually able stand well into the Spring of the following year without 'blowing' open. I also sowed some Summer cabbage, Primo II (aka Golden Acre) - I'm only doing a hand full as I find that in the height of summer we don't tend to have heavy cooked meals that require cabbage.

I transplanted the Shirley F1 tomatoes into separate pots now that the true leaves have appeared. This is the second time I've tried this variety, a variety that many say is one of the best; I was disappointed the first time and I'm disappointed this time around. Once again the very expensive and meager amount of seeds (less than a dozen) germinated poorly and those that have appeared have grown slowly compared to my usual cheap varieties. Shirley F1 tomatoes - never again!

That's it for now. Bye.

06 Feb - Sowing Seed

The month (1st) started off with a decent flurry of snow which covered the allotment. Fortunately it only lasted a day or two and it soon melted away. This Winter hasn't seen much really cold weather, last Winter saw three good falls of snow and much lower temperatures.

Today (6th) I was in the greenhouse sowing the first seeds of the season. I had a free packet of Shirley F1 tomatoes so I'm giving them a go instead of my usual Alicante. I'm also sowing Bulls Horns sweet peppers and some Musselburgh leeks.

The pots were placed in a heated propagator to get going and they'll remain on a windowsill in the house until warmer weather appears - it's too cold in an unheated greenhouse at the moment.

That's it for now - bye. 

12 Jan - Seed List For 2019

It's the beginning of 2019 and my thoughts are already turning to plans for the growing season on the allotment. January always seems a bit premature but it isn't really because seed potatoes, onion sets, garlic bulbs as well as a myriad of seed packets will be appearing in the shops as soon as the Christmas left-overs have been cleared from the shelves.

I tend to shop online and in my local Wilko store; my preferred seed varieties are purchases via a company on eBay that stocks virtually everything I want and Wilko are cheap for more bulky items like Early potatoes and onion sets.

I've been in a bit of a quandary about Maincrop spuds this year. I normally order Sarpo Mira as they are pretty blight resistant, produce a good crop of tubers and stand well into late September/early October whatever the weather. However, price is a factor here as I can't get them locally so I have to order them from major suppliers (not cheap) and pay hefty postage rates. This was worth it when I had a larger plot and were planting loads, now, it seems less cost effective.

I've been checking out RHS spud trials and the variety Picasso has an AGM award for producing good sized tubers and disease resistance. This, in conjunction with Wilko selling them in 2kg packs this year for £2.50, makes me want to give them a go this season. If I cant get Picasso at either of my local stores, though they are listed on their website, then I'll rethink my choice.

I usually grow cheap Alicante tomatoes but I've been given a packet of Shirley F1; people swear by these and won't grow anything else but I tried them a few years ago and had terrible germination rates, also £3 for 10 seeds make them a poor choice compared to great crops from my usual Alicante at 99p for a few hundred seeds. So, I'll give Shirley F1 a go though I will sow a few Alicante as back-up!

I tried Corno Di Rosa Toro (Red Bull's Horns) sweet peppers last year (instead of my usual California Wonder) and they were great so I'm going with them again this season. The Bosworth F1 Brussels Sprouts have done well for me over the years and they are so reliable (even in the drought), don't blow and are available from October to March so I won't grow anything else. I've grown Tundra F1 Winter cabbages for the past few seasons and they have been good but I'm going for January King just for a change.

Proposed Seed List 2019

Leeks - Musselburgh (awful in 2018 due to drought)
Tomatoes - Shirley (as I've a free packet)
Bell Peppers - Corno Di Rosa Toro
Broad Beans - Bunyards Exhibition (drought hit in 2018)
French Bean (Climbing) - Cobra
Runner Bean - Firestorm
Garlic (Spring planting) - (whatever soft-neck I find locally)
Lettuce - Lollo / Little Gem
Mixed Leaves - Mesclun Mix
Radish - French Breakfast
Salad Onion - White Lisbon
Brussel Sprouts - Bosworth F1
Cabbage - Summer - Pimo II
Cabbage - Winter - January King
Kale - Curly Dwarf / Tuscan
Potatoes - First Early Rocket
Potatoes - Maincrop Sarpo Mira or Picasso
Onion Sets - Sturon
Parsnip - Gladiator F1
Carrots - Sweet Candle & Resistafly F1
Beetroot - Boltardy
Courgette - Defender
Pumpkin - Big Max
Butternut Squash - Hunter F1 (I've a few Crown Prince I'll sow too)
Sweetcorn - Incredible F1

That's it for now. Bye.