04 Dec - Winter Cabbage & Moving Rhubarb

Well, it's December already. Where did the season go? As you would expect, everything looks done on the plot but, there are still a few things going on. Still in the plot are parsnips, leeks, kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. In store I have onions, squash, a couple of carrots and two sacks of potatoes while in the freezer is sweet corn, runner beans and broad beans (along with more carrot and parsnip).

A quick word on Winter cabbage. Last year I planted Tundra F1 but didn't have a good result. A quick look at the packet this year told me why. The varieties I've used in the past have required a seed sowing in early June and planting out in July. Tundra F1 are slower growing, they need sowing in March and planting out in April, basically the same time as Summer cabbage.

I followed the recommended sowing times this season and have had a much better result. The cabbages have grown over the warmer months and are standing well into the Winter. I've started taking the larger ones to allow the smaller ones more light and space. The outside leaves look a bit tatty but stripping them off has revealed a lovely Winter vegetable. I'll definitely be putting Tundra F1 on my seed shopping list for next season.

I've been waiting a few weeks for the rhubarb on plot #10 to finally die back so I can move the crown to plot #11 as part of my downsizing project. The last of the stalks had gone but I've had frozen ground; everything was just right on Saturday (2nd Dec) so I prepared the hole on plot #10 with some rough compost laced with poultry manure. 

The crown was pretty large so I gave it a good watering when in place. I had this particular crown a few years back from another plot so I'm not sure exactly what variety it is though I suspect it's probably 'Timperley Early' as it's usually well underway by mid-January. (Pic - my rhubarb is probably an early variety as it starts growing in January. The picture was taken on January 17th)).

That's it for this early December update. Bye for now.

25 Nov - Frost, Leeks, Sprouts & A 4lb Parsnip

October was mild but November has seen the first proper frosts of the season. As I have hens on the plot I get to see the allotment site all year around as I'm there at least twice a day. It's nice to see and record the seasons as they pass.

I've had to re-net the Brussels sprouts due to pigeon damage. This is the first year I've had to do this as usually the birds leave the brassicas alone and I can remove the nets after the threat of Cabbage White's has passed. Perhaps there's a new pigeon family in the area that likes sprout tops!? Anyway, the sprouts (Bosworth F1) are developing nicely and I've started taking them. I've found that this variety is relatively early and as they are F1, they stand throughout the Winter without 'blowing'.

The leeks (Musselburgh) seem to be doing well. I usually get leek moth these days but the enviromesh protection helps the problem and can be removed at the end of October. I've taken a few leeks already and they are developing into a good size.

Likewise, the experiment of planting carrots in a barrel has worked well with very little sign of carrot fly damage due to the height of the barrel; I believe the fly travels just a foot or so off the ground so a tall barrel keeps them away. I have a smaller barrel around somewhere so I think I'll plant that one up next year too. The carrots are Sweet Candle F1, a blunt ended variety that are one of the best carrot varieties around.

As we've had a frost now I decided to try a parsnip. Oh dear, it was massive! I barred the parsnips in, i.e, I made a conical hole with a metal bar about two foot deep and filled it with multipurpose compost. A few seeds were sown on top and were thinned to one plant per station. I tend to use the variety Gladiator F1. Anyway, I dug the parsnip and it's girth was very large. After trimming and cleaning I weighed it and it was an ounce off four pound! Ridiculous! (It took ten minutes to wrestle the beggar out of the ground!).

The plot has basically gone to sleep for the Winter but there's still a little going on, especially with the brassicas. The only thing left to do as part of moving everything to plot #11 from #10 is to dig up a rhubarb crown and move it, otherwise everything is done. I'll be just working on plot #11 from now on. (See here for the reasons I'm giving up part of my plot).

Well, that's it for this post, probably for November too. Bye for now.