Hubby comes through

We are feeling ahead of the curve, or at least not behind it as is more usual. R has been the driving force and we have now planted two different onion sets, one red one yellow.  There must have been over 150 onions in each bag.  My back is a little on the complaining side. R planted some but I planted most of them. R thinks I plant them too close together but I try to work out a regular number for not too many rows.

As an experiment the two rows of yellow onions at the bottom of the allotment are planted according to each persons technique although I covered both rows. When I cover them it is just a sprinkling to help protect them from the birds.  Not sure it really works but I've never not done it. It's supposed to be sand but I have soil to hand!

Top Row : R slightly pushed in and about 8" apart

Bottom Row : G gently placed and closer maybe 4" apart

Is it Spring?

Finally the weather feels just a pinch warmer. R and I got our red onions in. Six rows in total, I tried to keep them shallow. We knelt on a plank when planting to try and keep the soil loose. Still the golden onions to plant, and finding a space for them as we used more than half that set aside for onions.

Red Onions : Red Baron

Earlier (Saturday) R got his mower out and mowed for the first time this year, also strimmed the edges while I weeded a rather desperate looking strawberry patch. The wet and snowy winter has left the plants almost non-existent in both areas. The original patch needs weeding further. The new patch with plants my mum gave me has lost 50% of the plants as far as I can see.

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Refurbished Shed (no window anymore)

From the shed - R mowing
 
 

2013 - Trying to get motivated

After last year I am finding it hard to be enthusiastic about the allotment. Enter R, who doesn't seem to have taken to heart last year's dismal results but has taken on the challenge of doing better this year. He has been up digging several times on his own when I just felt too tired. Now we have spent Easter weekend repairing the shed, painting it and planting the potatoes. Previously I had sown some parsnips, beetroot and carrots, not sure of varieties.

First Earlies : Pentland Javelin 39 tubers
Maincrop : Isle of Jura 33 tubers
Parsnips : White King 2 mini rows
Radish : Cherry Belle interspersed in parsnips
Beetroot : Boltardy. 1/2 mini row
Carrots : Long Surrey 1/2 mini row

When I take my camera to the allotment I will post pictures, the shed is very bright and cheerful.

I have just looked at someone else's blog with a recipe for Gooseberry tart, it sounded fantastic and I can't wait for my gooseberry bush to produce this year so I can try it. Whoever it was thank you.

After the season

I didn't find time to write or much time for the allotment. The season was ok but going away during the summer for any length of time is frustrating. The beans were OK but the french beans were interesting and definitely need to be grown away from each other. Cross pollination was an issue. I also think my pumpkins were cross pollinated as the resulting pumpkin from saved seed were not great tasting. I would liken them to marrows!

We had manure delivered and have dug it in to two areas and around the new blackcurrant bushes. I hope to spread some around my strawberries. I planted a new row of raspberries at the bottom, I hope they take as this year my two rows were not great. We grew some parsnips and celeriac(from B&Q) for winter, still to taste. Onions good, must try just drying on soil not bringing home.

Looking forward to next year.

After the rain!

We had some rain! Not much but .. it has been so unusually sunny - hot and dry in April!

We spent all of Sunday weeding the onions, digging and erecting the bean wigwams. I sowed the seeds directly into the soil and wished I had done it earlier as other peoples beans are now starting up their poles. Only two broad bean plants germinated which is pretty poor. I put a row of carrot seeds in the runner bean wigwam (12 seeds planted, 2 either side of each the first 3 pole pairs). The other poles have climbing French Beans []. Not sure why I bought these seeds so I hope they are tasty.

I weeded the parsnips, beetroot and sugar snaps at the bottom part of the allotment. Also might be some carrots too. The redcurrants and strawberries need netting to prevent the birds stealing the lot again.

April - Very dry

I planted the 144 onions[sturon] and the shallots[] on the 18th with the help of T doing some more of the digging. We only watered them on 24th, I hope they will be OK. We haven't had any rain for about six weeks. Before then I had started weeding the strawberry bed and on 24th it looked brilliant with the strawberries flowering and the plants looking very healthy. The seeds at the bottom of the plot are not doing too well. The radishes are ok but no parsnips to speak off and the carrots have disappeared and the beetroot look weedy. The peas are however doing well. The potatoes are coming through and I have earthed up the first earlies. This year I am going to earth them up in stages rather than earthing them up when I plant them. I hope this will increase the crop.

We have watered quite a lot for this time of year, seriously on the 24th.

2011 - So far

I have been quite busy, I started my digging in January. Having been so cold in December the ground was really satisfying to dig and Robert and I finished preparing the potato patch and I put the first two potato crops in by the start of March [Maris Bard and Cosmos]. The main crop [Valor] went in on the 26th March. Also sown is a row of Parsnips[] and Radishes[B&Q basics], 2 half rows of carrots[ and a half row of beetroot. Also at the back I have sown a half row of peas [Sugar Ann] agaist some netting threaded over some bamboo canes. I finished digging the top section for the onions and R made a fantastic repair to the tap at the top, laying a small 9 brick patio. At home I have leeks [Musselburgh], Broad Beans [Aquadulce Claudia]. and Beetroot[Boltardy] seeds coming up and Broccoli[Waltham], Tomato[Zuckertraube] and Peas[Sugar Ann] sown.