So much to do!

As we approach the end of April I feel that the allotment is on schedule but one decent rainfall and the weeds will take off. Over Easter R and I managed to get both sets of onions in the bottom patch of ground which was mostly covered in plastic for two years. The red onions [Hyred] are at the top and the golden variety[Stuttgarter Stanfield] are towards the shed. I may have planted them too deep, perhaps I should try to expose them {no mini trenches next year}. This week I planted the maincrop potatoes [xxxx], two rows of 10 and one shorter 7 as I have given up on the asparagus apart from one shoot which is battling on. Ialso sowed a short row of parsnips[White Gem], the same variety as last year - they were very successful but I must ensure that I thin effectively and weed relentlessly at the start. I usually intersow with radishes but forgot them until too late.

At home I have sown leeks [Musselburgh] and tomatoes [uckertraube] which have started sprouting on my window sill. The tomatoes are inspired by my success with "volunteer" tomatoes last year which provided delicious cherry tomatoes in September. Those seeds came from my vegetable home compost.

Now I need to get my squashes and beans started at home and start weeding between the strawberries and raspberries. Finally the remaining areas need digging. The Rhubarb is plentiful, using the composter to force the early rhubarb was really successful, it was superb.

First Earlies In

I planted my first row (17) of new potatoes [Homeguard] on the 8th and a further two rows(16 each)today -15th March. I have only slightly earthed them up this year so I must earth them up as they grow. One tuber got forgotten in the egg tray and, since it was heart shaped with two chits, I split it in two and planted them in two spots above the first row. The area I have planted them in had onions on the left and courgetttes/runner beans on the right. Last autumn I put some half rotted horse manure on the left hand side. (Also on the top section where the potatoes were in 2009.)

Now I need to sow my leeks and tomatoes at home and prepare the patch by the shed for the two types of onions.

Getting Started 2010

Two trips to the allotment this week. I dug over some of where my new potatoes will be going when I harvested some more Parsnips and Leeks. The leeks are a little small so this year I need to plant them earlier.

Today we went up and moved some black plastic on to a large and somewhat woody compost heap. Then we started digging where I plan to grow two varieties of onions. Red onions [ Hyred] and White Onions [Stuttgarter(Stanfield)]. I have my first earlies [Home Guard] chitting on the windowsill and my maincrop [Valor] still in the dark.

Thomas is being paid to get a coat of fenceguard on the shed and R is doing more digging as I sit and write this. R finds it absurd that they are installing a composting toilet at the allotments - currently a shed on stilts.

Autumn Calm

The title is misleading as I post this. I never got around to finishing this post but I am thinking about this years seeds so I thought I would post it now before I start trailing through the catlogues for seeds etc.

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Finally I have found the time to catch up with my blog. It has been a pretty good year except for the onions. Last time I wrote we were just starting to get some produce. I am going to list my crops with a brief comment for ease of reference next year when I am planting.

Beans - excellent, should have kept picking after we got back from our holiday.

Beetroot - these were good. Next year we need to keep planting small rows every fortnight.

Butternut Squash -In in total we had 6. All but one a big size and one was green. Fantastic taste

Carrots - Not bad keep planting regularly and water.

Courgettes - Of the two types i think the Nero di Milo were better and more numerous than the other but I think they have thicker skins to prevent slugs having a nibble.

Onions - R kept these well weeded and watered but they have got neck end rot so I am using them as fast as I can to at least freeze some onion-base for sauces later in the year. I wonder if I planted them to deep. I have read that white skinned onions are more prone than gold-skinned. I think I will go back to Turbo from White Prince.

Potatoes [New] - These were good though they had atendency to suddenly cook, and collapse, kept pretty well, used the last ones last week.

Potatoes [Old] - Excellent potatoes, some slug infestation in the ones left in the ground too long, ie last week in September. Great roasted, mashed etc.

Pumpkins - two/three big pumpkins and a couple of smaller ones. I broke of the growing plant to make each plant produce only one or two pumpkins, I read later I should have just knocked off the female flowers! Take care when storing to wait until the stalk has died (hard) this means they are mature and will store for longer.

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Some Produce at last

We managed to get up to the allotment Sunday and dig some new potatoes, pick ourfirst a 'Nero' courgette, the first few have not been pollinated I suspect as they have not grown but withered not rotted. Also some broad beans, the plants are still struggling with blackfly, one plant has died. We picked a couple of punnets of raspberries as well as a large bunch of beetroot and a few carrots.

There are a lot of a gold/yellow pupae with black spots and a few slightly darker, I need to research them to find out if they are good or bad they are on the parsnips and everywhere.

Where has June gone?

This is a long overdue update. Since I last wrote we have been doing a lot of weeding, some planting and some watering. R has kept his onions looking great and I have found a pretty good row of parsnips, my carrots and beetroot are also making good progress. Mark's plot suffered from some animal nibbling his carrots and of the 6 pumpkin plants planted only one has survived. I forgot to put out food for the slugs! The same fate got about half of my squash plants which I planted nearby. I had two pumpkin at home so I have planted them up there too. I also planted the cabbage [Vertus], about 8 plants but I only had enough netting to surround them on 2 sides. The beans are beginning to shoot they seem to have been slow to start and the first earlies are not yet ready. The strawberry plants have been weeded but the birds are picking the unripe fruit and just leaving it. I sowed some more carrots,beetroot and radishes in Mark's bare patch.

I am very pleased with how the allotment is looking, it is hard to fit time to go and visit it. At home I have two tomato plants which self-seeded from my compost and a probable pumpkin. The potatoes in pots are doing well, the carrots look well but don't have much root compared to those at the allotment We must make sure we get some good manure for this winter.

Where has June gone