Wildlifemad's Allotment Diary

Members adventures in the Vegetable Patch all year round
wildlifemad
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Posts: 435
Joined: 22 Mar 2017, 09:40

Re: Wildlifemad's Allotment Diary

Post by wildlifemad »

Hi Karen. Yes they do have half size plots & to be honest I think they would split our plot as the big plots aren't as popular anymore. We'll see what happens this year!
wildlifemad
Lively Laner
Posts: 435
Joined: 22 Mar 2017, 09:40

Re: Wildlifemad's Allotment Diary

Post by wildlifemad »

Wait for it....We got on the plot yesterday!!!!! We did nearly 5 hours & got the Garlic planted out all 145 of them. Have to admit it felt really good being outside in the fresh air, even if it was hard work! We saw quite a few other plot holders to have a bit of banter with which was nice. We had covered most of the beds in the autumn with plastic Hubby got from work, the downside (we thought at the time) was there were no holes in it & we were laying them over some pretty dry beds, I put a few holes in them with the fork & hoped for the best. The BIG upside now is that as it has been so wet when we took the plastic off the beds weren't water logged, they were just right to work with.
We paid our half year rent (£16.25) & used the opportunity to complain (not like me!!) about the new plot holders taking down the fence on their plot to allow the rabbits to have a field day on our plot because there is not fencing between us & them. As usual there was not much said apart from they they've started well!!
Another chap had got a lot of heavy duty chicken wire (50 metre rolls) spare so we bought 2 big rolls for £50 off him which we will put up even though its not our side to do.
All in all a good day although it did start spitting of rain while we working but it didn't amount to much. It was also nice to hear all the bird song & we had a Blackbird collecting worms so he's obviously feeding young.
wildlifemad
Lively Laner
Posts: 435
Joined: 22 Mar 2017, 09:40

Re: Wildlifemad's Allotment Diary

Post by wildlifemad »

We did 5 hours on the plot on Saturday. Hubby put posts in all the way down the plot ready for the chicken wire we bought. I cleared the cabbage roots & purple sprouting plants that had finished but the ground was a bit too wet to clear the weeds, the soil was sticking to the roots too much. So instead I pruned all the Buddleias & had a general tidy around. A good days work all in all. On Sunday we just popped down with some more of the slabs from the patio we've taken up at home, we are using them to keep the bulk bags on that has leaf mould in so that not weeds can grow through the bags. Heard our 1st Cuckoo which is a month earlier than the previous 2 years. Seemingly overnight the garlic has popped up!! We didn't notice any yesterday but lots up this morning!
wildlifemad
Lively Laner
Posts: 435
Joined: 22 Mar 2017, 09:40

Re: Wildlifemad's Allotment Diary

Post by wildlifemad »

I've got on the plot most days last week for a couple of hours just trying to weed. Spent one hour walking the paths just to pull dandelion flowers off!! Everyone is in the same boat now chasing their tails to catch up.
The garlic is looking really good now. On Sunday we did 5 hours. We uncovered a bed that the Annabelle early spuds are going in. There were 5 dandelions growing weakly but the dreaded marestail was everywhere! We ended up (without trying too hard!) filling an 80 litre compost bag with the stuff & that was only about a third of the bed where it was worse. We say time & time again if we hadn't got marestail we would always manage to keep on top of the plot. We also know it will be a bad year for it as its been such a wet winter. Moan over!!!! So we eventually got the potatoes planted, 6 x 15ft rows with 15 per row.
One of our neighbours there had offered us some Asparagus crowns that he had in the ground that were spare (they're about 18 months old) so we had said yes but hadn't got round to digging them up & he kept mentioning it!! So I got those out as well, some lovely crowns forming. So yesterday when Hubby finished work we went & put them in, luckily the bed we have grown carrots in for 3 years was covered & didn't need much work so one hour saw them in, 14 in total. There are quite a few left but a lot smaller so I will pot those up for now & then plant them in Autumn when we have a bed prepared for them.
All in all it we are enjoying doing the plot so far & are thinking down the lines of keeping it all because we have apple trees (we bought about 3yrs ago) at one end & the shed,greenhouse & composting area at the other end. If we have spare beds we will just keep them covered. We may also put a few more trees in.
We also picked our first Asparagus YES 1 spear so we shared it! It was lovely!! This time last year we had picked about 50 by now! That's why I find it interesting to keep a diary of when you sow & harvest. That's about it for now!
wildlifemad
Lively Laner
Posts: 435
Joined: 22 Mar 2017, 09:40

Re: Wildlifemad's Allotment Diary

Post by wildlifemad »

On Saturday we went to the lotty in the rain to get the chicken wire put up. It took us nearly 5 hours as we buried it as well but we had quite a good system going, Hubby digging a clod out & then I dropped the wire in & put the clod back & we nailed it onto the posts as we went. Hopefully it will stop the rabbits which will also mean we don't have to cover everything. This is what was becoming annoying, it took more time uncovering beds to weed than it took to do the weeding!!! So if it works we should hopefully keep on top of the weeding a bit more.
We then went on Monday afternoon & Hubby rotavated a bed ready for the onions we've grown from seed. I went yesterday & put them in, all 250 of them!!!!!
In the greenhouse at home we have tomatoes growing well (we cheated a bit, Hubby purchased a few plug plants from work!) Incas tomato that we grow from seed hasn't germinated still, we put them in a heated propagator last week but I nearly dropped the tray so lost half of them. I have sown some more on Saturday & hope they come through. A few people on the lotty said they are struggling to germinate tomatoes this year as well.
Courgette plants are doing well & need potting on. Hubby bought some Chard & Beetroot plugs from work. I do feel like its cheating as we enjoy sowing the seeds but time is short for us at the moment so its a bit of a compromise this year.
Its going to rain here today (its spitting now) so I shall get the potting done in the greenhouse & I want to plant up some baskets for the garden as well.
wildlifemad
Lively Laner
Posts: 435
Joined: 22 Mar 2017, 09:40

Re: Wildlifemad's Allotment Diary

Post by wildlifemad »

Well it's been a long time since I've been on here, time poor to say the least!! Anyway, a quick update on the drought year!! We planted the lotty with new & old potatoes, onions, garlic, courgettes, beetroot, spring onions, chard, french & runner beans, lettuce, plum tomatoes. Two beds were rested this year which was no bad thing as we've always used them all in the 11 years we've had the plot. We also made the decision not to grow any brassicas as we keep getting clubroot. Obviously it has been a very dry year, we don't water potatoes, onions, garlic. On to the harvest (so far). New potatoes, we put in 6x15ft rows, the 1st row dug had been attacked by red ants so very poor crop & some failed altogether. Thankfully after that 1st row the crop was better than we expected (because it was dry) & the flavour is gorgeous. Garlic sat really well for a while but then started yellowing so we dug it up & were surprised at how good they were, we lost about 5 but the rest were all good sizes & some lovely big ones which we will save for sowing next year. They are now hanging on an old banister rail (rescued from a skip!!) in the inglenook fireplace!!! Eat your heart the Good Life!! Onions never really got going, for the last 3-4 years we have grown them from seed as sets kept bolting some of them at the time of harvesting (as they were dying off in the ground) were no bigger than a set! So that was our worst year ever. Beetroot has been very good & we've had lots with salad & Hubby has pickled some. Courgettes have been prolific but have slowed down a bit now. Lettuce & chard is ok, I have put some more lettuce in 2 weeks ago & that's doing well. Tomatoes, not happy! We grew Incas plum again as they are really good, NOT this year. They get to 2 inches & get blossom end rot, every one of them so they are on the list to get out. Talking to other folks on the plot they are all having the same problem, some people water all the time, some don't, I was watering about once a week, so it seems it's just a rubbish year for outdoor toms as we have some in the greenhouse at home that have produced loads. Cucumbers in the greenhouse at home have been great but like the courgettes peaked early but are now revving back up so we will hopefully get a few more yet. Spring onions have also done well.
So that's the harvest so far, main crop potatoes to come out yet, again I think it will be a mixed bag as some of them haven't come up at all.
All in all, after wondering if to keep the plot this year, we are glad we did, but as with everything you have so many plans to do lots of tidying & clearing then along comes the hottest summer for years which makes it too hot to work in!! The upside is we haven't had much weeding to do! We have also been good & weeded, rotavated & covered 2 out of the 3 beds we have harvested.
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