Thursday, 29 March 2012

Broad Beans

My little broad beans are starting to pop through even though it's a little dry,so quite chuffed something is growing in the allotment instead of the greenhouse.







Tuesday, 27 March 2012

More seeds sowed.

I've sowed some more seeds over the last 2 days so the greenhouse is getting quite full,still got a few more seeds to sow and will do them over the coming weeks. I also planted my second early's potatoes which are estima, I put in 2 rows of around 17 in a row. So I have just got one bag of main crop to put in and some King Edwards,well the King Edward potatoes i was given so will see how these do the seed that I sowed are.
Tomato Red cherry,Tomato F1 Shirley,Sweet peppers,Cabbage Rodima, Radish,Tomato Sweet Million,Chilli pepper Cheyenne,Sweet pepper yellow ringo, i put about 10 of each seed for tomatoes 3 chilli seeds and about 30 cabbages.

Few hours done

I have Been to the allotment over the last 2 afternoon when I left work, I've managed to get a little done so quite chuffed. I finished the border around the raspberry bushes and filled it with leaves, once i get some bark i will swap it around. Ive only put the leaves around the bushes to combat any weeds that appear,also save any water in the soil to disappear. In the greenhouse i put up some screen up around the windows to stop some of the sunlight,it also cools it down a little I did put it up last year but it's better this year near and tidy. 








Sunday, 25 March 2012

Rhubarb

My Rhubarb is coming on from the cuttings I did at the beginning of the year,in a matter of a couple of weeks we got 3 good growing plants an 2 slow ones well the original plants.




From this small plant to these bigger ones. 




Few hours done

Had a few hours at the allotment over the weekend and seemed to have done bugger all, so I am a little miffed that I've wasted some good allotment time. I got a little done so it's not a complete waste of time,my rasp bushes are starting to show new growth so I didn't end up buying twigs from the garden centre. I've nearly finished making a bed around the raspberry bushes, it's not perfect but it will do the job i think. Once I've finished the bed I'm going to level the soil inside and fill with mashed up leaves,did want some bark but can't get any at the moment. If we do get some bark I will remove the leaves,it will save me weeding and it might help retain the water.

I need to get the soil broke down more because it's like an allotment full of golf ball size mud, I broke some up with a rotovator today but still needs a lot doing. It's with it being really dry and having no rain,might have to water a section then break up the soil and do it by hand well whack it with the back of a spade.

Wednesday, 21 March 2012

First earlys

Had a short visit to the allotment today when I left work, I planted 2 rows of 13 Pentlands javelin potatoes. I know I wasn't going to buy any more spuds but never had any new potatoes,the ones I have already are for mashing and baking. The soil is still quite hard and lumpy just hope it breaks down once we get some rain,if not I will have to whack it with a spade to break the lumps up. 





Monday, 19 March 2012

Onion sets

I popped to the allotment yesterday because I was dog sitting, it was a bit warm for him to hang around the allotment in the sun. So only thing I did was to put my onion sets in, i was going to our them straight into the soil but it was to dry. So I did the same as last year and put in modular trays, I put all my sets in and i counted about 310 sets. So once the sets have grown a little then I can plant them in the soil,well if I can break the soils a little more at least I won't run out of onions.






Sunday, 18 March 2012

First Early's

Didn't do much during the week a the allotment i was a little busy at work and home,so was a little upset I didn't get chance to do anything. So I went on Saturday with a few things in mind i wanted to do, but only managed to do one thing that was plant some potatoes. I put in my first Early's which was Potatoes called Vanessa ( wife's name ) mainly baking,may have to get some more Early's well for new potatoes. I've put in two rows of Vanessa's with 17 in each row and quite far apart, even the rows are about 1 and half foot wide I've got the space to do it. Other reason for leaving the gap is while banking the spuds up I'm weeding at the same time,when i put the spuds in I made a trench and then used a bulb planter to make an hole for the spuds to go in. I may of gone a little to far down when digging the trench,only problem with that is I have to dig deeper to get them out.

Once the trench was dug and hole was made i put some compost in the hole and then put the potatoes in,then covered potatoes with compost and backed filled with soil. The ridges are not that big compared to other people potatoe planting,but I've gone further down than most people so we will see what happens.

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Trench

This the trench that's going to go around the rasp bushes,some boards will be put in the trench and wood chipping.

Rotovator And rhubarb

This is the Rotovator we used to dig the soil over,also this is the rhubarb that's starting to grow.

Good few days

Had a good few days over the weekend finally got chance to get the beast out to give it a good dig over, well the rotovator belongs to Keith's friend so it's not ours. We started it on Saturday and got a quite a not done but most of it got done on Sunday,we need to go over it again to break the soil a little more. I might start to put the potatoes in this week as it doesn't need to be fine soil,some of the other chaps have already put some spuds in.

I checked the rhubarb I relocated a few weeks ago and it's doing ok,the old rhubarb isn't doing that well but may need a little feeding. I made a start also on making a border around the rasp bushes, will dig a trench around them and put some boarding down and fill with bark if I can get some.

Friday, 9 March 2012

Frog spawn and digging

In Keith's pond he has even more frog spawn that has appeared over night, if he gets any more the pond will be covered in it. I've made a start today at raking some more Soil over,getting ready to plant some onion sets i may put straight into soil.

Seeds popping through.

These are the seeds that are coming through, the onions are the new ones to pop through.

Few hour not a lot done.

Spent a few hours at the allotment today and it seemed that I have done bugger all,I've done a bit but think I've done more talking than work. I didn't have a set thing to do today but wanted to do something,so I've done a mixture of things today. My seeds are coming on well just hope none of then go leggy,if some do will just sow some more. I've put up a frame for the raspberry bushes to grow along, even though none of them are growing. I'm hoping the frame is still at the allotment and doesn't get pinched, I know I found it and cut it down to size but still would like it to stay.

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Frogspawn

Keith on the next plot has a little pond on his allotment for his newts and frogs and anything else,the frogs have been busy because they is a little frogspawn in the pond. Some of it got removed just before we got the frost so non of it died, it will get put back in soon but the frogs have been at it again.

Not much done.

Only been a couple of times this week but hoping to get to the plot bit more soon,I've checked on the seeds I've sown in the greenhouse and the onions are showing now. Can't remember which ones had started to grow but will find out and up date the blog,I got given some Broad Bean Aquadulce which I planted straight into the soil. May give some of the spare seeds away or might save them for planting later on in the year,only problem is that's it's only me that eats broad bean so will have to freeze them or give away anyway. I've noticed that the rhubarb is starting to grow in both parts of the allotment,I've bought some seeds this year but may save them for a rainy day.

Saturday, 3 March 2012

Just a little done.

Haven't been to the allotment much this week been a little busy at work,we had our first meeting this week with the new allotment association. So it's the first time the three main chiefs have met up,also with the other 6 members. We have a full meeting in a few week with the rest of the allotment people,will find out how many people will join up to the association.

I went to the allotment today and it didn't go very well at first, I couldn't get motivated to get anything done. But then I put myself into gear and sorted a small trench out for the footpath,only for the boards to go along the path. I also raked some of the soil over ready to start to plant things out,I have a rough idea what's going in which section so just have sort the soil out.

Oh nearly forgot some of the seeds are starting to come through,my sprouts and turnips are showing.