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Emerging from Winter
Well, as I sit here, the sun is streaming in through the windows, and it feels like finally winter might be breaking and spring sunshine beginning to get things growing once again. It does speak of snow over the weekend, so I won’t get too excited!
I have been watching things slowly start to emerge from winter in the allotment. In particular the garlic and flower bulbs peaking through the soil. I have also planted my first batch of seeds, including tomatoes, chillies and sprouts (which have germinated already).
It has been a nice winter in the allotment. Not only has it been generally quite mild and dry, but the jobs I have been doing are those jobs that I will really benefit from in the growing season. Previously I have had to spend winters clearing, constructing and digging new beds, and last year constructing a new fence etc; the kind of tasks that need to be done, but mean I can’t spend much time improving the plot as a place to be and to grow.
Most of my winter digging is done. Just a couple of beds with the remainders of the winter veg need going over before spring. I have been adding lots of leaf mould, compost and topsoil to improve the soil and to raise the height of the soil so it doesn’t stay as wet. The allotment society is getting a delivery of manure soon as well, so that will be going on.
I have lifted and split my herbs, and have started digging over the herb bed which has become a bit weedy and untidy. I am going to weed it well, cover with cardboard and top with compost and soil to give the herbs the best chance this year. It also means I will be giving away lots of herbs as well as globe artichokes and strawberries to others on site.
One of the jobs I have done is to set up some water butts on my shed. This had been a plan for as long as I have had the allotment, but I refused to spend £30 each on water butts and had never got my hands on any barrels! When the plot next door became vacant, I made use of the barrels that were sat there, and, with some roughly situated guttering have set up some water collection and storage, which should help with spring and summer watering.
Unfortunately no photos today, as I have smashed my phone!
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Winter Reading
Over the winter months, I like to leaf through gardening books, watch gardening programmes and think about what I want to do in the coming year. This winter, along with reading the many ‘how to’ books I have acquired over the past couple of years, I have been doing some reading on the political and social histories of allotments, commons and gardening.
The two I have been reading are: Caroline Foley’s ‘Of Cabbages and Kings: A History of Allotments’ and Margaret Willes’ ‘The Gardens of the British Working Class’, which are both excellent. Foley’s book is eminently readable, and I got through it in absolutely no time. This book charts the chronology of the move from serfdom, through industrialisation and the volatile twentieth century, all the while setting at centre stage the political struggles of the working classes.
Willes’ book is a heavy tome, with incredible amounts of research having clearly gone into it. The focus of this book is rather different in that it seeks to discuss working class gardening in its relationship with growing for need and pleasure; vegetables and flowers. Seeking to go beyond the romanticised images of rural cottage gardens on one hand and the dull utilitarianism of the rigid veg plot on the other, Willes draws on many sources to demonstrate that working classes have always sought beauty alongside practicality. In this, Willes’ book reminds me of the old working class feminist anthem of ‘Bread and Roses’.
In a time where allotments and veg growing are often reduced to little more than a twee, kitsch nostalgia trip; imagining that growing some salad in your back garden and riding a bike with a basket can either assert some authenticity or create a post-fossil fuel future, the political role of open space is a welcome relief. Perhaps such a distinction has been drawn into stark relief in that I have also been watching Alys Fowler’s ‘The Edible Garden’, who seems to think that one can survive on salad and omelettes alone!
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Mid Summer
Well, yet again, spring has got the better of me and I haven’t updated this in a long while!
The allotment has been coming along nicely. Lots growing, some being eaten by slugs and pigeons and eating quite a bit too!
I hosted an allotment meeting in June which was a great stimulus to get things done on the plot and the Bolton Cup is coming up soon as well so I will have to get tidying and sorting to get it in the best shape for that.
A few pics from a few months ago, as things began to grow:
Always great when the asparagus breaks through. We had about half this year, and can take even more next year!
The globe artichokes have been very productive!
Everything is growing well in the greenhouse. Much better than last year. We have chillis and peppers forming, and have picked pickling cucumbers.
It has been really wet outside. Other than a few hot days in June it pretty much rained. This has meant watering has been easy, but keeping the slugs off and the weeds down has been a constant struggle. The rain has washed a lot of the paths away, so topping up of woodchip will be necessary.
Typical June day:
How the plot looks, when not pouring it down:
Mangetout and sugarsnaps producing heavily, peas are swelling too:
We have already had some Gooseberry jam
Flowering rose bush
Well, that’s all for now. I will try and be more punctual with updates from now on!
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March
Well Spring feels like it is very much on its way. It is slowly warming up, and whilst still wet, the frosts seem to be getting less severe. As well as sowing a few seeds and putting in a new fence, I have been trying to get the allotment into shape for planting in the next few weeks/months.
I have been digging all the beds and now I have been trying to get through the big pile of soil and weeds, slowly sieving out the decent soil and adding to the beds to improve the soil and raise the level up a bit so it isn’t as wet at this time of the year.
The other reason for tackling this pile is to make room for my wildlife area. Along with the bath I have for a small pond (just need to get something to line it) I have started constructing an ‘Insect Hotel’.
Not finished yet, but I think it looks pretty cool. Loads of sticks, hedge cuttings, bricks, canes, pipes, slates etc for bugs to live in amongst. Going to add some straw and leaves, plus a butterfly house. I am also going to try and put some pots with flowers on top and around to attract all the insects and make it look nicer.
As well as this, we tackled the hedges on Sunday. Got the one done, which is the one that blocks the light the most, so that’s good. Going to start trying to cut back the others too.
The dafs have eventually started to flower which makes things a bit more colourful!
Plan for the weekend is to get the beans and peas planted and keep getting things in shape.
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Reconstruction
After a break in last weekend (nothing taken just a few broken locks) I thought it was finally time to replace the old fence on the front of the allotment with one a bit more substantial.
After an allotment neighbour provided some pallets to do the job I spent the day pulling down the old one and installing a new one.
Whilst the old one only went up 18 months ago or so, it was only an old garden fence panel which took a battering from the wind.
I knew that once the old one was down, the new one had to go up the same day, so I got plenty of nails and the postcrete early doors and set to work.
I faced the same issues that we did last time around. There is the edge of the old greenhouse all the way along the front which makes it impossible to sink holes there. There is also a sizeable stump just in front of this so any posts have to be set where you can get them in.
It might look like something from the Walking Dead, but hopefully it will be effective. I have got a bit of barbed wire to put along the top to prevent people climbing over and some decent locks on the gate and the shed, so fingers crossed!
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Seeds!
It’s got to that time when I start sowing the first seeds! Always a great time of year when it feels like you have the fate of the next year in your hands. I have held off on planting for about a month longer than I usually do. My chillies and peppers have been rubbish the past few years so I want them to get off to a stronger start and be hanging around inside for less long.
It seems to have worked so far. After starting them off in propagators next to the boiler, a fair few began to sprout, so they have now been moved to the windowsill to get some sun. Speaking of sun - it has been out most days for the past couple of weeks which I think has helped with the seeds coming through.
As well as the chillies, peppers, a few tomatoes, salads and the winter veg like sprouts and leeks, I have just planted a few peas and broad beans. Again I held off for longer this year. I planted out mine too early last year and they just stopped growing for a month or two.
The seed potatoes are chitting (away from the dog this year!), so I will probably plant the first of these mid/late next month. The first of the snow drops have begun to flower, just waiting on the daffs.
As for the hedge cutting that I planned to get done. It didn’t happen! The society hedge trimmer wouldn’t start for me. I am going to try and clean the spark plug and change the fuel, but if that doesn’t work my neighbour and I are going to hire one. It needs doing as despite all the sun, half of the plot is in shade due to the low sun and overgrown hedge!
The plot got broken into again on Sunday evening. Nothing taken, just a couple of locks smashed. Probably looking for power tools. I have all the stuff to replace the fence, I just haven’t had time to do it. As I am away this weekend, I will have to do it this week. New fence plus a couple of big locks should sort it out.
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Snow and Daffodils
It snowed over the weekend, so on Sunday, I went down to the allotment to do a bit of work and to take a picture or two. I was planning to continue digging over the new beds but decided against it due to the frozen ground. Instead, I did a few tidying jobs, a bit of pruning and laying some more paths around the new beds.
There was only an inch or two of snow, so it soon disappeared.
If the onions survived last year’s winter then I am sure they will survive again this year!
With all of the warm weather over the last two month or so, there have been lots of weird things going on in gardens, not least the untimely flowering of daffodils. Mine only went in in September/October, so they are not flowering yet, but they are certainly on their way!
I planted daffodils, snowdrops and bluebells along with strawberries in the borders under the hedges to give a bit of colour to the place, especially in spring.
The next job is to cut the hedges, and I think I have located a hedge cutter for free, so the next pictures might look rather different.
Wish me luck!
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A new year...
The Xmas/New year period has been a good one for our allotment group. We had a well attended and hugely enjoyable trip to the pub before Xmas at which new friendships were made and new plans hatched (more about these throughout the year). We also had a great plot clearance day in which about 10 of us filled a big skip with all the junk found on Plot 1 to get it ready for the new tenants.
So, after a pretty good first year of the allotment, I haven’t been down as much as I would like to. Partly the weather’s fault and partly how busy I am. Luckily there wasn’t too much to do after tidying up most of the site after the main harvest. I don’t think I went down for about 6 weeks! I still have brassicas, leeks, jerusalem artichokes, parsnips and chard in and growing well. The new onion and garlic sets are growing really well:
Since then, I have been chipping away at things like digging beds over and spreading manure as well as topping up the paths with wood chip. I have also done a few other wintery jobs that i don’t get round to at other times of the year like tidy the shed, hang the canes on the side of the shed (great little space saver!) and build some compost bins!
A slightly tidier shed!
Canes tidied away and kept dry
Pallet compost bins - a strict no weeds policy
There is still a lot to do, the main projects being: 1. Dig a few more beds down at the far end that I pretty much left alone last year. This bit of the allotment is full of weeds, stones and rubbish so this will not be easy. 2. Clear the huge pile of weedy soil that I have dug out over the past year or so in order to build a wild life area with a pond (made from a rescued bath tub) in that corner. 3. Clear another corner to put some tyre-planters in to minimise the space my potatoes take up. 4. Build some beds/planters in the empty spaces around the entrance so as to be able to plant lots of flowers.
Future pond
All in all, as long as the digging goes to schedule, it is looking good for the next year of growing. Here is the plot now:
From the entrance
From the far end (on top of the huge mound of weedy soil that I need to clear!)
I have ordered all my seeds for this year. I didn’t need to buy nearly as many as previous years due to the leftovers from last year, so I invested in lots of flower seeds too. Beth wanted me to grow more last year so with a bit more room and her help, hopefully it will be a more colourful site. We have already put daffodil, bluebell and snowdrop bulbs in the borders under the hedges to give us some early colour. Added to that we have a mix of annuals and perennials on the way!
Hopefully the next blog will be a few of the first seeds being planted!
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Tomato Problems
So around this time, we are usually eating and trying to preserve a load of tomatoes. After a neighbour gave us a shed and another small greenhouse, we promised her some tomatoes in return! Well, until now I have had two, with little sign of more to come.
We planted about 6 plants of 4 varieties in the polytunnel at the allotment and have about ten left overs in the greenhouses at home. Those in the polytunnel were planted in the ground so that we didn’t have to water them all the time. Problem is none have set fruit!
After a little research I think it is a range of problems (mostly my fault) that have lead to this. Firstly, I think I planted them out a little too early, and they were hit by a really hard, late frost at the end of May. Despite them being in the tunnel they looked like they had had it! I cut them back and gave them a good feed but was close to pulling them up. Eventually they began to take off again, so I was just happy they were growing.
This meant that I left the tunnel closed too much as they seemed to like it, but it has lead to huge overgrown plants and no fruit! A combination of the frost, the heat and the lack of pollinators is probably to blame. I also should have given them more potassium based nutrients to help with this.
Next year: plant out a bit later, open the tunnel more often during the day, and leave the vents open more in the heat, and feed them!
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Getting ready for the Bolton Cup!
So, again, it has been a while since I last wrote anything on here. June has flown by and we are almost in mid-July! We are harvesting quite a bit of stuff now. We have been eating peas, sugarsnaps, mange tout, broad beans, and salad. The strawberry patch is giving us a solid punnet every other day or so. We have pulled loads of garlic and quite a few shallots. I have just dug the first potatoes and the courgettes are ready to take off. So now we are in the flow of it it is actually saving us money!
The weeds have been really enjoying the sun, so between that and watering there is little time to do anything else down there despite a list as long as my arm!
We have had a few issues, too. The Pear tree is nothing more than a dead twig, which is annoying as it was planted at the same time in the same way as the other trees that are doing fairly well. Meanwhile, the cherry tree had aphids, as did the rose bush and the beans had black fly. All of these have been sorted now.
Mid-July (apparently) means Bolton Cup judging - the Sheffield allotment competition. We have entered for best kept and best new allotment. Judging is next week so I am trying to make everything look neat and tidy. I have no idea what to expect but hopefully they will see the hard work that has gone in.
I am going to make sure all of the paths are weed free and have a new layer of wood chip, cut back the stray bits of hedging and make sure all the beds are weeded. We have a good range of fruit and veg, so that should go in our favour. Fingers crossed!
I also need to try and revive the sick looking scarecrow!
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Summer!
I knew I hadn’t written on here in a while, but it looks like I missed May out entirely! As always it has been hectic and I have been meaning to write and upload some pics for a while. I am finally getting around to it because at the weekend some friends came down to the allotment and helped me get loads of work done, so this is a bit of a thanks.
Over the last month or so we have been mainly weeding and planting. Most things are now growing well. At the start of May (after a really dry and warm April) we had a really hard frost, so my potatoes and the tomatoes in the greenhouse took a hit. I thought the toms were gonners, but after a trim and a feed they are growing well again. Next year I will remember to cover the tops of new potatoes with a bit of straw early on, but not sure what can be done about toms in a greenhouse...
The weeds are really growing now! It is almost a full time job to keep them down. Hopefully after a diligent summer and a a good dig/mulch over winter they will be less rampant next year. Fingers crossed.
We also had a bit of a problem with the new asparagus crowns we planted. It seemed like something was snapping/eating them off about 2 to 3 inches up. I don’t think it was slugs (it might be). I think it was rabbits, but it has mysteriously stopped now!
The only other major problem we have had is the pear tree. Whilst all the other trees have grown well, with lots of leaves, the pear tree is looking a bit worse for wear! I have given it a spray with Bourdeaux Mixture, as I did with the apple tree back last year. I have also given it a thick mulch of muck. Hopefully this will give it a bit of vigor to fight off the bad stuff.
Anyway, some pictures and some of the better stories!
This photo is from a couple of weeks ago. Sun is out, you can see the overgrown area in the foreground that we cleared at the weekend. Nets over the winter veg, which was getting hammered by the birds.
Hopefully this guy will help keep the birds away!
New shelter shed to keep us dry on wet days and cool on warm days. Thanks to our neighbours for giving us this! You can also see the rubble and glass in the foreground which has all been taken to the tip now (15 trips and counting!).
Cleared area in front of the shelter with wood chip going down. Beth in her perpetual battle with the weeds!
Ben enjoying the sun after some hard work!
Beans peas etc doing well.
Toms, pepper, chillies, melons, cucumbers aubergines in the polytunnel.
Some flowers to brighten the place up!
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April!
It has been a while since I wrote on here. Busy with all sorts, including allotment work. Couple of major things have been done down at the allotment: firstly I have put my poly tunnel up (and it survived the wind!), and I have begun to clear the one corner and have planted some hedging trees which were given to the allotment society.
Spring really is here now. It has averaged 15 degrees and full sun all week, meaning the plot was pretty dry earlier today.
Firstly, a couple of pics of the new poly tunnel. It is 4x2.5m.
It is sited behind the shed, so that it is protected from the wind as much as possible. There have been many instances of blown away poly tunnels and greenhouses over the winter!
I have also buried it fairly well and put posts in to make it secure. Seems to be doing the trick. As you can see above, I used some more of the flat stones to make a path down the centre and have dug it over. It has also have a thin covering of horse manure.
Tomatoes in! Marmande and Gardener’s Delight in so far, with more to follow.
The more boring process of clearing continues, with more glass being discovered by the day. This time the corner of the plot with the worst hedging has been clearer (ish) so that the wild fruit trees could be planted.
Glass, hose pipes and other assorted crap pulled out of a tiny space!
Just some of the glass!
At least the hedge is planted.
Things have started growing now. Seedlings planted outside have taken (carrots, parsnips, turnips, radish, beetroot), herbs have been planted out, the fruit bushes and trees are budding up and putting on growth, and the asparagus and potatoes are pushing through!
Gooseberry bush
Various fruit bushes
First early and early potatoes are now visible.
First ever asparagus (shame I can’t eat any this year!)
Anyway, that’s enough from me for now.
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An early spring day down at the allotment
I had a few hours down at the allotment on Friday, enjoying the sun after a busy week. We will be down there tomorrow, too, and we are hoping to plant a few bits - first early potatoes, carrots and parsnips. I remembered to take a picture!
In the foreground you can see the stone path, some stone surrounded beds for herbs and flowers. Half way down, we have some very early peas and broad beans in the ground. I have installed a couple of beer traps, which seem to be working well. On the left is the covered potato bed - there will be some tubers in there tomorrow! I am also going to try and get wood chip on the couple of remaining bare plastic paths (one on far left of this picture and one just beyond shed, around what will be the poly tunnel).
If it is dry enough I might get all the hedge trimmings and woody weeds burnt tomorrow as well. That will get a bit of space cleared to start on the wild life area and small pool.
After months trudging about in the rain and snow it was pretty nice to be there in the sun! Here's for a long summer!
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Sunny, windy, rainy...is it finally spring?
So it finally feels like spring. After a pretty grim January and February, the weather finally seems to have turned with the arrival of March. The ground is warming up, the grass is beginning to grow and the weeds are slowly appearing.
I still haven't quite finished all of the infrastructural tasks that I wanted to get done by now like paths, clearing a few areas, raised beds and so on, but all that will just have to get done when it gets done. The poly tunnel needs to go up soon!
I have a whole load of seedlings in the house in an attempt to get things going early. Chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers, borage, dill, basil, lettuce, mixed salads, spinach, aubergine, cauliflower, sprouts, leeks, onions, spring onions, kale, kohl rabi, pak choi, celery, celeriac and cabbage.
I have also planted the broad beans and peas that I started off in January. I hardened them off for a few days, but they were getting too big for the trays so they had to go in the ground. Fingers crossed they survive and give me a nice early crop of greens!
I have nearly dug over the potato bed. It has been under cover since early winter so should be a little warmer than uncovered soil. I think the first earlies will be going in at the weekend.
I will try and take some pictures of a sunny early spring allotment before too much starts growing. I think it is going to be a busy few months!
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Sowing the seeds
So after the minor disaster, I think I have got the aphids under control! I have now got about 5 aubergine seedlings visible, and about 10 chilies of different varieties also above ground. Added to that the peas are all growing and the broad beans have got huge!
Today I planted a load more seeds including some tomatoes, cucumbers, winter mix salad, lettuce, pak choi, spring onions, onions, leeks, sprouts and cauliflowers...
Window sills well and truly full!
The allotment is still under snow. I did a bit more clearing yesterday. Still trying to clear the old greenhouse area at the front of the allotment, which was around a foot, to a foot and a half deep in soil (and rubbish and glass). Slow progress but finally getting there. All the soil is going into a couple of decorative beds near the entrance for flowers, herbs and other bits and bobs. Once clear, we are hoping to get a little shelter up so we can stay down there during rain and sun.
I hope to get the polytunnel up in the next few weeks. So once that is done and the snow is gone I will upload some more pictures.
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Disaster
After all appeared to be going rather well (peas and beans all sprouting well, the odd chilli plant starting to appear) disaster has struck!
It all started when I got in last night. Had a quick look at the chillis and saw that there were loads of aphids eating the seeds. I have sprayed them with water and washing up liquid, so hopefully that will be it from them. Remains to be seen how many of the seeds come up. Looks like I will definitely be planting some more...
With that minor disaster seeming to be under control, and some new seed potatoes arriving this morning, all seemed well. I put the new seed potatoes (International Kidney, Red Duke of York and Pink Fir Apple) in trays and labelled them for chitting in the spare room with tubers saved from last years crops of potatoes (Maris Peer, Desiree and Salad Blue). When I went in to the spare room, the trays were all over the place, I thought the cat had knocked them off. It turns out the dog has somehow been going up stairs when we weren't watching and eating the bloody things! She must have eaten 40 or so tubers, so now I have no Salad Blues to grow, only 4(!) Desirees and 20 or so Maris Peer.
AHHHHH!
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Snow outside, chilli seeds inside
It snowed for probably the fourth time since Christmas last week. Not as thick as it has been but still a good covering. It is supposed to snow again this week too!
Whilst work in the allotment is fairly slow, snow doesn't stop me planting some seeds inside. All the chilli seeds are in propagators and early pea and broad beans have been sown in trays. Peas are almost all sprouting, about half of the beans are sprouting and one or two of the chillis have stuck their heads above ground. Fingers crossed they do better than last year!
Although work in the allotment has been slow, I have prepared the ground for the polytunnel, which will be going up as late as possible so it runs as little a risk of wind damage as possible. Hopefully with some staking in and tying down it will be sturdy and safe.
Anyway, late summer and its crop of chillis, peppers, tomatoes etc seems a long way off at the moment!
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