The rain finally came! Great news, it means I get a day off watering duty on the plot.
While the masses may be enjoying a barbecue summer, for growers it just means extra time with the hose to ensure we don't have a harvest-less autumn.
The RHS put out a release today indicating that soil dryness is now at levels normally only seen at the start of August. Read the full details here. They reckon that four inches or rain would be needed to bring levels back to normal.
So the showers we've had in the last 24 hours, while annoying for those trying to get a tan, won't really scratch the surface. The Met Office says at most we had 0.4mm in the latest 'downpour'.
That RHS release also has some greant hints about what needs watering and what can be left, and the most efficient ways of watering.
All that said, the crops continue to look great. Raspberries are red, gooseberries are almost there, onions and garlic starting to yellow up.
According to the Met Office it might rain in the next 16 to 30 days. Then again it might not. Great. Glad we sorted that out.
The one current pest is pigeons, who seem to have developed a method of teaming up which I would have put beyond their bird-brains. Best I can tell a couple of them are sitting on the nets over our brassicas to push it down, then they all nibble on the broccoli before flying off again.
We're going to need a stronger net!!!
For years allotments were out of favour. No-one wanted them, and patches of mud with a shed at one end and weeds everywhere else went to waste. Then suddenly gardening became the new rock and roll, and everyone who didn't want to dig up their lawn wanted their own council-run patch of mud. The waiting lists grew faster than the cabbages. Now, after more than three years on a waiting list, Neil Shaw has been given his own patch of green and pleasant land.
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
Here we grow
The rain is coming down, and the carrots are coming up. Everything is growing nicely on the plot and the hard work of earlier in the year (and last year) seems to be paying off.
While the battle with weeds goes on, among them are things which definitely look like they might be edible some time soon.
As well as carrots there are potatoes (in need of earthing up), broccoli, cabbages, sprouts, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, leeks, garlic, raspberries, gooseberries apples and plums.
There's also rhubarb (though definitely in need of a feed), the mulberry tree looks healthy, the butternut squashes are growing well and even the sunflowers and peas are reaching for the skies.
The 1.5 patches we haven't yet cultivated are under control thanks to heavy maintenance with a petrol strimmer.
All seems to be going well...maybe too well!!!
There ae still things we want to get in the ground - so I guess we better get on with it.
While the battle with weeds goes on, among them are things which definitely look like they might be edible some time soon.
As well as carrots there are potatoes (in need of earthing up), broccoli, cabbages, sprouts, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, leeks, garlic, raspberries, gooseberries apples and plums.
There's also rhubarb (though definitely in need of a feed), the mulberry tree looks healthy, the butternut squashes are growing well and even the sunflowers and peas are reaching for the skies.
The 1.5 patches we haven't yet cultivated are under control thanks to heavy maintenance with a petrol strimmer.
All seems to be going well...maybe too well!!!
There ae still things we want to get in the ground - so I guess we better get on with it.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
It came from the desert...
The last time I was attacked by ants I was 15 and I was sitting in my friend Rashpal's bedroom.
They weren't even real ants, they were giant radioactive mutant ants on the Amiga 64.
That was much more fun that getting attacked on the allotment when I was planting butternut squash, plus Rashpal's dad always handed out cashew nuts from the shop downstairs.
We've put the squash in a corner down at the botom of the plot, which unfortunately is also where a nest of red ants seem to have set up home.
Red ants aren't something I'd encountered before. Previously I thought there were only two types of ants. Ants, and made-up giant radioactive ants.
But it appears there are red ants too. Which bite. And hurt. Especially when they crawl up your arm, under your jumper, and bite you all over. A lot.
Ouch.
Still, as far as we can tell they don't do any harm to the plants, so we'll leave them where they are for now - and just remember not to lean on the mud when planting more squash in future.
The plot also seems to be home to a colony of giant black wood ants, and some of those normal ordinary size black ants.
I think if I'm going to blog about ants I need to do some investigation online...or maybe just dig out It Came From The Desert on the Amiga 64 again...
They weren't even real ants, they were giant radioactive mutant ants on the Amiga 64.
That was much more fun that getting attacked on the allotment when I was planting butternut squash, plus Rashpal's dad always handed out cashew nuts from the shop downstairs.
We've put the squash in a corner down at the botom of the plot, which unfortunately is also where a nest of red ants seem to have set up home.
Red ants aren't something I'd encountered before. Previously I thought there were only two types of ants. Ants, and made-up giant radioactive ants.
But it appears there are red ants too. Which bite. And hurt. Especially when they crawl up your arm, under your jumper, and bite you all over. A lot.
Ouch.
Still, as far as we can tell they don't do any harm to the plants, so we'll leave them where they are for now - and just remember not to lean on the mud when planting more squash in future.
The plot also seems to be home to a colony of giant black wood ants, and some of those normal ordinary size black ants.
I think if I'm going to blog about ants I need to do some investigation online...or maybe just dig out It Came From The Desert on the Amiga 64 again...
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Sunday, 9 May 2010
Part 3
All brassica in ad protected with plastic tunnels and a netting/bamboo cage. Butternut squash planted in a newly dug patch on the bottom bed. Herb bed built, filled with soil and filled iwth chives, sage and lemon balm on the top patch under the tree. Lettuces planted next to the onions. Site strimmed (again!) and more (yes more!) carpet pulled up and consigned to the waste pile. A kilo of potatos harvested from the brassica bed. Rhubarb (donated by neighbour) made into crumble.
Another busy weekend, but a very productive one, and we finally have the plot up to (roughly) 75 per cent culivated. This is a magic number because the contarct staes that (after the first year) the plot has to be 75 per cent in use. Only fair, given how many people are waiting on a list to use a plot.
Next we have sweded seeds to plant, cauliflowers to bring on at home before planting an d we want to get some parsnip seeds in. We'll probably bring on some more butterbut squash, and all of that can go in the bottom bed along with some sunflowers.
The patch that used to be a fruit cage will now be home to salad and mange tout.
It feels like we're getting there!!!
Another busy weekend, but a very productive one, and we finally have the plot up to (roughly) 75 per cent culivated. This is a magic number because the contarct staes that (after the first year) the plot has to be 75 per cent in use. Only fair, given how many people are waiting on a list to use a plot.
Next we have sweded seeds to plant, cauliflowers to bring on at home before planting an d we want to get some parsnip seeds in. We'll probably bring on some more butterbut squash, and all of that can go in the bottom bed along with some sunflowers.
The patch that used to be a fruit cage will now be home to salad and mange tout.
It feels like we're getting there!!!
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Part 2
Saturday afternoon. Raked up the strimmings then strimmed again. Pulled out junk from what will be the salad bed (used to be a fruit cage) including carpet, metal poles, chipboard and a plank of wood. Dug over most of brassica bed. Sprayed WD40 on creaky shed hinges. Dug hole for mulberry. Cleared some of path down side of plot. Raked lower bed and shifted strimmings to bottom compost heap. Done...
Childless weekend 2, part one
Saturday morning - Brassica bed cleared and half dug over. Door to second shed fixed with new panel and bolt. Whole site strimmed thanks to loan of petrol grass trimmer by the Society. Grass cleared from between soft fruit rows. One fruit patch grubbed up to make room for mulberry tree. New tool, netting and other goodies bought from garden centre. New compost heap started at bottom of patch. Phew! Time for a cup of tea.
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