First week of June round up

Really quick round up, mainly in pictures of how the plot is looking as of last week.

Courgettes in the foreground, then pumpkins, then butternut squash all finally planted out

 All the flower seedlings around the pear tree are starting to grow and should hopefully cover the area in a carpet of colour.

The asparagus is looking very healthy and am looking forward to being able to harvest some next year. This year it is being allowed to 'rest' as the crowns were moved at the end of last season.

The parsnips have put out loads of top growth now so hopefully the roots are doing just as well.

First earlies are well through and main crop spuds are starting to break through. All the rain should mean some good spuds in a month or so. (My earlies went in late - so not lifting them for another few weeks at the earliest)

The swede that I germinated at home and then grew in in toilet roll tubes have been nibbled to almost nothing by flea beetle. I could spray them, but as I'm trying to do it mostly organically and without much help from anything this year will just see how they fare. Maybe next year I will let them grow on further before planting them out so there is more leaf which may make them more resilient.

Lettuce and spinach planted out

Have 4 different types of tomato this year - Moneymaker, Alicante, Gardeners Delight and Black Cherry

Carrot and beetroot are starting to come through

I started about 20 corn plants at home, and then put in several rows with 2 seeds per station which all germinated. Have moved the 2nd seed from each and now have about 80 corn plants. If they all produce a minimum of 2 cobs each there will be a good amount of corn this year.

French and runner beans are starting to climb

3 variety of peas in so far - Hurst Green Shaft, Junos and cant remember the 3rd

I've never limed before planting brassicas before so have given that a go this year to see if it makes an improvement for the cauliflower. 

The onions some set and seed are doing well so far.

The raspberries have gone bonkers!

Strawberries are all mulched now. Not expecting a huge crop as all the plants were moved last year.

The lupins are doing well and the crab apple I planted a few weeks ago is taller than the top if its protective tube.

Rhubarb is growing well and already made a batch of jam from it. Will need to split the crowns this year.

Broad beans were sowed late, so will have to pinch the tops as soon as they start flowering to deter the blackfly.

Almost everything is in the ground now. I have acquired some more currant bushes so they will need planting out if the rain ever stops. There are still some more cauliflower, brussels and purple sprouting broccoli to plant out. And then peppers and chillies and aubergine need sorting into the salad beds which I will hopefully get windbreaked this week.

Drought plagued plot

Because of the drought(!) yesterday was the first day in over 2 weeks I managed to get to the plot. Was starting to get a bit anxious that everywhere isnt ready for planting out. 

There was much intaking of breath and tutting from the ol' boys when I said I was going to weed. 'Nah, you cant do that, its too wet' etc so I rolleyed my eyes as usual and showed them how its done!

So I went from this:

 to this:

And this:

to this

No soil was compacted in the making of these photographs!

Elsewhere on the plot the raspberries are looking fab

 As are the onions

 and shallots

And the view down the site is looking rather lovely too.

Now, just need to see a bit more sky every so often and all will be right with the world.

Oh, before I go, my little fig tree in the back garden has 7 baby figs on it :D

This week's round up of the plot

Finally taken the fleece off the red onions and shallots and they're looking really good. A couple of the shallots have yet to do anything, but I guess there's still time.

The raspberries are looking fab. So mayn new shoots and loads of buds already. Hopeful for a very good crop this year.

Pulled the first rhubarb stems today.

Strawberries are starting to pick up now having all been moved at the end of last season. I may not pick from one of the beds and remove flowers to hopefully encourage a better crop for next year, but that involves me being around at the right time to do that.

The rest of the onion bed looking really healthy pretty good (crap photo tho)

The squash bed - before

 and after. 

Obviously still needs a bit more work, but wont take long now,

 but had 2 bored kids and it was lunchtime 

The parsnips have all survived that yuck weather of the past week or so

 and are putting out more leaves. Fab :)

On my neighbour's plot was this weird fungus. She's had mushroom compost delivered so maybe its edible?

The one about the tree

On Sunday I bought a pear tree. Call it a Mother's Day present to me. It was an impulse buy, but was a really good price and I do love Conference pears. They're also the only pear that is self fertile so no need to buy more than one.

Getting it to the allotment I hadnt really thought through!! I'd walked with it back from the shop, but almost always cycle to the plot. Fortunately it did fit in the trailer but was a little precarious along with the other bits and pieces I had to take down.

The plot looked absolutely lovely when I got there bathed in full sunshine. So a hole was dug for the tree. About 2 spade depths down hit the clay pan and stopped. Filled the bottom of the hole with half a bucket of compost from the worm bin and then watered and let it soak in. The tree I'd been soaking while the digging etc had been going on.

I bashed one of the stakes usually used for the tomatoes right in.

And then planted the tree, not that it really shows up in the photo, firmed it in, attached it to the stack with a couple of cable ties (not tightly) and watered well again. Finally spread a layer of mulch (not pictured) over the top. So a waiting game now to see what, if anything, my pear tree will do.

Also divided the massive comfrey plant and made a sort of border with it. Hopefully they'll take. I've not done much in the way of propagating plants by division before, so hopefully all has gone well. Time will let me know I guess, but comfrey seems to be a fairly tough plant from what I've read. We'll see.

So around the plot, this is what's happening...

 The rhubarb is bursting into life as are the raspberries

 The strawberry plants that were transplanted into new bed at the end of last year are starting to show signs of life.

On this patch of purple deadnettle I saw 4 different species of bumblebee. I dont know which species they were yet, need to look it up, but 4 different is awesome and the 'weeds' can stay on that part of the plot for now. Also saw at least 2 different variety of butterfly, but not close enough to ident properly. Possibly gatekeeper and maybe painted lady, but not entirely sure. Also in abundance were 2 and 7-spot ladybirds. Saw well over 100 of the 7 spot just on my plot. Fabulous amounts of them. Hopefully they will chow down on all the aphids and keep the crops pest free.

This part went from this...

 to this in a relatively short space of time

Very productive day.

In the greenhouse, the parsnips that were transplanted a few weeks ago are looking very healthy seedlings now

 And the all year round cauliflower are also doing really well out in the greenhouse.

The equinox has now been and gone and we're really on the way to summer :D