Last week on the plot

Some form of witchcraft had occurred and the sky had changed colour for the first time in a month. I was so giddy I didnt know what to do first!

Obv running down to the allotment was top of the list

and with the main crop spuds going in a month later than planned that was the first job of the day

A row of Kestrel and Rooster went in. Neither of which I've grown before.

The blue lake French beans I started a weeks ago and which have been hardening off in the garden for the past 2 weeks were desperate to get in the ground. However, this called for desperate things such as lashing and tying knots, which given my girl guide time I should have been a lot better at, but maybe the scouts got too much of my attention!

Was also given some stringless runner beans, which I'm not overly convinced about, but I'll give them a go, and if nothing else will add nitrogen to the soil. I'm kinda hoping that as they look a bit like Jack's beans that they grow into the sky and I get me a golden goose (might be mixing fairy tales now)

Last year, if you recall, or maybe I didnt write about it, but anyway, my cauliflowers did look vaguely like this

However, I forgot to net them sufficiently and the flippin pigeons had them stripped to stalks within minutes.

I forgot to take a photo but they are all under the green net tunnels so can hopefully get to a really good size unscathed.

The asparagus that I moved last year (either 8 or 10 crowns, I forget) is doing well and is producing some much nicer spears that it was doing in the old location. I'm not going to harvest anything off them this year to give the plants a good time to establish. Next year though there should be a really good crop, and the bed should then work for about 20 years or so!

(I have weeded since this photo was taken)

This spot nearest the shed I am going to turn into a semi-permanent salad bed. I'm planning on planting through the weed membrane with chilli's and peppers in a month or so and also making a wind break out of the plastic bottle's I've been saving for ever! We'll see how it works out. I'm pleased with how its turning out, and I just need to construct a few more beds.

I was given a crab apple tree, which probably need moving as I think it maybe a bit close to the boundary of my neighbours plot. Will reassess when I'm next down there. Its only on a small plug root at the moment, so moving wont be an issue.

Also sown (but not photographed) another 3 or 4 rows of carrots, and 2 rows of beetroot, and a row of spring onions.

These are 2 varieties of swede. I've not had any luck growing them straight in the ground before so thought I'd try and experiment germinating on kitchen paper and then transferring to cardboard tubes to grow on before planting out like I did with the parsnips. Speaking of which they are looking fab.

There is so much ready in one of the greenhouses to move either into bigger pots or to plant out, but the weather could do with warming just a little bit more, and there have been rumours of frost at the weekend which wont do most of them any good.

Busy and productive couple of days. Have harvested lots of purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb and leeks this week

February Sowings

More seeds sown this morning.

Unfortunately not all of these as I ran out of seed compost, but have sown

Tomato - tumbling tom, Gardener's Delight, black cherry and Moneymaker

Leek -musselburgh

Aubergine - early long purple 2

Stock - ten week mixed

Early purple sprouting broccoli

Onion - Ailsa Craig, Sweet Spanish yellow

Pepper - D'asi Giallo

Also have started some last year's parsnip seed and a new batch. Both germinated last year contrary to people being hesitant to use old seed, but most of the crop were lost with an usually dry spring and me not being able to get to the allotment and water them.

For the past 3 years I have set them like this. Waited until they have germinated then either placed them straight into the ground at the required spacings, or transferred them into toilet roll tubes and grown on until a couple of true leaves have appeared. I am going for the latter version this year, so that there is more chance of a crop appearing. Parsnips (especially roasted) are one of my favourite veg.

Yesterday I bought the seed potato I am going to use. I decided against the large bags of one variety and have gone for 5 seeds of 4 different varieties. The girls and I don't eat that many anyway and I really dont have room to store too many, and last years have started sprouting and a lot are going to be wasted. Hopefully this way we will have just what we need through the summer and autumn

Anya, Charlotte, Rooster, Kestrel

I wasnt going to bother with onions from set this year having had poor results in the past with bolting, but as I was there and buying spuds anyway I thought what the hell! Have got a bag of red and whites, and also some red shallots to try. Hopefully if the ground drys out a little on the plot they will go in this week. At the moment it is too wet to weed and make ready for them.

Final news is I have bought a new tap for the water butt that I was given at the end of last year. I need to decide where I want to site it now. 

Think that's it for now.

Parsnips

The parsnip seeds had germinated so yesterday was the day they got set out. Even last years seed had had atleast a 50% germination rate.

Drill made

Its a fiddly way to do things, but I've found it successful for the past 2 seasons. All spaced and there should be no need to thin anything.

Three rows of new seed went in here, to the left there were 4 short rows of last years seed. Each short row had about 10 seedlings, the long rows I cant remember how many. Will find out when they come up lol!!

The garlic I got from the greengrocer last week had spouted so I planted 2 rows of that

And look what is for tea tonight :)