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![]() This weekends weather, and the next few days, is going to be a scorcher. Felt about 25*C or higher in the sun. Spent an hour picking. This is pretty much the remains of the soft fruit. ![]() Pumpkins aren't going to get any bigger so might as well take them home in case they get nicked. ![]() Best ever crop of tomatoes......... we think. We also suspect there's a little bit of blight appearing so we've bought a lot of orange tomatoes home and also destroyed the foliage. ![]() First pick celery. This too looks like our best ever crop. ![]() Couple more squashes. ![]() Overall, another fine crop of fruit and veg. Definitely looks like being a very good year with more potatoes, loads of celery, a stack of leeks and a fair few carrots still to pick.
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![]() Spent pretty much all day down the allotment doing the paths, as there's a new supply of chippings and also cleaning out and re-doing the lid of the storage area next to the shed. It's now got a roofing felt lid - but I forgot to take a picture. ![]() Tidied up a few of the beds, including the strawberry bed, and netted the leeks. ![]() Planted the Goji berry in a tub in the top fruit cage ![]() Pumpkins a nice colour, if a little small. ![]() Sweetcorn is nearly ready to pick, I think. ![]() Tomatoes are as good as we've ever had; just hope nothing happens before they ripen. ![]() The trusses on the smaller variety are the longest we've ever seen. ![]() The "open" celery doesn't look any different at this stage to the "enclosed" celery. Wonder if they'll taste any different. ![]() It's been an absolute heatwave for the last five days and looks like continuing for another week or more so we've been and watered twice in the last three days. Everything seems to be thriving in the sunshine. The following pictures tell their own story. ![]() The old water butt with a tap had fallen over (again) and acquired a strange new shape. ![]() The redcurrants are ready for picking; so pick them we did, along with some potatoes, cabbage, beetroot, french beans, other soft-fruit and a courgette ![]() Picked a few more beans and also the first beetroot of the season. Not huge but looks good. ![]() Disturbed the wasps again but this time sprayed extensively with "RAID" wasp killer. Checked again after about fifteen minutes and seems to have done the trick but I'll keep an eye on it. ![]() Put some fleece round the carrots to keep off the carrotfly. ![]() Dug over and weeded a whole bed and planted with three trays of leeks. Then watered and fed with comfrey juice. ![]() Celery's looking good. ![]() The gooseberry that's been pruned and trained up a cane, to make picking the fruits easier, has some nice looking gooseberrys on it. ![]() Runner beans had a watering. ![]() Blueberry "bath" is going berserk. ![]() Somebody's had some nice long pallets delivered! ![]() ......and once again, as we prepare to leave, we're the only ones there............ ![]() Went down the plot on Saturday 15th June and also today, 18th June. Total of about six or seven hours. Lots of weeding done but also prepared beds and planted various crops; like the celery, left and below. Also filled all the water butts. ![]() Picked the garlic and then prepared the bed. ![]() Left and below are photos of how the other beds are doing. Some seem to be more advanced than others but overall, considering the atrocious spring we had, things aren't too bad. ![]() Artichoke is coming on nicely again this year. Shame it's almost impossible to eat. ![]() Cut back the comfrey (left and below) and filled up the comfrey-juice bucket. Remainder went on the compost heap (below). ![]() Beetroot is doing very well. ![]() Onions look a little scrawny but I guess they're doing OK. ![]() Blueberries in the bathtub are doing alright too. ![]() A few general pictures just to finish off. ![]() The shed definitely needs tidying up! ![]() Saturday and today spent over six hours picking whatever was left and tidying the beds. Compost bin #2 contained well rotted compost, so that went on several beds or part beds and then that bin can be used for fresh material. Compost bins 1,3 and 4 can now be left to rot down during the winter and the contents amalgamated next spring. Tidied up and put away netting where possible and weeded the strawberry beds. ![]() At last, two red tomatoes......... and the sun's shining and it's warm. We even have a "Woolly bear" caterpillar. ![]() Unfortunately something has eaten all the sprouts! ![]() The celery, on the other hand, is getting even better. ![]() ...... and so is the sweetcorn. ![]() Beans have been a bit of a failure. ![]() We trimmed the grapevine back today. Amazing how quickly it's covered the shed and the seating area. ![]() Tidied the back wall up today as well. ![]() Did a bit of weeding as well. ![]() Still a few roses left by the seating area. ![]() In fact the seating area's looking pretty good for mid-September. ![]() ..... and finally, after over three hours tidying up, the compost heap was the highest it's ever been. ![]() Middle of August and a lot of the produce is now doing OK; not brilliant, but OK. The sweetcorn, however, is going great guns, especially as it's our first attempt. ![]() Beans have finally started to take off. ![]() Grapevine too is going beserk. Pruned some of the new growth off today so more of it's energy can go into the actual fruit. ![]() The boysenberries are fruiting like there's no tomorrow. Unfortunately they seem to prefer it outside of the fruit cage. ![]() Courgettes are doing OK. But then they always do. It's been over a week since our last visit and some were now marrows; and big marrows at that. ![]() Strawberries seem to have taken to their new home (next to their old home). ![]() The celery, as mentioned several times in previous postings, is exceeding itself and everything else. Shame you can't actually do that much with it. Still, it is very low in calories. ![]() Cabbages, too, are coming along nicely. ![]() Leeks too.................... ![]() Following on from the failure of the pumpkin in the compost bins, at least we have one starting in the courgette bed. It might just about be the size of a grapefruit by Halloween so it won't be scaring anybody. ![]() We planted some brussels sprouts today. Soil was a bit claggy but hopefully we should some nice ones for Christmas. ![]() Onions!! Picked them all. The tops had gone on all of them so had no choice really. Still looked edible but they won't win any prizes. ![]() Potatoes are a bit of a mixed bunch. Some are alright but many are having to be thrown away - and none of them are excellent. ![]() We did manage to pick a bit more fruit and veg. Blueberries have definitely been this years success story and the soft-fruit as a whole has been very good. ![]() As you can see from this and the following pictures, after three months rain we've had a couple of weeks decent weather and nearly everything has picked up. The sweetcorn is looking good....... ![]() ........ and the tomatoes are finally doing something. ![]() Celery as well.................. ![]() .............. and the leeks. ![]() Even the grapes are trying to make an impression. They may have left it a bit late but depends how long a summer we now have. ![]() Plums too have suddenly appeared from nowhere. unfortunately, if the squirrels have their way, they'll disappear just as quickly. ![]() Another decent crop picked too. ![]() Went down to the plot for an hour or so this morning to feed and water some of the veg. Yes, I know it's rained non-stop for three months but some of the plants needed a boost so we watered with our very own comfrey juice. As you can see it's like a sparkling cider........... and probably tastes like some of the scrumpy I've consumed over the years. ![]() The baby robin is still around, and starting to get more red plumage on his chest. ![]() The compost heap is now almost full to bursting. Hopefully, with a bit of summer heat, it might start decomposing and turning into proper compost a bit more quickly now. ![]() The comfrey leaves that we placed on the tomato beds are decomposing nicely; adding plenty of nutrients to the soil. ![]() Runner beans are picking up a bit at last.............. ![]() ............... but I think the pumpkin on the compost heap has definitely had it. Still, we'll leave it where it is and see. ![]() Sweetcorn is looking good. Gave it a good feed today. ![]() Celery, too, is coming on nicely. ![]() Celeriac is also doing well: apart from a single plant at the top. ![]() Courgettes.......... again, doing OK. ![]() Strawberries are a bit mixed, but at least they're alive. ![]() And even the roses in the "Picnic" area are looking good. ![]() To finish, a general shot across the allotment towards the cemetery showing the runner beans, the strawberry bed, and the fruit cage. |
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