Came down in the evening to water considerably and pick one or two items that seemed ready.
We planted up the final bed with leeks - so every bed is now occupied.
Well, summer's here with a vengeance. The forecast is for a minimum of ten days with no chance of rain and temperatures in the mid to high twenties centigrade.
Came down in the evening to water considerably and pick one or two items that seemed ready. We planted up the final bed with leeks - so every bed is now occupied.
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We've been getting on top of the allotment since we came back from holiday and now all beds except one have something in them. This is an overview with what's in each bed. The small fruit cage is looking good and the blueberries have settled in well in their new home. The gooseberries are looking good even if there's not a huge amount of them. The asparagus just have to be left now to recuperate for next year. The beetroot is looking promising. The sweet peas, cucumbers and French beans are coming on growing up the canes. The two beds of potatoes are also doing OK. After a disastrous year last year and a slow start this year the carrots are finally looking reasonable. The wallflowers are doing OK but the radishes look to be doing very well indeed. Courgettes are also OK. Sweetcorn too, is OK. Tomatoes seem to be fine. Onions, as always, are coming on OK. Mange-tout and celeriac. The large fruit-cage, as every year, promises much. Parsnips look to be OK. Tomatoes, parsnips and rhubarb. As you can see the leeks have only just been planted. Cabbages too are looking good (through the netting!) The squashes are looking alright but will need to be kept well watered as they're in the very dry/sheltered bottom bed. The main blueberry bath looks to be OK. Finally, there is just one spare, empty bed, and that will be planted up with leeks on our next visit. We clipped some wire netting over the picnic area for the vine and clematis to clamber over but the clematis looks a bit poorly at the moment with parts of it seemingly dying away. Finally, the two trees grown from acorns are growing really well up against the cemetery wall; but the buddleia has pretty much had it. Finally did what we always said we'd do once we'd both retired; we got up this morning and went straight down the allotment. We didn't actually get down there until nearly 8:30AM but to be fair it's the middle of May, not June/July, and the temperature was still in single figures. If we have a good summer and overnight lows don't drop below double figures we may set the alarm and come down somewhat earlier. We mainly did watering, feeding (with a comfrey feed) and weeding, though we did also plant some mange-touts and some French beans. Planted some mange-tout........ ........and some French beans. The carrots are doing OK this year; unlike last years efforts. Onions are looking good at the moment.......... As are the blueberries. Potatoes are showing themselves. Going to have to mound them up on our next visit. The grapevine is in full leaf now. The seating/picnic area is looking very pleasant. And just before we left we picked some asparagus, which we'll have tonight. Can't get any fresher than that. Still no substantial rain and the grass now looks like straw but at least we've had some. Picked some more produce and just watered what was really flagging but if there's no more rain by the weekend it's going to have to be a mammoth watering session. Well we had over 24hours of continuous rain in the week, which sounds good but it was light rain at best and mostly drizzle; but it was over a sustained period. Anyway, we went down to inspect and everything seems to be doing OK so spent forty-five minutes picking - see photo below. Pumpkin's doing nicely.
And we finally have some carrots growing at attempt number four..... Well, still no sign of rain and yet again we're having to go down and water. Planted some wallflowers, the rest of the mange-tout, some French Beans and Fennell, which we've never tried before. Filled up the water butts for the third or fourth time this year. We also had a final attempt at getting some carrots - still absolutely no idea whats been happening to them! We picked some more redcurrants and raspberries and, as two of the potato plants have died, we took a tentative look at the potatoes - pretty rubbish. , about eight potatoes weighing no more than a pound. Will leave whats left for a couple of months now before we try them again. Picked some more mange-tout for lunch tomorrow. Last ditch attempt at growing some carrots........ Our solitary pumpkin is thriving in this weather. The tomatoes are loving this weather. No luck with the potatoes ...... Picked some low quality potatoes but as they'd died we thought we might as well.
Down the plot yet again, mostly watering, feeding and weeding. This time we had help from Stacey, fresh back from Aruba. Got quite a bit done, picked some mange-tout, turnips, raspberries and redcurrants and enjoyed a McDonalds lunch.
Clear blue skies and a good weather forecast made it inevitable we would spend pretty much all of Saturday down the allotment.
Completed a whole row of "fencing" (pallets actually) down the far side of the plot to separate us from what is still an eyesore of a plot next door. Fixed plastic supports on a post for the parasol and did quite a bit of weeding and some watering. Needed to water a number of beds as April has so far proved to be an exceptionally dry, and reasonably mild, month. Picked some of the parsnips and three asparagus tips that had come through. Our very first homegrown asparagus. Also did a bit of fresh edging down by the cemetery wall. Planted some mange-tout too, first of the year, and the onions and potatoes are doing well, though a cold spell is forecast for next week. We're keeping on top of the picking this year. Small amounts but more frequent visits. We've been down and picked three times in the last seven days. These are the results......
Went down for three hours this morning to pick whatever's ready and to give more or less everything a feed.
With the summer that we're having; average temperatures and plenty of rain, everything is looking really good. Photo's show what we picked today and how everything is looking. The yacon and the grapevine particularly are loving this weather. |
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