December.

My plan for next year is here to view

Moved house again and my computer was completely out of action so hence the lack of updates. now its back and I'm settled again there should be more updates in the forthcoming months leading into the growing season. Oh and i have a baby on the way.

December I have mostly been clearing the joint up making pathways etc. Planted some Garlic on the shortest day with hopes of harvesting on the longest day.  After all the flooding in the south west its probably not gonna be any good but i had brought a pack of bulbs so may as well give them a try.

November was mainly spend digging making raised beds and filling them up with top soil from the main raised bank along the side.

October i harvested my runner beans until there was nothing left. I also harvested the spaghetti squashes they were very nice although maybe not for next year as i threw a couple away.

SEPTEMBER 3rd

Ive managed to get a lot of digging done. Im up to the pathway toward the end of my plot. Ready for the wood for the next 2 beds. Maybe even more! I can't keep it uncovered for too long otherwise i will have to get the hoe out on it. The weeds are waiting underground especially the horsetail. The pathway is ready and marked with black plastic.

Harvesting

I harvested the leeks from bed B which just leaves me with leeks in bed A.  Also my runner beans and spaghetti squash in bed C.  Spring cabbages in bed D.

As thought on the previous blog i think the blanched part of the leek from this bed is shorter than you would want. If the white part was longer these would have been epic leeks.

Bed A	Bed B	Bed C
Spring Cab
Leeks		Runner Beans
		Spaghetti
		Squash
Bed D
Spring
Cabbages
^
^
^

June - July - August

After a long absence from my blog i have returned. Although i have been absent from my blog i have been down the allotment quite a lot in the past 3 months. After my screen breaking on my iPhone i wasn't able to take any photos so a lot of these three months have been missed.  Maybe thats why i haven't updated.

Beetroot

In both beds my beetroot was very good it was slightly bigger in the undug bed but both beds were riddled with horsetail mares-tail whatever.

Spring Onion

These took ages to get going once i had thinned them they got a bit bigger pictured above under the beetroot.  They tasted lovely and will be growing them on a bigger scale next year definitely.

Onions

These done pretty well considering i didn't put them in till late really they should have gone in in march but i only put them in around mid may. They started to die back about the 20th of august i have hung them up to dry in the shed. Putting them in earlier would have gained a little bit of size but they still done well.

Kohl Rabi

This is really a strange looking vegetable like an alien spaceship. It grew really well only problems i had were it started to split at the top after the deluge of rain we had in late june july. Cabbage white caterpillars loved it to i killed loads of them on the leaves.

13th July 06.53 am

Leeks 

Leeks are the only crop i have still in beds A & B. Waiting to pull them out in the next few days.

They are looking big in bed B but its very deceptive. Because of my no dig method the hole wasn't very deep. The blanched white part of my leeks in bed B aren't very big. In bed A i was able to get the hole quite deep so hopefully they will be better they aren't as tall but are now the only thing in bed A so will hopefully catch up.

Little gem lettuces

These were very good in general easy to grow. The first row i planted were very good. They were big before the slug army arrived in bed A.  Just as the slug army turned up i planted some nice young plants for them to eat and this second planted row bore the brunt of the slug assault. Altogether they were good to grow.

Mixed Leaf Salad

What a nightmare not worth doing. The slugs eat everything and left the weeds. Total waste of time.

Beefsteak Tomatoes

Cropped completely decimated by a cat knocking it all over and snapping the stems.

Runner Beans

These have done really well after a shaky start when all the leaves started to go yellow but after that they done really well and i have had bags of beans from them. This i have used as a kind of currency like cigarettes in prison. I use them to get favours and general stuff that gets thrown away in my job.

Spagetti Squash

This has been a monstrous plant. I put this in after the incident with the cat breaking my outdoor tomatoes. It has grown down the path ways across the plastic sheeting. Its everywhere with some really big squashes on it too. I think they go yellow when they are ready. At the moment they are a pale light green.

Poly Tunnel

Tomatoes have done really well I've had loads from them and they seemed to have ripened ok. The sweet banana peppers have also done well. More pictures to follow hopefully.

Inside the poly Tunnel

Also since my last blog i have completed bed D. Which i have planted my spring cabbages in. Using some plastic discs that are no longer used at work. Its pictured on the right you can just about see the red discs they are a plastic disc with a 50mm hole drilled in the middle. The cabbage plant sticking out of it with enough room to grow. Hopefully this will suppress the mares tail coming up and strangling the cabbage. I sieved through every bit of the soil i used to fill up bed D removing every single bit of root i could see. I've still got mares tail growing through its an absolute nightmare.

My plan can be viewed here.

my allotment plan

Sunday 27th May

After a frustrating couple of weekends i managed to get some decent time down the allotment. On saturday it was very hot and i think i got a bit sunburnt i didn't spend too long down there.  Just managed to get some weeding done. and catch up on some watering. I also managed to get some of the tomato plants potted on as well as the chillis etc. They were desperate for more pot and of course more water. I again have managed to end up with loads of tomato plants with nowhere to put them. Heavy handed with the seeds again. I still have not managed to get the other bed made up and dug or filled mainly cos my drills have run out of battery and i can't do up the coach bolts. But surely thats what the jubilee weekend is for.

Bed A                              Bed B                                 Bed C

Beetroot (direct)              Beetroot (Plug Plants)        Courgette

Spring onion                    Beetroot (Plug Plants)        

Onion                               Leeks

Kohl Rabi                         Leeks

Leeks                               Leeks

Little Gem                        Tomato (beefsteak)            Runner Beans

Little Gem

Mixed Salad Leaf                                                        Little Gem

New Additions in Red.

Firstly the poxy leeks dunno why i sowed them really it was a day when i couldn't be arsed to dig so i sowed some leeks (nowhere to put them) so i have put them mainly in bed B but I'm not expecting much as the holes where not quite deep enough. A year of trail and error ensues.

Secondly the tomatoes they were put into bed B just cause i just couldn't bear to throw them away. they were quality plants. but they are doomed to the outside british summer.

December to May

18th December

27th May

Sunday 20th May 

Its been a funny couple of weeks because of work I've not been able to get down as much as i would have liked. But i'd like to spend a whole week at the allotment, but its not possible. I've managed to plant a few things some onion sets, some runner beans and tomato plants.

Still not been able to put Bed D together or dig as I've not had time. I have had time to put a black sheet across the rest of the allotment unto to this point because it irritates me to look at it and it hopefully will suppress the weeds.

Hopefully when i get chance. I'll cover the rest of the plot and peel back to the cover to slowly take over more.

Above is my tomatoes on the right are moneymaker i got the idea to use a pot from a magazine hopefully it'll work. As per usual my heavy-handedness has created about 15 tomato plants i can't bear to chuck them away. but i will have too as everyone on the allotment has more than there fair share.

Bed A                              Bed B                                 Bed C

Beetroot (direct)               Beetroot (Plug Plants)        Courgette

Spring onion                    Beetroot (Plug Plants)        

Onion                                

Kohl Rabi

Little Gem                                                                    Runner Beans

Little Gem

Mixed Salad Leaf                                                        Little Gem

Sunday 6th May 

Managed to get down to the allotment for a few hours today. Got a couple jobs done but mainly digging.
I chose to weed kill the entire back of the allotment including the onion sets i planted.  I believe i crushed them when i put them in anyway as none of them have produces shoots so I've killed all of them.
The back of the allotment is the part i had big plans for but after spending two whole days digging it in early april. Ive conceded that i cannot cope with the amount of weeds that are in that area. I'm gonna have to cover the area up after the weedkiller has soaked in and try and dig it a bit at a time. So any plans i had for that area I have put on hold.

As for the front i have been able to build another raised bed and put down weed membrane. Also found time to dig the major perennial weeds before i put the pathways down so that should help. I plan to add the other raised bed tomorrow and hopefully dig that out too. If i get chance to get down there that is.

The bed nearest to camera I'm going to call bed C. It took me nearly 3 hours to dig, every fork i lifted revealed a network of underground roots that had to be individually pulled out. Then after i dug i had to get on my knees with my hand fork and get the remaining roots out. It has took me bloody ages and its still not done!

I also ran out of time when i was trying to put my net up on my strawberrie's' to protect them from the birds, I hope to complete this tomorrow also.

I

Late April

Have been up the allotment a few times in the last few weeks. About an hour or so every time it has stopped raining. Its so frustrating cos there is so much to do. The last two nights after work i have been able to get up there and get some more done. Tonight i managed to get the poly tunnel cleared and some bits put away in the shed. which has left room for my two grow bags and is a lot more organised.

 I also found this under the rug i had put down!

Its a baby slow worm looks just like a snake. I've put it in a pot to stop myself from standing on it. 

Don't quite know what to do with it. but nice looking little thing.

Here is my poly tunnel now cleared out and ready for tomatoes.

I do have this habit of sowing seeds and i know i haven't got anywhere to put them.

Hopefully over the next weekend i can get the other two beds done so ill have four beds for growing if its not too late.

I've also purchased some glysophate week killer to try and nuke the whole allotment before i cover it up with a big sheet so it does not annoy me.