| March
2003 [top] |
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This
month was mainly concerned with digging all the plots over at least
once and getting them ready for the main planting. In
mid March I started planting the first lot of peas (Feltham First)
in two trenches. Managed to score some pea sticks from the Racecourse
(after they had trimmed the jumps) which I put in securely around
the peas. Don't want the pigeons to have them all! Also planted Broadbeans,
Onion and Shallot sets along with a third row of Radish.
By the end of the month
I had (with the help of another allotmenteer planted my First Early
Potatoes: Charlotte, Swift and Ratte along with a row of Garlic Chives,
Parsnips (Avon Resister) and Carrots (Early Nantes).
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planted more Broadbeans (Canadian Blue) seeds given to me by Heritage
Seeds. I was also given some Cauliflower seedlings which were duly planted
out with some wire mesh over the top. The first lot of peas had a lot
of gaps in the rows so planted up another two trenches of Onward (with
more pea sticks to accompany them). Also planted another half row of
Radish and a half row each of Lettuce and Spinach. |
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| April
2003 [top] |
 
Planting out quite a
few nicotiana in the flower beds, oregano and marjoram and more lettuce
plants. Along with another row of cauliflower and brussel sprouts.
The shallots seem to be doing well but not so the onion sets. Wasn't
too happy about them when I put them in, some had gone mouldy. The
half row of lettuce and swiss chard are all showing their heads.
Back home after a week
to Pembrokeshire and unbelieveably the weather has been wet, fine,
but mainly wet. Everything seems to be growing, especially the weeds!
The extra Onward peas all seem to be climbing the pea sticks. The
potatoes look healthy and Ian kindly earthed them up for me.
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This month I
continued
digging the last plots and seriously continued with the potting of
seeds in the polytunnel and directly into the soil.
Early in the month I
planted Scabius in the flower bed, transplanted 2 rows of Brussel
Sprouts under plastic and put in some extra Broadbeans to fill in
the gaps. I also planted up in pots more tomatoes, sweetcorn, climbing
french beans and transplanted into bigger pots, Nicotiana. In the
second week carried on sowing two rows of lettuce (mixed and salad)
and a row of Beetroot (Bolthardy). Mid
month tried to plant out as much as possible from the polytunnel as
I'm off on holiday next weekend and if its hot at all they will be
burnt to a crisp.
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| May
2003 [top]
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Planted one row of Scarlet
Runner Beans down one side of the bamboo structure - will plant the
other side beginning of June.Transplanted
two of the wigwams with Climbing French Beans - will plant more seeds
again beginning of June. A very busy day. Seem to spend most of my
weekends mainly hoeing, hoeing and more hoeing!
Last weekend in the
month and have planted out tomatoes behind a sheet of plastic and
covered the base with straw. Also planted out another 12 tomatoes
outside along with cucumbers, gerkins, sweetcorn and two more rows
of broadbeans.
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Spent
the first weekend in May weeding and more weeding. Actually discovered
a row of carrots and parsnips appearing in amongst the weeds but boy
were they hard to weed. Been
alot of activity on the allotments. Its great we have quite a few
younger people becoming interested - a new allotment holder 'Richard'
has hired a rotary hoe and kindly lent it to Kirsten (right). Ian's
lending a helping hand. Planted the main crop of potatoes which included
Pentland Crown and Duke of York, also planted out more lettuce, brussels
sprouts and a small row of cauliflowers which had been growing in
the polytunnel. Hoed and weeded all the beds to get them back into
shape before sowing more seeds. Transplanted a row of leeks (pretty
small) into their bed and watered them in.
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| June
2003 [top] |
 
 Have
been disappointed in the Charlotte (First Early Potatoes). The haulm
died down really quickly without evenly flowering. Have dug up two
rows and have only had a couple of potatoes on each plant. Will sow
some rows of swedes in place of them.
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The weather
has turned warm at last with the odd sprinkle of rain. Means the allotments
need to be watered everyday.
Kirsten gave me a Chiminea
(Mexican chimney) - its absolutely brilliant. Fired it up and made
my first cup of tea after spending the day mainly weeding and tiding.
The peas are flowering well. Had to nip the tips of some of the broadbeans
- a couple of them had black fly - not too serious. The coriander
has gone to seed already so have started some more seeds off.
Second weekend in the
month have repotted the aubergines, peppers and indoor cucumbers in
the polytunnel into bigger pots and made extra sowings of beetroot,
carrot, parsnips, lettuce, radish and french climbing beans. Have
also planted out another 8 tomatoes.
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July
2003 [top] |
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This has got to be the
hottest month and every thing is growing, especially the weeds. Started
picking broadbeans and peas. The lettuce are fast going to seed because
of the heat, as are the radish. Have made extra sowings of carrots,
radish, parsnips and lettuce. Began pulling the first of the beetroot
and carrots. Really pleased as didn't have much luck last year with
carrot. The parsnips are growing well as are the tomatoes. (left)
These are the tomatoes I've placed behind plastic to protect they
from any blight that might be going around this year.
19th July have picked
so many marrows am giving them away left right and centre. I thought
the packet said courgettes but they are definitely marrows. The scarlet
runner beans are off to a slow start but are finally climbing up the
canes and have a goodly amount of flowers. Have started collecting
the french climbing beans while they are still small, delicious. Had
a few peas pinched so have decided to pull the whole lot and save
the seed for next year. The wigwam of "Prews Special" (pea
seeds from the Seed Heritage Library) are growing and flowering well.
Will save all those seed for next year. Dug over the area where the
peas were and have planted it with turnips, lettuce and radish. Pulled
all the shallots up and taken them home to put in brine for pickling.
26/27th July Spent the
week pickling shallots. Have been pulling carrots (no carrot fly and
they seem to have done well even though the ground is quite stony).
Sent the first Incident Report through to Chris by email. Everyone
seems to be having their runner beans pinched along with lengths of
hoses and connections. Picked first blackberries and made a couple
of jars of jelly. Have given more marrows, beetroot and onions away.
The onion sets have been quite disappointing. Will stick to the seeds
in future, they look a lot stronger and healthier. The coriander has
gone to seed really quickly so have planted more along with basil.
The Jerusulem Articohokes have grown past the supposed 8ft tall! Look
more like triffods. Continued weeding, can't seem to quite get on
top of it at the moment. The tomatoes have gone quite made even though
I tried tying them to stakes.
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| August
2003 [top] |
9th
August. Another hot day have decided to work on the allotment in the
early morning so Shadow (the dog) and I started at 7am. Lovely and cool.
Watered the aubergines and cucumbers in the polytunnel first and then
weeded three beds of potatoes before digging them out. Brilliant, four
large bags of salad potatoes and still have 3 rows left for September.
Sowed wintering onions and lettuce and watered them in well. Weeded
and weeded some more. |
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| 3rd
August Weather has been the hottest all summer. Dug over a couple of
beds in preparation of planting wintering onions and winter lettuce.
Swedes; kale and turnips seem to be growing well although the leaves
have been attacked by the flea beetle. The lettuce seed planted earlier
doesn't seem to be coming to anything - will have to sow some more. |
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| 2004 |
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| 2004
didn't start out so great! First there was the great flood - the River
Severn flooded and so did the racecourse and the allotments. Shadow
and I couldn't walk on the allotments for a month because it was so
wet. Then of course it decided to snow so, with one thing and another,
and a four week holiday, I didn't get on to the allotment till June.
The onions managed to survive the flood and snow but the allotment won't
look as good as last years. |
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| June
2004[top] |
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1st Redug the bed where
the Scarlet Runners are going and planted 2 seeds at the base of each
bamboo stake. Weeded a bed of autumn sown onions. Pulled out last
years parsnips that had been left in the ground and generally tidied
up the area. Sowed 2 short rows of French runner beans.
6th Well better late
than never. I managed to buy tomato plants at a carboot and planted
them in along with some marigold plants. Planted three courgettes
(have created 6 humps so need some more plants). Sowed a couple of
short rows of mixed variety of lettuce seeds. Started weeding the
paths and weeded another onion bed. Lots more work to be done in the
weeding department.
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| 20th
A full day hoeing. Brought 6 capsicum plants from garden centre along
with a couple of pumpkin plants in case the courgette seeds don't come
up. Beside the capsicum's I put in two rows of swiss chard. The French
beans are doing well, put some supporting bamboo sticks along the two
rows and then put in a row of radish and a row of mixed lettuce beside
them. Weeded the peas I had planted in April, disappointing, put new
netting around them and then put in a new bed of peas with supporting
pea sticks and netting. Hopefully I'll have more luck with them! Put
in a row of carrots, nipped the tops of the broad beans to stop the
black fly, planted three rows of beetroot and also sowed the popping
sweetcorn in a bed beside the beetroot (I'm probably too late for that
but, why not!). The onions are looking a bit sad. I don't think the
flooding did them much good, will pull out a couple of beds next time
and replant with something else. Sowed half a row of parsley and half
a row of basil beside the peas. |
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27th
Moved the two plastic compost bins aside and shovelled the compost into
the wheelbarrow for digging into the bed beside the fence. Transplanted
four courgettes into humps to go along that wall. Put straw around the
base of all the tomato plants to help suppress the weeds, gave them
all a liquid tomato fertiliser watering. Ian gave me a lot of celeriac
seedlings so transplanted those out into the bed beside the cold frame.
He also gave me a number of aubergines which I repotted and put into
the cold frame, just have to remember to water them. The new peas that
I sowed last week are already coming up! so are is the swiss chard -
have to thin them out next week. Took one of the plastic compost bins
home so that I can put the kitchen waste into it and started the other
bin off with some new weeds. |
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| July2004[top] |
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