Moving Along Nicely

Since my last allotment post on March the 16th work has been progressing nicely down my plots. Although the overcast cool weather in March didn't look like breaking, several sunny days since have allowed plenty of opportunities to get both my plots into good shape for this season. No 4 bed on N2 Plot is the only one still too claggy to allow any sowing or planting. This bed will be this seasons brassicas bed and although it has been rotavated twice in the past month and previously well limed. I estimate it will be about another week before it is dry enough to work on, provided the rain holds off.

No 2 Bed N1 Plot 20 Rows of Main Crop Potatoes (7/4/15)

 No 3 bed on N2 Plot has had several rows of peas, (Hurst greenshaft and Oregan sugar pods) sown into it recently, 5 rows of which are already showing shoots. This bed was kept covered over the Winter with black plastic sheeting, after being cleaned and rotavated. After the covers were removed the bed was completed devoid of weeds and needed little prep before sowing, even a patch of stubborn bindweed has (hopefully) disappeared forever.

No 3 Bed N2 Plot First 5 Rows of Peas Showing (7/4/15)

 No 2 bed on N1 Plot is this seasons potato bed and is fully planted up now with 20 rows of main crop potatoes (Desiree as usual), all well earthed up, (that's the big job out of the way). 3 rows of onion sets have been planted at its top northern end nearest to the allotment road, with one row of Spanish onions (direct from Cyprus), sown at the lower end.

Tenth Row of Potatoes Being Sown Last Week  (1/4/15)

Fruit Cage N1 Plot (7/4/15)

 No1 bed is my roots bed for this season and so far several rows of carrots, (Amsterdam forcing, Nantes & Flyaway) have been sown, followed by a couple of drills sown with Swede. 2 drills of parsnips (Gladiator & Hollow crown) were sown into the lower end of this bed this afternoon, adjacent to the fruit cage. I sowed Hollow crown for the first time last season at the top end of this bed and the germination rate was extremely poor to say the least. Since then the bed has had a couple of dozen barrow loads of mud and silt from the nearby drainage ditch added to it, so I will be interested to see if germination and growth rates are any different this season, in the now, very fine silt like soil.

Rhubarb in Plentiful Supply (7/4/15)

 Very little weeding has had to be done so far this season (except No 5 bed). This I put down to numerous heavy frosts during February and March, keeping the germination rates down somewhat. Grass mowing has already been done once, a couple of weeks ago with the second cut due within the next few days. Several types of seeds sown into pots/trays inside my poly tunnel are now in various stages of growth, with Sweetcorn (Lark F1) and celeriac doing particularly well at the moment. Hopefully, over the next few days, more seed sowing will take place, in particular, lettuce, cucumbers and more roots.



There's Always Tomorrow!!!