Gale force winds again this week – so I was relieved to discover when I went to the Hill yesterday that the toolshed was where I left it! In fact all looked to be well with the exception of Belinda Scarecrow who appears to have lost her pillowcase head…
With the rain threatening – but holding off – there were plenty of plotholders around. Many were repairing sheds & greenhouses, the damage of which I put down to the weather but apparently we’ve had a series of shed break-ins. Just as well that I leave the toolshed unlocked, & don’t keep anything ‘desirable’ in it.
Novice neighbour Jody was harvesting his red cabbage – his didn’t look as good as ours (combination of the cabbage going mouldy in the middle, or starting to bolt) which is a bit unfair given that the ones on our plot were from his seedlings…
I started off by planting out the SHALLOTS (hative de niorte) which have been growing in pots in the mini greenhouse & planting out 4 bunches of SPRING ONION (ishikura) both into plot b (roots). The plan with the spring onions is that you sow 8 or so seeds in a 2” pot then plant the whole lot out together & they are happy to grow like that with no need to prick them out separately.
The weeds are now starting to grow (mainly chickweed & a few nettles), so I gave the onions & garlic in plot b a good old weed, & turned over the other half of the bed again as there were signs of the green manure showing up again.
Jane & E arrived & we set about planting the second early POTATOES (charlotte & edzul blue). Given that we measured both halves of plot C last week in order to arrange the rows, it puzzles me that we appear to have a larger space left for the main crop spuds on one side than the other by about a foot – how did that happen?
Indomitable Fran & husband Alan arrived with Fran looking fab with her new bionic knees – they were mending their soft fruit cage, then kindly offered mugs of coffee all round.
Treasurer Mike called by & asked if we wanted to enter the ‘heaviest yield from a potato tuber’ (no), the ‘tallest sunflower’ (yes) & the ‘biggest pumpkin’ (definitely yes!) competitions. I asked him about the slabs being offered for sale – 40p each – but found that they are 2’ square, so bigger than I was envisioning for paths, but I’ll mull that over.
We planted out another 10 pots of PEAS (kelvedon wonder) in a row on plot A (legumes), & as each of the rows look a bit skinny, E put a double row of seeds down each row to beef them up. Whilst she was doing that, I sowed a couple of short rows of CARROT (gonsonheimer) which we covered in fleece to protect against carrot fly. I’m determined to eat carrots this year!
Our RED CABBAGES look as if they are starting to bolt too, so we went away with the remaining ones, as well as a huge PARSNIP (white gem) each, & I had a tiny portion of KALE (alice).
Back at home I had a very enjoyable seed sowing session (more tomatoes, spinach, swiss chard, celery, celeriac, spring onions, red & green Brussels sprouts & lettuce) all in 2” pots, and whilst I was upstairs putting the seeds in the attic room, I happened to notice that the celery wine has cleared nicely & it’s all ready for bottling…
With the rain threatening – but holding off – there were plenty of plotholders around. Many were repairing sheds & greenhouses, the damage of which I put down to the weather but apparently we’ve had a series of shed break-ins. Just as well that I leave the toolshed unlocked, & don’t keep anything ‘desirable’ in it.
Novice neighbour Jody was harvesting his red cabbage – his didn’t look as good as ours (combination of the cabbage going mouldy in the middle, or starting to bolt) which is a bit unfair given that the ones on our plot were from his seedlings…I started off by planting out the SHALLOTS (hative de niorte) which have been growing in pots in the mini greenhouse & planting out 4 bunches of SPRING ONION (ishikura) both into plot b (roots). The plan with the spring onions is that you sow 8 or so seeds in a 2” pot then plant the whole lot out together & they are happy to grow like that with no need to prick them out separately.
The weeds are now starting to grow (mainly chickweed & a few nettles), so I gave the onions & garlic in plot b a good old weed, & turned over the other half of the bed again as there were signs of the green manure showing up again.
Jane & E arrived & we set about planting the second early POTATOES (charlotte & edzul blue). Given that we measured both halves of plot C last week in order to arrange the rows, it puzzles me that we appear to have a larger space left for the main crop spuds on one side than the other by about a foot – how did that happen?
Indomitable Fran & husband Alan arrived with Fran looking fab with her new bionic knees – they were mending their soft fruit cage, then kindly offered mugs of coffee all round.Treasurer Mike called by & asked if we wanted to enter the ‘heaviest yield from a potato tuber’ (no), the ‘tallest sunflower’ (yes) & the ‘biggest pumpkin’ (definitely yes!) competitions. I asked him about the slabs being offered for sale – 40p each – but found that they are 2’ square, so bigger than I was envisioning for paths, but I’ll mull that over.
We planted out another 10 pots of PEAS (kelvedon wonder) in a row on plot A (legumes), & as each of the rows look a bit skinny, E put a double row of seeds down each row to beef them up. Whilst she was doing that, I sowed a couple of short rows of CARROT (gonsonheimer) which we covered in fleece to protect against carrot fly. I’m determined to eat carrots this year!
Our RED CABBAGES look as if they are starting to bolt too, so we went away with the remaining ones, as well as a huge PARSNIP (white gem) each, & I had a tiny portion of KALE (alice).Back at home I had a very enjoyable seed sowing session (more tomatoes, spinach, swiss chard, celery, celeriac, spring onions, red & green Brussels sprouts & lettuce) all in 2” pots, and whilst I was upstairs putting the seeds in the attic room, I happened to notice that the celery wine has cleared nicely & it’s all ready for bottling…
2 ft wide slabs are a good compromise regards size if you're moving stuff by wheelbarrow, any narrower and you'll be on the soil when trying to turn it.
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