Summer is almost here

26th May 2013

So the allotment site is now buzzing with all sorts of activity. A new family have moved in to the plot a couple of doors along and we have new neighbours the other way too. There is plenty of enthusiasm it would seem and the occasional  day of good weather is maintaining everyone's spirits.

As our site is not owned by but under custody of the local council and there are currently negotiations to ascertain responsibilities for the site and there are certain things we hopefully can benefit from. The land is owned by an Oxford University College but they don't  partake in any administrative activities, largely leaving everything to the local council who don't seem to be very interested in the site. We have learned today that a meeting will be held to decide what is to be done. I intend to take part.

Today, we planted out some 'Little Gem' lettuce. I plant them on a ridge to allow the  air  to circulate and then I keep them covered with fleece to protect them from all manner of pests including flea beetle and pigeons.
Some time was taken up talking to the neighbours and then I planted some chives. I have a pot in the garden in which they have got too big for their boots so I turned the chives out, split the plant into three, replanted one section in the pot and planted the remaining two in the border with some other herbs. 

Finally, I planted a square of pea 'Boogie', erecting a netting cover to keep off the pigeons.

28th May 2013

I haven't managed to get to the allotment today but I have been able to make the most of a break in the rain to sow some seeds at home. Since last year proved to be difficult in terms of getting stuff to germinate because it remained so cold, I have taken to starting more plants off at home to be sure.

So I sowed some Parsnip 'White Gem', Swede 'Best of All', Leek 'Below Zero' and some more lettuce 'Little Gem'.

Additionally, I sowed some Primula denticulata hybrids, Primula veris and Myosotis 'Symphony Blue'.

The Work Begins Again

2013

The year began very slowly. Harsh, cold  weather persisted throughout January, February and March continuing into April.

10th March 

This picture is of my modest back yard. The poor Nandina domestica on the patio took quite a hit.

10th May

Finally, a break in the weather allowed us to get on top of the weeds at the front of the plot, covering the area with landscape fabric and council supplied chippings. Still to finish are the areas with pallets and corrugated sheeting but provided we get the weather, this shouldn't take too long.  

Shallots, onions and garlic are all planted and growing well except that a few of the onions that were planted in the autumn haven't survived the winter weather.

10th May

Meanwhile, in the growhouse at home I have broad beans, ridge cucmbers, lettuce and courgettes almost ready to plant. French (Blauhide & Farsold), Borlotti and Runner beans (Lady Di, Desiree & Sunset) are all planted and beginning to germinate. I have sown some onion 'Bedfordshire Giant' in the hope I shall  have a later crop.

This green and pleasant land

2011

In late March 2011 we took on allotment plot at our local site.

In the first year we took several weeks to clear the plot and make it ready to plant on.
As we 'got the keys' on the 31st March, that left little time to get sorted.

4th April 2011

The plot had been used for fly tipping so there was plenty of rubbish to remove including a dog bed, several moldy carpets and a whole lot of broken glass - shameful. One of the other plot-holders offered to get his friend to rotivate it for us. This wasn't necessarily the best course of action as there was lots of couch grass but I think that in the the end we have prevailed, mostly, in the weed war, mainly through persistence.

  

Easter 2011

Once it was rotivated, we set to work marking out growing beds. I didn't want to waste any space so there are six rotational beds and a fruit bed at the end. This will two blackcurrant bushes and a rhubarb which I rescued from the sprawling mass of weeds. You can see them sat in black bags at the end, awaiting new digs.

So, we took on the plot at what became the beginning of a drought period. This added to the workload with the extra watering that everything required. The plot is located midway between two taps so we were able to run relay with a number of watering cans. I am not particularly fond of using a hosepipe as you can't really measure how much water you are giving.

June 2011

Soon potatoes, beans, sweetcorn, onions, garlic, peas, chard and brassicas were growing happily.

There was still a patch of weeds down the side of the path to deal with but this had to wait until the following spring.

 July 2011

 On the up side, the potatoes, cucumber, chard, kale, beetroot and onions grew fantastically well. In fact, I dug up a record potato weighing in at 1.3kgs!

This is our first harvest taken in the first week of August 2011.

So as summer turned to autumn, we had more potatoes and, particularly, more chard than we quite knew what to do with then eager pickling, and freezing ensued.

2012

Spurred on by an exhausting but successful first year, we were looking forward to the second year.

2012 was a complete contrast. Off to a good start, March was warm, sunny and encouraging. What a false sense of security we were led into. April brought unseasonably cold and wet weather which persisted for months causing much consternation in the agricultural sector as crops failed to grow, ripen or yield anywhere near what is expected.

I had three attempts at growing French beans, ending in either premature death due to cold winds and cold rain or mollusc damage till finally a weak and disappointing crop was harvested.

Potatoes were grown, blighted, but saved from destruction by a dry spell. The resulting harvest was relatively healthy but tubers were small.

On the up side, I had fantastic crops from my golden courgettes - three plants yielded plenty of soup and chutney. I managed to get on top of the weeds along the side path with a few applications of weed killer and a lot of digging. The border was then planted with 'Russian Giant' sunflowers and sown with calendula and nasturtium seeds. They grew really well, covering the border and preventing the weeds from making a return.

So as the long, freezing winter set in...