Allotment diary April 2011

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Well its now Saturday evening and I managed an hour or so up the allotment. Not alone though this time as I took Bramble my almost 10month old border collie with me.
He has been up there before but on a lead whilst holding him as he loves to dig.
This time though I now have a metal pole/rod in the ground so I can hook his lead over it and he cant touch anything of importance within a circle that his lead allows. Quite content sat there chewing a roasted knuckle bone while I dig.

So he is content I am digging over and removing the weeds from the new strawberry bed.

Stones and pebbles are in abundance on my patch I am slowly removing them and they are making a nice path onto my plot.

Peas are up and heading for the sky, so I used some old green wire mesh and some hazel sticks to give them some support as they grow.

Broad beans are doing the same so they will get some recycled treatment tomorrow. The early carrots that my wife sowed are just poking through so I will give them a bit longer before thining out.

Onions are all doing well and so are the shallots. Talking of onions, I have used sets this year and it is either amazing or just stupid on the sellers side to put so many in the bags you buy. I have planted lots up the allotment, lots in the garden and the rest are in cells in the greenhouse. Now I know the answer is to give some away which I will be doing at Garden club on monday but why so many in the bag? Do they think we all own fields?
They could be cheaper for less of the quantity.

Bean poles are in. These are cut hazel sticks, just like Monty Dons I have a supply of these if I need them. In fact its a couple of older gents from the garden club, they assist on a local estate and I can only think of Last of the Summer Wine every time I see them. My wife and myself caught them at a village pub last year and we had to swear that they had only stopped for one if we bumped into their wives.

I planted some left over sweet pea seeds direct at the base of some of these poles the other sweet peas are growing strongly in the green house. Cabbage, brussels, caulis and brocoli are all sown and in the greenhouse.

My first tomato seedling are up in the green house also.

On the fruit side the previously planted tayberries are all doing well (3 of these), 2 red currants and 2 black currants and 2 gooseberries are all growing away happily. These all got a good helping of garden compost at planting time a water then more compost around the top.

Rasberries that were there on site already are growing nicely too. Along with the rhubarb which we have already had some forced shoots from last week.

The first pic was back at the tale end of Feb when I aquired my allotment after a two year wait. The next pic is of bramble barking at me as I have stopped clearing weeds to take a pic. In the foreground is the now cleared strawberry bed, I must have over 200 strawberry plants to replant. So this first year hopefully I will have enough strawberrys to rival a pick your own farm.

Both pics are from pretty much the same spot. The daffs are just to brighten the space up, they were bought late one of those 25kg sacks for £2.50. I planted up 22 pots of which now most have been given away.

No sign of spuds yet but it is still early, mind you there is now an abundance of weed seeds on every bit of cultivated soil.

Enjoy your weekend gardening.
Dan…

• 2 Apr, 2011
• 5 likes

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