Allotment/Veg Patch -Thread 8 - Its spring - time to get busy!

[bookbook]

Thought I had better get a new thread ready to roll!
It has been a long, soggy winter , but the clocks go back soon, we may see the sun , so it will be all go, go ,go
Everyone welcome, join us the celebrate and commiserate on the joys of vegetables
previous thread HERE

[shovetheholly]

Marking place here! And just wanted to say how impressive and lovely I found the pictures of the progress people have made on the last thread! Inspiring!

[SleightOfMind]

Place marking too. Can't wait for the new season!

[goodenoughal]

Just marking my place too. And, yes, here's to spring and the clock change!

book, my potatoes haven't been chitting for 6 weeks, the first lot maybe 4 weeks - I'll have to check. Doesn't sound like I need to worry - just be patient.

[Cathpot]

Lovely to see the allotments and lookimg forward to photos later on. Very jealous of the space to dedicate to crops- I'm largely trying to tuck things into an established garden . Filthy weather today so I'm inside working . Hoping the rain clears for an hour or so later. Spotted little hoops of green pushing out of my chilli pots this morning and found myself ridiculously pleased.

[clarabellski]

Place marking and also noting my inspiration from the photos on the last page. I've never taken progress photos before but I think that might be a nice idea for this season!

[IckleWicklePumperNickle]

New thread thank you Book

No allotment today. Raining on and off and too windy to have the wee one crawling about.

[goodenoughal]

timtam - great "before" photo! It's inspirational

This was mine when I first got access in October. I haven't taken a photo of the whole plot for a few weeks, but the other photos are the two halves (left and right) as they are now.

[megletthesecond]

Place marking. I've put some onions, carrots, spring onions and spuds in so far. Might take a look at the kale seeds next.

[bookbook]

Evening!
It rained all morning , so no plot. I was going to sow some seeds, but the sun came out this afternoon, so I stared doing gardening at home - the big spring clear up has started .
Amazing photos timtam and goodenough - just shows what a determined woman can do
No plot tomorrow - off to my DD's to look after DGS there , so will be planting a tree, and tidying her pots!
My Cavolo Nero is bolting - not happened before - the curly green kale is fine - in the same brassica cage - weird eh?

[Lulooo]

Hi all! Hugs all around for fellow allotmenteers and gardeners. I've missed you all! And missed being in my allotment. I know we dont do soppy on MN but stuff it! I'd totally abandoned it over winter but have just finished clearing my garden out and can now justify venturing out further to the allotment.
I've sown a few seeds indoors. No aubergines, chillis or peppers have surfaced yet. Will wait and see.
I haven't seen the other thread yet but the mention of pictures will lead me there next. I feel like I'm in hibernation.

[BellaGoth]

Signing in! Hopefully I'll be a little more active on this thread...

[elephantoverthehill]

Monday is my 'late' night home from work and it was still light enough to inspect the seedlings in my mini greenhouse. Hurrah it really is the start of spring today! I planted some replacement peas and broad beans this weekend as the out of date ones I first planted had failed to germinate. Of course some of the first ones are now coming up .

[PhoenixJasmine]

Morning allotmenters! Thanks for the welcome back :)

book thanks for the tip netting shallots, makes perfect sense, live and learn!

goodenough I haven't done sweet potatoes before, but the slips were on offer months ago stupidly cheap so I pre-ordered them! Think I had 5 each of 2 varieties an orange one and a purple one. I'm in London on a site where people grow tomatoes, melons, peppers, grapes etc no problem outside so I'm just going to put them in the ground. Perhaps warm the soil slightly first if I have a spare cloche.

Rained off yesterday morning but heading down for an hour or so now. Loving the light mornings. Might plant the broad beans I think, maybe finish digging the asparagus trench which is 80% done.

[goodenoughal]

What's new asparagus trench? Are they necessary?!?

[GinAndOnIt]

Oooo can I join in with this one? I normally lurk but I hope I might be able to join in with pictures this time!

[clarabellski]

Our cavolo nero has bolted as well book, but the flowers are delicious so I don't mind. From memory it has bolted every year we left it over winter. Must just get to this time of year and it gets so excited about seeing the sun again!

[bookbook]

Morning !
hello again Lulooo and Bella loads of people leave the plots totally alone over winter, and I think everyone here is pushed for squeezing in enough time ( and motivation ). We just do the best we can !
Welcome Gin - pile on in and ask away! :)
I am sure there was a question on sweet potatoes on GQT a few weeks ago - it does seem as if the slips arrive a bit late, and the consensus was to just use a sweet potato from the supermarket to get going earlier. They obviously need warm and a long time too .
My Cavolo Nero hasn't bolted before - I wonder if its because we have had such a mild winter?
It s best to do a lot of prep for asparagus . Hopefully it will be cropping for 20+ years . So we dug out a bed and refilled . The crowns need to sit on little mounds or ridges , to let the roots sort of drape -and then fill up . I also mulch about 4" after harvest, before the frosts.

[EatingMyWords]

My legs ache after walking to and from the allotment as well as digging! I got a lift one way when I went before. Still, I do need the exercise.

Got quite a few things planted in the polytunnels, and got DH to dig over what will be the runner bean patch at the weekend.

I need to burn stuff, but it's too windy!

[Anonymous1112]

Hiya again. I didn't get to go down this weekend. I do though have two beds ready for my two sets of potatoes and I've had word that the red onions I've ordered are on their way. I've only got a half plot which was in reasonable condition when I took over - I've green manured about a third and that is growing well. Got some onions and shallots in last year and am trying (and failing) asparagus The rest just gets deweeded as and when I'm ready. I get down once a week for a few hours and come summer I'll be able to go after work too. I'd love to spend more time down there but it's not easy with work.

[shovetheholly]

CLOCKS CHANGE THIS WEEKEND! I have been excited about this for weeks. I always feel like they ought to change about 3 weeks earlier than they do. I do love long evenings at the plot.

[goodenoughal]

Your rake clock change dance sounds good, shove. I'm definitely looking forward to some after school/work hours at the allotment.

We had snow here (the north east) today, not a lot but definitely snow. So not quite spring yet

[bookbook]

Evening!
home from looking after DGS - - he 'helped' plant a tree . Cue a change of clothes (not so much muddy knees as muddy everything- he does enjoying digging, and flinging, and kneeling in soil :)
Anon - asparagus takes a few years to settle down, even if you used 2 year crowns. Need 2-3 years to really get going. They like good drainage, ( thats why you plant them on a ridge really)- so hopefully, they will be fine .
shove !
Pretty chilly here too - coming home tonight it was about 4º .

[IlPorcupinoNilSodomyEst]

Did a big post which has disappeared - anyway, long time lurker, had plot two years, generally rubbish, determined to do better this year! Love the photos.

[Anonymous1112]

Thanks book, they were one year old crowns and nothing has happened. I dug down a couple of weeks ago and the roots still look fine, just no growth yet. I ridged them but with hindsight (ain't it great) should have added far more grit/sand as the soil has been very wet. The allotment is on clay that has been farmed on for generations so it's not as heavy as the clay in my garden but still holds lots of moisture. I'm new to all this though so it's a lesson learned.

Thinking about it I could make another drier bed, rescue the roots (?!?) and try for next year.

[Anonymous1112]

Oh and I've overwintered my chilli plants for last two years and have repotted them into their summer pots today, ready to go out next month