Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 12! Plotmenters hoping for better weather

[bookbook]

Well, previous thread is nearly full, and I am busy the next couple of days, so thought I had better get this up and ready.
Thanks for the plot title Una
Everyone welcome to join in and share their experiences, tips, the woes and joys of growing their own .
Summer and harvests here we come ( and we''ll do our best to beat the pests)
Previous thread HERE

For feeding I used blood fish and bone meal pellets and put them under where I am planting seeds - so put in the pellets, bit of water, then seeds on top. Then I scatter more across the growing plants throughout the growing season. This seemed to work well last year.

Come the autumn look out for sources of manure to really help to feed the beds.

A bit cooler again today. We managed to get quite a lot of sowing done at the weekend some direct at the allotment and some into pots at home. I've also now got a strimmer and spent quite a bit of time cutting back the grass on the plot. It looks much better now - I just have to tackle the very overgrown parts.

feeding - comfrey juice and chicken manure pellets mainly

for plants closer to the house less smelly tomato feed.

and any riot police horse poo I find in the street

Afternoon!
cool this morning , sunny now - but a much more comfortable temperature.
Was all morning at the plot. Dug out some more PSB plants, picked a bit more too - got forked over and weeded ready for leeks.( I do love finding newly emerged bindweed - so satisfying!) Checked everything over - peas have germinated - the ones soaked in warm water and chilli powder. Cut down a load of dead rosemary off the bushes , they may survive ...
Cut loads of asparagus , then went to pick a cauliflower. Oh dear - do you remember last week, that I said they were all staring to curd? Well - I gave 4 away while I was there ( got a lovely bunch of baby carrots back from one ) , the picture is just the rest --- managed to give 1 to a neighbour at home - and we now just have the 5 to use . I am going to be getting the big soup pan out . They had to be pulled - they are turning pink in the sun .
I never got around to putting straw around the strawberries either!

book I do love a big soup pan! 😂
And you have reminded me that I need to put straw down for my strawberries too.
I've got most of my seedlings in now...just some perpetual spinach and a few squash and courgettes still to go in. Then it will be onto second sowings...
For feeding, I like chicken manure pellets and blood fish and bone. However, I have to be very careful with the latter as my dogs go mad for it and will happily trample to death anything in their path! My tomatoes and cucumbers are starting to flower now, so I'm going to give them a tomato feed today. I will also use that on my squash and courgettes.

What a lovely lot of asparagus bookbook. Ours was starting to come last weekend but looking a bit weedy so we might have to wait until next year to actually pick any. Good caulis as well. We planted some seed in the plot last weekend. DH pointed out that the packet was about 3 years old so who knows whether they will actually grow or not!

Hounds I was coming back from the plot carrying a bag containing the blood fish and bone meal the other week and met a very friendly spaniel who was certain I must have something for him to eat

My runners are definitely starting to look leggy so hopefully will get them planted this weekend. Although weather forecast is looking a bit rainy and we're out on Sunday anyway. So we'll have to see whether we have time. Otherwise they'll have to keep going in the pots a bit longer. It's hard to judge the sowing/planting out part just right isn't it?

Morning All!

Gosh booky that asparagus is a haul. And those caulies look gorgeous - I wish I was your neighbour...

I had a little time at the plot yesterday. I don't think Hissing Sid is still there, although I now think I'm hearing things and may have heard a slight hiss when I bashed the pot the Hiss lives/d in . And inspired by this thread, I chucked some chicken manure pellets about. If I remember I'll go out late tonight into the garden and scatter some here. They stink a bit too much for daytime as everyone is out enjoying the weather.

My 2 courgettes that were planted out done seem to have died, so that's promising. I have many many courgettes this year - perhaps I'll count them later. I'd guess over 20, as they kept on not germinating, then they did germinate. Different varieties though, so that's cheering.

I was chatting to someone who wanted to move his rhubarb but felt it was too late. I still have a division of rhubarb that I don't want, but hadn't wanted to throw it away. So he's going to plant that in the new place and move the other piece in the winter. All good. And he had an a torch he didn't want, so that can be added to my plot, probably as a support for my Japanese wineberry on one side, and perhaps a courgette on the other!

Everything slowly coming along here. Still very cool overnight - 2 degrees last night - so I think it was a wise decision to keep most stuff in the greenhouse a while longer.

Netted the fruit bushes yesterday. I'm determined to have some redcurrants this year, the birds have always beaten us to them in the past.

I also need to sort out something for the peas to climb, which after a slow start seem to be coming up well.

Finally got some climbing french beans to germinate. My sweetcorn has just appeared this morning, I'm just waiting on the aubergine now but I planted those a bit late. Also had an errant pumpkin plant spring up one of the repotted courgettes, no idea where that had been hiding as it's a month since I planted any pumpkin seeds!

Also repaired an old water butt with a milk carton, replaced the tap on another water butt then pumped out a load of water from the slimline waterbutts by the shed into the newly mended water butt. Water butt pump is working well, it feels like a bit of a faff but actually less work than multiple runs with the watering can, and means I can give everything a good soaking if needs be.

Thanks folks, it sounds like some combination of chicken manure pellets and blood fish and bone will help with the feeding.
That’s a great haul bookbook will be quite some time before I have anything looking similar!
I need to put in my next sowing of all the sucessional things in at the weekend and pot on my sweetcorn. I hadn’t realised that they hate having their roots disturbed so I want to get them into their big pots while they are still v little so I don’t have to touch them again.
Unfortunately the forecast is for rain all weekend, I also have jobs to do in town, packing for next weekend and a toddler who will want to be involved in whatever I am doing!

Nothing to report here. Have sown some lettuce and beets. I'm cross my seeds haven't arrived, they were dispatched three days ago. My postman always takes extra days to deliver parcels. My tomatoes and squash are still microscopic, and only 5 carrots came up (old seeds).

We did have four small radish yesterday. Despite being very tasty, I don't think this counts as being self sufficient in veg! They are already bolting to flower. The chickens love the leaves.

Afternoon!
You must remember, I have a big allotment, and Ive been doing it a few years, and I'm retired , so do have more time to put into it. :)
I use blood , fish and bone too, but mostly when I am planting out bushes /shrubs . It always goes at the bottom of the hole to ( as my Dear Dad used to say) - encourage the roots . I'm lucky in that I mostly use manure - I get a great load once a year, so don't often need to do extra feed.
Had most of the day at the plot. - weeding, and then prepping up ready to plant out ( any guesses ?) summer cauliflower - they are all tucked up under enviromesh . I know its wrong, but I have 14 - I will never learn! The afternoon was getting the last bits done to the brassica cage, ready to put the net on , and prepping for my flowers to go out next week. It must be time - borage seedlings are popping out all over the place !

Aaaah. Monty Don made me buy bean seeds. Blauhide - some purple climbing beans. I will sow them direct and hope for the best. Also nastursiums, leeks, parsnips... I must stop buying seeds.

I went bonkers on using up seeds this autumn and planted every sweet pea seed (I know, not veggies) I had rattling around. Each punnet was labelled with the year, 2015 was the latest best buy date. I focussed on sweet peas because there are a couple of "planting dates" in Australia, that I always miss: St. Patrick's day for sweet peas, The Queens' Birthday for tulip bulbs.

I left them out in a tray on the veggie patch which gets sun all year.
Two weeks later, seedings have sprouted from every one; not every seed, but every year.

On the veggie front the broad beans are away. Spring onions have straightened up and getting on with it. The warrigal greens have got their teeny tiny flowers and I have an orderly queue of friends who want to try growing it from the seeds I'll collect. I'm trying it as a general ground cover in the spring. Nasturtiums, a winter-flowering plant here, are flexing their muscles. I made nasturtium pesto last year, so will make warrigal greens pesto as well.

Well I have looked at next weeks weather forecast and the lowest overnight temp is 7 degrees. Daytime temps at 18-20. Am going to risk putting my runner beans out. They are about 9 inches tall so ready for it I think. Also have the last of the main crop potatoes to go in and want to direct sow some beetroot.

We need to build an A frame for the beans though. Am going to do wigwams for the french beans I think but the runner beans wigwam kept collapsing last year.

So busy this weekend. It's our wedding next weekend (gulp) so what doesn't get done now will be waiting a fortnight. Feel slightly behind on things but the rubbish weather hasn't helped and obviously we have next weekend to organise but hoping once it's done to get back on track.

We were still waiting for keys this time last year with not a thing planted so we are still well in front really.

Some weeding today and built my climbing frame for the peas.

Had a good few hours on the plot. Finished planting my spuds and we built the A frame for the runner beans. Very impressed with it and will do more for the tomatoes and french beans I think.

It's handy sometimes having a soon to be dh who is a builder. He also strimmed the bottom bit.

Peppers and chillis I risked from garden centre last week look well, peas are up amd about 2 inch high and strawberries covered in flowers. Rasperry canes alternating between looking dead or romping away. And the apple tree is covered in blossom.

I also had a good gossip with various plotment neighbours.

Am knackered now though. Both beds needed digging over and full of bloody bindweed roots.

Replacement blueberries supposed to have been delivered yesterday but still apparently out for delivery. Hope they survive.

Polytunnel went up today, onions are coming through nicely. The horsetail is also coming through nicely 😣 But I was expecting that!

Have got the exhausted achy but worthwhile feeling that a busy but worth it day in the garden provides.
Planted up runner beans in a cut down water butt, up a home made wigwam. Planted up sweet peas against netting nailed to fence.
Sowed soaked sweet peas seeds from last years efforts for planting out later, got 50 in so happy.
Broad beans are flowering.
Gladioli bulbs are pushing through the back border, like straight soldiers, have grown 10cms in 4 days.
Have planted out Cosmos and gifted 30 plants to friends.
Last weeks dahlia bulbs planted in border are showing signs of bud.
Not so good: slugs have stuffed themselves full to bursting on my zinnia seedlings and french marigolds,so have resorted to organic cat and bird friendly slug pellets to try and salvage the remainders.
Was glad to have the heavy downpour late afternoon because I was too shattered to water again.
Inspired by Monty's topiary of Nigel, briefly considered creating one of Chairman Meow, but decided the fat round Box is a perfect likeness anyway.

Things are sprouting away at our velodrome plot - something has had away with our peas though, so we've sown some more in the cold frame. A packet of sweet corn seeds that were left out in the greenhouse has also been nibbled!

Techs question - our secretary is not at all computer literate and has been told by Manchester City council that he has to start using some allotment software called Colony. Does anyone have any experience of it? He was starting to worry a little I think so I have offered to give him a hand with it but can't find much on it.

Oh! Out of interest (total nosey), wondered if we could do a little poll of lottie annual fees? I'm currently paying £8 1/2 plot per annum. OH had a previous plot in Gosforth (fancy NE), £5 per mth, £10pmth with a shed! Very pricey imo, but we're far more rural (less fancy), hence annual rate 🙄

Ours is in inner city Manchester and I think I paid £41 last October - I'd need to measure but it's a big plot.

Also found out last week that one of the plot-holders is a naturist!

Crikey chock did you find out the hard on the eyes way, or through chat?!

No plot here, nearest to us are 10 miles away, 3 yrs minimum wait. A big back garden will have to do me.

flyingmonkeys you said you put your polytunnel up. Is it new? I'm trying to build one here, but think more than one day- I'm going poly pipe for the frame then buying a proper cover (can't afford a steel frame one). Is it really hard to get the cover tight?

I just have my back garden now, but our old allotment (5 years ago) was about £40 a year too - big plot in an inner city.
Blimey chock - isn't that against allotment rules?! 😂

Ours is 340 sq ft and we pay £90 a year. We have water on site and it's pretty secure but no loo or anything. It's 5 minutes from home so ideal really.

Off to the plot for an hour this morning. The replacement blueberries arrived looking pretty sad and sorry for themselves. Have soaked them over night in rain water from our waterbutt and will plant out today but am not optimistic about their chances. Have emailed Parkers photos of the state of them. If these fail will ask for my money back and buy established ones from the garden centre.

It's the last time I order plants online.

Mine is 10x7.5m, £25 a year plus £5 to be in the allotment association. Water, a communal locked shed and padlocked gates, no other facilities.

Chock - about a week ago a friend posted on FB that it was National Nude Gardening Day, cue lots of jokes about gathering nuts in May etc. Don't fancy it myself.

Went up to the plot Thurs eve and got eaten alive by midges (never happened before, I think they might be attracted by the yellow flowers on my PSB). Haven't been back as we had heavy rain yesterday but spent a happy hour in my potting shed potting on seedlings which I will start hardening off this week (we're in a late frost area).

frouby they do look very sad. My ones from marshalls came packaged beautifully, covered in flowers (which have not dropped off) and new shoots. I have finally got some ericacious compost, so potting them on today.

Heavy rain overnight, but clear now so back to digging later.