Using turf on the allotment.

Although it might be too early and they might be caught by the frost,  I have planted all the potatoes.  I have ridged them up so that they will not emerge for a couple of weeks but this may not protect them after they have grown higher than the ridges.  I will have to make sure that they are protected in some way later in April.

A friend of mine has left a big pile of turfs on the allotment.  I was considering what to do with them until Ed came over.  I asked him if he wanted my left over potatoes. He said that he always put left over potatoes on the compost heap, not to rot down but to grow on.  He said that he got some really big potatoes that way.

The compost heaps had been cleared out and used during the winter digging so there was nothing in the compost bins.  However, I did have some turf and there was some bits of cow muck, leaves and lawn mowings in the bins by the gate.  So, together with weeds from another allotment I proceeded to make a new compost heap.  The allotment society had just had a big bonfire and the ashes could be used by anyone.  Ashes are alkaline and are said to have a lot of potash in them so they would make a good substitute for lime.  The turfs would provide the top soil and the cow muck, leaves, lawn mowings and weeds would make up the organic layer.  It took me about an hour to fill one of the compost bins putting potatoes near the edges as the layers were built up.

I am hoping to get a good harvest of potatoes when I take the compost apart.  I may put a pumpkin on this compost heap as well.

I finished constructing the supports for the climbing French beans.  These supports are poles made from tree branches.  As I have been cutting poles from the hedge running down the side of the allotment, I had far too many.  I think that I might need some for the runner beans so I will have to store them somewhere.  The allotment is filling up and there is little space for storing anything.

Two rows of peas were planted and watered in with some of the bamboo charcoal.  I put chicken wire up for one of the rows but the other row is right under the winter cauliflowers so I just put some plastic cloches over them.  I am letting the peas climb up the outside of the chicken wire this year just to see how they do.  They are more difficult to harvest if they are inside the chicken wire supports.

The winter cauliflowers are growing remarkably well now but they have not formed cauliflowers yet.  They always take much longer than I want them to.  I need the space now.  It is a good job that I am trying to grow peas in succession because otherwise I would need the ground to plant peas in.

Winter cauliflowers are looking much better
than this now.

I made the protective barrier for the alliums out of blue plastic water pipe and a large piece of enviromesh.  The enviromesh was very expensive but it had to be bought to get any onions at all.  My other pieces of enviromesh, I bought over 20 years ago, are still very useful.  This makes it sound a lot more economical.  The mesh is covering the garlic and I will plant the shallots underneath it in the next couple of weeks.  The onions are still growing on in the greenhouse.  They will have to be a lot bigger before I put them out.

I cut two big branches off an overhanging oak tree to give the allotment more light.  The larger ones are about 5 inches in diameter.  I was going to give them away to someone who uses them in their wood burning stove.  However, I have changed my mind and am going to make a new Hugelkultur bed with them.

The trench will be about three spits deep and a layer of couch grass and dock turfs will be put at the bottom.  The branches and brushwood will be put in next and the gaps filled with shredded branches.  Leaves and lawn mowing will be put on top of that and finally a layer of turfs will top it off.   The top soil will be sieved back into the trench. Inoculated charcoal and chicken manure will be mixed in as the soil is being sieved. I may use some of the lime to mix in as well.

 If there is any subsoil in the trench, I am going to remove it and put it in the empty compost bin to be mixed in with the compost,.

I am glad the weather is getting colder because it stops me from sowing seeds and planting too early.

Seed sowing and potato planting.

The carrots, parsnips, salsify and scorzonera  seeds have been sown with bamboo charcoal and mychorrhizal fungi added to the drills.  This is much earlier than I usually sow seeds.  I am just hoping the good weather does not change.

Initially the ground was prepared by hoeing; using the long armed, three pronged cultivator and raking.  The ground was shuffle consolidated and raked again to make a fine tilth.    Shuffle consolidation is where you walk along the lines in a shuffle gate.  It is demonstrated admirably in: "The Victorian Kitchen Garden" for May on U Tube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmPFQys0RYc

Being taught gardening by my grandfather and father, this is the way we always prepared a seed bed.  How do you do this on a little raised bed?  Seeds seem to germinate much better in firm ground with a good tilth.

Two rows of Kestrel potatoes have been planted with a little inoculated bamboo charcoal and mychorrhizal fungi in each of the planting holes.

I planted the potatoes using a trowel, digging the holes about 20cm deep.   After planting, the soil was pulled up on top of them to make ridges.  I never used to earth up the potatoes like this until I saw the potato plants poking their heads above the soil.  Doing it straight after planting does seem to save time, although I do like to earth up at least two more times during the season to cover the potato tubers that poke their heads out of the ridges.

I still have some more potatoes to plant but I have made a really good start.

I took six trays of pea plants up to the allotment to plant out.  I did not get a chance to plant them because I was replacing the roofing felt on the store shed.  It took quite a time because I wanted to remove all the other damaged roofing felt.  It turned out there were four layers of felt, all with their own set of nails.  The roof itself was not in a very good condition because water was being trapped under the felt, rotting the wood.

When the felt was eventually removed the wood was painted with preservative and new felt put on.  It took all day but it was done with a little bit of care and hopefully not need redoing for a long while.

Some very strawy cow manure has been delivered to the allotment site and I have had a little to make some hot beds with.  I may use some more to construct a really good compost heap.  A good friend has left some fine turfs on the allotment and I will use these in the compost heap as well.

I am working again tomorrow so I will not be able to do much but I will have to go and water the pea plants or I will loose them all.

"Golden Acre" Cabbages and "All the year round" cauliflowers have been put out to harden off.  I will be taking these to the allotment to plant out soon.

The Alium ascalonicum have grown a little too big for their pots.  I don't want to plant them out at the moment because I have no protection ready for them.  I am potting them on into larger pots so they can grow on with the greenhouse as protection.

There are plenty of seeds and seedlings developing well in the greenhouse.  This remarkably unseasonal weather is bringing everything on so much quicker than usual.

Allotment photographs March 2012

I think that it is important to show the allotment how it is and not particularly tidied up.  This blog is more of an allotment diary than a how to.  This is how I grow things.  I hope the blog does help others to grow plants but it is not the primary purpose.  So don't expect the photographs to show a pristine allotment.

Allotment looking up the hill.

The sundial will stay in the comfrey bed this year.  It keeps good time.  The old metal watering cans are full of wood ash.  I am going to use it as a top dressing for various things. The tree in the foreground is a pear.  I don't really like pears but three were given to me so I planted them.

The comfrey is starting to grow back now.  I am hoping that it is in straight lines.  If it isn't I will take it all out and replant.  I can't be doing with it all over the place.  There are lots of things being left on the allotment where they will be used in the next couple of weeks

It looks fairly straight at the moment.  I will take the Pulmonaria officinalis out and plant it somewhere else.  I thought that it was comfrey because it did not have white spots on its leaves.  This variety does not have white spots.  Three watering cans are full of wood ash ready to put on as top dressing.

I still haven't got round to putting new roofing felt onto the store shed.  It really needs doing but I will be busy over the next few days planting and sowing.  This area will look a lot tidier when I have put up all the supports for the beans and peas.

I have put in one and a quarter rows of Red Duke of York and another early potato.  I will be planting the kestrel potatoes soon.  The gooseberry bush and cuttings are growing strongly now. I may even get some gooseberries this year.  The bins at the back are over the rhubarb to force them.  I took one off the Champaign rhubarb and picked some of the blanched stems.  I haven't eaten them yet but I expect them to be very sweet.

The raspberry canes' buds are bursting.  The canes have survived the winter well and none of them have broken off in the wind. I have been using the water out of the blue butt.

There is not much water left in the bin and there does not seem to be any rain in prospect.

 The tulips are flowering in March!  The pink ones are early but I think that this is earlier than I have ever had tulips.  How can you be a gardener and see things like this and not be convinced that there is global warming?

You can't have too many tubs and baskets.

The garlic is not growing too well at the moment.  I have given them some comfrey liquid and a good watering to see if this cheers them up.  I will cover them with enviromesh supported by the black tubing. The rocket and American land cress are both past their best now and I am leaving them to flower.  I am hoping to get some seed from them to plant this year.

My herbs have survived the winter.  I have parsley, thyme, lemon balm, fennel and mint.  The tub is just useful to put things in.  You can never have too many tubs.
This is where I crush the charcoal and you can see the residues on the slabs in front of the shed.

I have already taken out a row of leeks.  These are not doing too bad but I know that in April they will start to get eaten by the Phytomyza gymnostoma.  Although they are not very big, I will take these out to eat during the next couple of weeks.  In any case I need the ground to plant my runner beans.  I will probably plant three rows of runner beans.  As I collected my own seed, I have plenty to sow.  They will also aid in increasing the fertility of the soil when I dig them in at the end of the year.  I have put in a new drainage pipe alongside the allotment here.  That is why the trackway looks so untidy.

I have planted out all the sweet pea seedlings.  I planted them with some inoculated, crushed lump charcoal and mychorrhizal fungi.  This is probably why I am running out of fungi.
There are about 187 plants in 11 rows.  I think that I have already written this but I will repeat myself so that I will remember the order.  Pale lavender Honeymoon and White Supreme on the far left near the sheds.  Next are cerise Restormel and mauve Eclipse.  After that are rose, pink Angela Ann and orange pink Lizbeth.  My favorite ice blue Oban Bay and cream Jilly come next. A very robust, bright pink Gwendoline with pink picotee Anniversary are in the next row and finally salmon cream Nora Holman.  A few too many pinks this year but these are the varieties that grow strongly and produce good flowers.

 The Rubus fruticosa buds are starting to burst now.  It has kept its leaves throughout the winter although it did loose a lot during the few cold snaps we have had.  The sweet cicely is beginning to grow quite large now.

The new brassica bed has had both lime and wood ash added.  I have just raked it to incorporate the fertilisers.  The brassicae seedlings are starting to get quite big and will need to go out into the allotment quite soon now.

 The Ribes nigrum have had a really good mulch of old horse manure.  This will give them a good damp root run.  They are "hungry feeders/?"  and take a lot of nutrient from the soil.  With this in mind I am applying some diluted comfrey liquid fertiliser once a week.  I am still finding a few big buds on the canes.  Cecidophyopsis ribis  can be a persistent little beggar but I seem to have removed the major infested branches.  As I cut the bushes so hard back last year in order to get rid of big bud mite all the new growth is fruit bearing.  Hopefully,  I will have a really good crop this year.

The Fragaria ananassa  have had a mulch of straw.  This is the first time I have ever put straw down for strawberries.  I  doubt that it will have any effect on the crop but it will keep the mud off the strawberry fruits.  It also looks quite impressive.

This is my viburnum, primula and grape hyacinths.  I planted them mainly to keep the soil from washing through holes between the slabs.  However, they are a pleasant splash of colour this time of year.

  Too much ground,  too big and too little to harvest from it.  I am not impressed with this purple sprouting broccoli.  One small row near the shed for this year.  I am going to crop it until I need the ground for peas or beans but it is not a very economical crop at all.  I think that the ground is far too rich for it.  It needs very poor ground to produce a lot of purple flower clusters.

The winter cauliflowers on the other hand are growing large and will produce very big cauliflowers in a couple of weeks.  I am very happy with these.  They are being given comfrey liquid fertiliser and being watered regularly.  They have also watered some of the anti slug nematodes Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita underneath them.  They are in the ground for a long time but they do reward you well.  Also there are no cabbage white caterpillars in them which is a big bonus for cauliflowers.

The wire is ready to put up to support the peas.  They will be going out very soon.  I will be putting up some poles for the climbing French beans on the right of this picture.

Carrots seeds have been sown and covered with enviromesh supported by cloche wires.   This is to protect the carrots from Psila rosae. I bury the enviromesh in the soil all the way round the seed rows.  This keeps the enviromesh securely anchored to the ground even in very windy weather.  The mesh can be removed for weeding whenever. The time to do this during the day is on my blog about carrot root fly.  The carrot seeds were watered in with some inoculated bamboo charcoal and mychorrhizal fungi was put along the rows.  There are four rows under the protective barrier very thinly sown.

I will be planting other roots near to the carrots but this end of the bed will be the leaves.  This will include parcel, celery, chard, lettuce, fennel and celeriac.  I have watered Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita over the whole of this bed and have had to keep it damp by watering with rain water.  I am hoping that there will be little slug damage because I have been putting beer traps under the tarpaulin all winter.  The bucket is full of stone and rubbish and I am using it to weigh the tarpaulin down.  You can never have too many tubs.

The allotment looking down the hill.  There is a path running left to right just at the end of the carrot mesh barrier.  You can't see it because the allotment soil is raised up.  It looks like the roots bed runs right into where the brassicas are.

The start of the busy period on the allotment

I have planted all the sweet peas now and still have room for the runner beans.  It has taken me several days to get them all in but I have impressed myself with the patients I have undertaken the task.  I have not written down the varieties in my book which will cause problems if I loose the small labels.  I usually do a sketch to show the row each variety is in.  I will have to do that tomorrow.

I think that the reward of lots of flowers will be good enough to compensate for the aching legs.  I am getting too old for this crouching down to plant bit of gardening.  Why can't plants grow at chest level?

I planted two early potato varieties.  One was "Red Duke of York" but I can't remember what the other one was.  I put some bamboo charcoal and mychorrhizal fungi in each of the planting holes.  I am seriously running out of mychorrhizal fungi now.  I was going to put tomatoes in ring culture pots alongside the path but I don't think that I will have room now.  However, I have a cunning plan and will put them elsewhere.

I have watered the winter cauliflowers with comfrey liquid again to keep them growing well.  I also put some on the leeks, the garlic and strawberries.

Believe it or not the tulips are beginning to flower now - in March!  I watered these with comfrey liquid too.

The carrots have been sown - before the parsnips!  I was going to plant the parsnips as well but I ran out of time.  Not to worry though because thinning and watering will give me large roots regardless.

The carrots were planted with a little of the bamboo charcoal and mychorrhizal fungi.    The old, wire cloche supports were put in over the carrot seed drills and covered with enviromesh to act as a barrier and keep the Psila rosea off the seedlings.

Just planted the sweet peas.

Plans go out of the window when other things get in the way.  I had several jobs to do in the morning but got round to preparing the Brussel sprouts for dinner.  I also washed some broccoli and potatoes.  This is really all that is available from the allotment apart from some manky parsnips and carrots.

It took me quite a while to fill the car with the sweet pea seedlings.  I could not put all the pots in the car so had to leave four varieties behind.  When I got down to the allotment, several people wanted to chat about allotmenty type things.  This took up at least 45 minutes.

Only then could the sweet pea seedlings be planted.  Honeymoon, Lipstick, Jilly, Gwendoline, Epicure, White supreme, Lizbeth, Angela Ann,  Eclipse and Anniversary.  I have still to plant Oban Bay, Nora Holman and Restormel.  Lizbeth has a particularly good scent.

When they were planted some inoculated charcoal and mychorrhizal fungi were added to the planting hole.  I would like to say that these helped the sweet peas to produce large amounts of flower last year.  However, this is just anecdotal evidence and needs to be tested scientifically before any major claims can be verified.

Planting sweet pea seedlings takes up a large amount of time but I do not resent it particularly if they all come well.  It does mean that there was no time to plant anything else.  It's a good job I have so much on the go in the greenhouse.

Now that I have planted out the sweet peas, I have a lot of pots and labels which will be washed and used again for various seedlings that need to be transplanted or potted on.  I reckon that I will have used all the pots and labels at least twice this year.

This is what allotment gardening is all about.  Growing vegetables and flowers with the least expense possible.  Someone has left some plant pots by the gate for anyone to have.  They need to be washed carefully to make sure that they are not carrying disease.  I reckon that I will have some of them and wash them with the empty sweet pea pots.