Saturday 4 June 2011

An overdue allotment update!!!!

Well it's been a week and a half since I last posted and I have got quite a lot done down the allotment but general life has kept me busy and the children off school for half term has meant I haven't had the normal use of computer which is why it's been so long.

So lets start with the weather....it actually rained all day Monday, which isn't surprising seeing as it was a bank holiday but the rain was long overdue and did the gardens the world of good!!

I have been visiting the allotment on a daily basis to water and also spent the whole day up there last Saturday and finally got the beetroot in the ground (which was long overdue!!) and also the pumpkin, cucumbers, runner beans and french dwarf beans. I also got plenty of weeds out of the plot and did some general tidying up.

Now I went a little overboard with the photos but I figured it would be a little less boring than just writing everything and there are some things I would like help with so I hope you enjoy the snapshots and any help would be appreciated!!

broad bean flowers
The broad beans are doing very nicely....these have a lovely purple flower but some have a white flower as well as I have two different types planted...we actually got a little tater last weekend and they were beautiful!

onions and weeds
This is how it looked all over the plot before I started weeding....

onions with no weeds
This is how it now looks...I have actually took a different approach to weeding this year, I have only removed the well established weeds which accomplished two things, one was that I didn't actually pull up any new seedlings coming through and two that I didn't disturb any roots. It also made weeding a lot quicker...this is now going to be my method as I think I have spent way too much time being picky about the weeds and so therefore causing some damage to crops in the past!

conference pears
The pears are doing nicely on the tree...a few have dropped in the high winds but there is plenty of fruit still there!

roses
It has been a wonderful year for roses so just though I would share this miniature rose with you!! :-)

rocket salad
The rocket isn't doing so well and today I have sown some more hoping for better germination this time round!

boltardy beetroot leaf
This is the beetroot I have sown in a trough for the leaves..it has done so much better than the fancier seeds that I sowed for the garden and although I don't totally regret it I think I will stick to boltardy for both from now on.

radishes
I'm pleased to say i have radishes this year...last year was disastrous for me where radishes were concerned so i a very happy to get a crop this year!

celery
The celery is coming along nicely.

tomato plants
These are my donated tomato plants in the greenhouse. I have two 'Russian Blacks', two 'Shirleys' and two that we don't know what the variety are but as they grow like bunches of grapes and were from the Harrogate show they just call them 'Harrogate Grapes'. I also have two aubergines, two melons and three bell peppers planted in here, along with some cayenne chillis in a tub.

carrots
My salad carrots that I planted in a trough are looking great...wish i could say the same about those sown in the ground....is it too late to sow some more??

salad greens
We have been having fresh greens for a while now...these are starting to get a little leggy but soon they will all be eaten so I have sown some more today.

basil
As Is usual I have failed with my Basil...I don't know why it doesn't like to grow for me but I have sown some more seed today...anyone got any basil growing tips??

pak choi
I have no idea why my pak choi does this.....I get know bulb at the bottom and then it 'bolts' and flowers...today I have nipped all the tops out but I don't know if this is the right thing to do so I would be grateful for any advice here as I would really like to be successful at growing this!

spring onions
I do have some lovely spring onions coming and I have sown another batch today ...yummy!!!

So that's all I have for today...there is so much more to tell but I thought all of it in one post would be too much so I am going to give you a little breather now and I will be putting another post up in a couple of days!!

10 comments:

  1. No it isn't too late to sow carrots and as for the pak choi I think it likes cooler weather which could be why it is bolting.

    Basil can be a bit temperamental it is supposed to like the same conditions as tomatoes warm and moist. When we sow ours we sow it on to the compost and cover with vermiculite rather than compost

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  2. I reckon you could get away with planting carrots now. I am hoping so as I just planted my THIRD attempt this year, today. The first lot gave tiny seedlings then disappeared, then the second lot didn't do anything at all! They were so easy last year!!!

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  3. You are going to have a lush and productive garden this year.

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  4. I certainly don't miss the days of having to share my computer with the kids. Now it's mine, all mine...lol
    The only way I know of to replenish my supply of basil is to go to the grocery store.
    Everything is looking really good, you sure do have a green thumb

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  5. So that's celery, not celeriac, Tany?

    I've posted on Pak Choi. It seems to enjoy lots of fertility and water.

    You've got plenty of good things going on!

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  6. It's all looking great. I was weeding yesterday too and have taken the same approach. I took out the well established weeds then ran a hoe over the rest.

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  7. Your garden looks great! My porch garden is doing great the other garden is having issues.
    I started my basil in little containers that had a plastic lid on them and they are doing great. I may have to replant them for the third time they are huge.

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  8. Your broad bean flowers are beautiful - which variety are they? You can sow carrots well into June. Don't worry if they don't get very big, they are at their most delicious when they are small anyway!

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  9. GLA Rosie and Emma...thanks for reassuring me on the carrots I will get around to sowing some more this week...I do have some that have germinated but we eat rather a lot of them!!

    Ann...I'm not so sure that I have3 the best green thumb in the world but I enjoy trying....I have seriously thought about cheating with the basil and buying a a living plant from the store to pot up!!

    Mal...I will post about the celeriac later in the week! Thanks for the pak choi advice...i will probably have another go at sowing it....and next year maybe sow it earlier!

    Jo....this approach is seeming to give me plenty more time for other stuff so I will see how it works and then decide on next years approach.

    Sundcarries....glad your porch garden is doing well....I like the thought of what you have done with covering your basil.....I think I will try this out....thanks.

    Emma...i have no idea which variety of broad beans they are as they were given to me....but I do think they are very pretty....now if I can just remember the plotter who gave them to me I might be able to ask if they know?!?!?!

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  10. Looking great! I've found pak choi to be pretty temperamental - it prefers cool weather, shade and plenty of moisture. Any excess heat or dryness of the roots will send those flowers soaring up!

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keep it clean...keep it relevant...I look forward to reading your comments!!