Having a small break

We're having a mini-break this weekend, so I don't anticipate any updates until at least Tuesday.

It's nice to see the number of "followers" growing, even though I started this blog mainly as a diary for my own benefit. I'm pleased to share it with you.

I don't know how some of you stumbled across it, as the only link is from an allotment forum, of which I'm one of the moderators.

I don't think some of you belong to it, so may I recommend it to you, it's officially the No. 1 allotment site in the UK and you will find it at...

http://www.allotment.org.uk

Just copy/paste that into your browser & click on "Forums" and I hope to see some of you there!

Thank You Weatherman(girl)

As we are thinking of going away for the weekend, I was hoping to get one more session in down the plot. Forecast was for showers this morning, clearing this afternoon. That being the case I thought - seed sowing at home a.m. - seed sowing at the plot p.m..

So we got a nice bright sunny morning with not too much wind while I was sowing away in the kitchen. At lunch time it clouded over & began to spit with rain. Winds rose, so that put paid to that idea. Parsnips & peas will have to wait until next week now.

On the bright side managed to sow the red cabbage, cucumbers and radish, which I do in a deep tray. This gives good germination and keeps the slugs away.

Oh - I also sowed some flower stuff.

More Progress

Not quite as an intense day as yesterday, but we're going in the right direction. Despite the winds I braved it to the plot this afternoon. Managed to put in about 200onion sets & two rows of Paris Silverskin Onions, (seed). If these and the shallots produce well, there'll be a lot of tears at pickling time!

My intention today would have been to sow the parsnips, but with this wind it would have been broadcast sowing!

I've mentioned before about my heritage pea seed. One is called "Parsley" (pictured), because of it's unusual tendrils and the other "Stokesely" after the family who donated the seed to the Hertiage Seed Library.

I did have another "Gladstone", but the small row I was growing for seed was decimated by pigeons last year after they got under the nets. I managed to find ONE pea on the floor which I've sown in a pot today. I've no idea if it's viable or not, but it would be interesting to see if I can rescue this variety. (A lot were sent back to the Seed Library the first year I had them, so someones still got some). If it grows we'll see how many we can turn it into in a couple of years!

Catch Up Time

Bear with us on this. It's more of a diary entry than anything and there's no pretty pictures!

Had quite a good day yesterday, sowed 3 types of lettuce, (Little Gem, Webbs & All Year Round), Musselburgh & Porvite Leeks, (about 200 seed), Kilaxy Cabbage, (supposed to be club root resistant),spring onions in modules, parsley to start off in a seed tray, Trafalgar & Nelson sprouts (note the connection!) - 60 in total. Potted up about 40 cauli plants from the seed I mentioned in an earlier entry.

That was the morning. In the afternoon I actually got to the plot!

Planted a load of strawberry plants - "Irresistible". Allegedly the sweetest strawberry I'll ever grow! Bred for the supermarket trade, but found too delicate to transport. OK so I fell for the advertising blub.

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/fruit1/product/p86553/1.html

Also got the shallots in, harvested 2 sacks of leeks, half a dozen humongous parsnips. Hoed the winter onion bed.

All in all not a bad day. Today's not looking so good. Cold & windy out there & I've got to go to the dentist.

Tomato Update

Couple of piccies of the tomatoes. Not the best shots in the world - very awkward camera angle.

The Brandywine are the broad leaved plants - they are in the landing window with the dreaded aluminium blue tacked behind the plants. The others are the Shirley in the spare bedroom - again note the use of the aluminium foil!

Sorry for the break in transmission

Apologies for not being around for a while, had problems with elderly mother suffering with progressing dementure and then I had about of illness. As a consquence I'm a bit behind now, but as my Grandfather used to say "Never mind boy, things will catch up". Whether I will is a different matter.

Not done a lot since last time, but the Shirley and Brandywine toms are all in individual pots now. Achieved 100% germination, so I've 20 of each. Both varieties of cauli also achieved 100%, so there's 20 of each needing to be potted on.

Tonight I've also made a sowing of 5 other varieties of tomato - Paul Robeson, Black Russian, Black Cherry, Tamina & Super Roma. There's a total of 80 seeds here, so there's a potential for 100 plants.

I think I may have overdone it.