Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Plot in Devon

Have a half-plot in North Devon now - its a long way from the motorway. Spent the last couple of weeks clearing couch grass and planting some soft fruits.

Aid memoire - names
  • Phil - plot with new shed
  • Mark - teacher
  • Steve? - double digging craziness
  • Richard - association secretary
  • Jim? - man with the dogs (a la Dead Kennedys)
  • Stuart & Sheila - compost bin (owe them £5)

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

The horror... the horror

Well, one week and 2 days away from the plot after going to the Download Festival... my god, how the weeds have grown! Completely overwhelmed the peas. Having a good go at overwhelming the kids areas. Raised beds weren't in too bad a shape though thank goodness. I think they are the way forward for me.

So, cleared the worst from the kids areas... harvested some nice lettuce there that had managed to best the weeds that surrounded them. Got some decent spring onion and a pummet of starwberries.

Used some poundland weed suppressing fabric and planted my leeks out through it.

I need to spend an evening cutting back the weed grass so that the seeds don't spread. Maybe see if I can rescue my peas a little. Giving up on the plan to create a tomato shelter - use the wood for a quick raised bed and sow out more lettuce I reckon.

Might have to face facts that finding enough hours in the day is proving tricky. We shall see. Certainly I'll be increasing the number of beds if I carry on with this. Otherwise it'll probably be a case of extending the growing area at home.

Wednesday, 3 June 2009

lettuce lettuce

lettuce going in to the empty spaces in the GH & finally some beetroot are showing...

Weeding and watering

The alliums I've planted are all doing well, but the red barons were in danger of being overwhelmed by weeds - so an hour of hand weeding was required - reckon I pulled out about two barrow-fulls of miscellaneous weeds. Watered everything as its been a hot few days.

The Pentland Javelins look like they're going well - might have to have a root around to check their development.

Need to take the camera with me to add a bit of spice to the blog...

Tuesday, 2 June 2009

hot hot heat

Bindweed all over my peas.. bah.
Tis very hot, so have to step up on the watering front. Sweetcorn and courgettes went in over the weekend, and put a few marketeer cucumbers in one of the raised beds. Leeks doing well at home - they'll be ported across to the lottie next weekend hopefully.

Garlic looks to be going great guns, and my red baron onion is doing a lot better than last year.

The few tomato plants I put in not doing too well - though we're already overwhelmed with plants at home so a load of those will have to come across.

Growing mixed letuce varieties for the first time on the plot this year. Seem to be doing well without a lot of intervention.

Spring onions - disappointing success rate - reckon I've got about 20% germination 0 so will need to plant a few more & check the date on the seed packet...

Thursday, 7 May 2009

more planting on the plot

Daughter's patch started - she's gone for sunflowers, strawberries and sweetcorn.
Cleared another patch for giant pumpkins - 4 planted out, but looks like the wind has snapped at least one of them (they were a bit 'leggy') - still, I've got about 8 more germinating at home which is potentially a lot of pumpkin.

Put a couple of wind barriers in the other night - sweetcorn had gone in early 'cos of a lack of room and many had been flattened. Barriers look to have helped - a bit. Also got some of them under cover of old cloches and half plastic bottles. We'll see if they survive.

At home the melons and watermelons are beginning to pick up the pace. Think I may have to buy a cheap plastic greenhouse (despite the fact that they get blown to pieces) as I've simply not got the room in the existing one - heard a rumour that they might be down to £11 at Wilko's.

Thursday, 30 April 2009

Lidl strawberries

So the other nipper has been inspired by jealousy to desire a piece of the plot for her own use. Thought I'd better get some strawberries for her. Lidl had some very healthy looking strawbs that were flowering and beginning to fruit. Couldn't work out what variety but £2.99 for six was a pretty good price.