Cropped another 8 courgette/marrows. Took most to work as we're away to Cornwall soon so won't have cooking facilities let alone recipes... We'll see if anyone fancies the. The biggest marrow had suffered a bit of chewing by the looks of it.
Got another 3 rows of leeks into the ground. Probably another 3 rows to do before we go away. Might pop back tonight. The one that have been in the ground for a couple of weeks are beginning to stabilise - they've reached the stage where most guides suggest planting them out - ie pencil thickness.
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Eat up
Had a bbq yesterday, cooking up some cucumber, onions and new potatoes grown by my own green fingers. Very nice too.
Spent a whole 40 minutes on the allotment on Sunday. Pulled up potatoes and about 5 courgettes. There are a load still too immature and also a couple that are now marrows. I'll leave them for a few more days but I'll have to pull them before we go away.
My netted frame has now been lifted 4 inches of the ground by the weeds that are growing in it (safe from the rabbits).
Spent a whole 40 minutes on the allotment on Sunday. Pulled up potatoes and about 5 courgettes. There are a load still too immature and also a couple that are now marrows. I'll leave them for a few more days but I'll have to pull them before we go away.
My netted frame has now been lifted 4 inches of the ground by the weeds that are growing in it (safe from the rabbits).
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Aminopyralid petition
So, we're now told that crops affected by this pesticide can be eaten.
Hmmm.
Of course, Dow AgroSciences reckon its ok too
There's a petition on line at the gov.uk website calling for its ban - no way that's going to happen but it might just help to highlight the issue and actually control its use so that it doesn't simply spread into the manure supplies used on allotments.
Petition to ban aminopyralid
Hmmm.
Of course, Dow AgroSciences reckon its ok too
There's a petition on line at the gov.uk website calling for its ban - no way that's going to happen but it might just help to highlight the issue and actually control its use so that it doesn't simply spread into the manure supplies used on allotments.
Petition to ban aminopyralid
micro irrigation kit
Bought a couple of irrigation kits from woolies today - cost about £4 quid each - needed two to reach down to the greenhouse and branch off to the pot storage area.
Anyway, was a bit fiddly getting the t junctions in and all that. Couple of issues that I've got with it though - can't get water up to the hight staging at the moment - guess there's quite a drop in pressure by the time it reaches the GH.
If you whack up the pressure at the tap then there's too much pressure at the first few drippers which become sprayers instead. Guess I just need to fiddle with it all a bit more. Anyhow, should mean that everything will get a watering when we go off on holiday.
Down to the allotment tomorrow - the young'un seems to be quite keen just now and I do need to put a few hours in.
The missus managed to slip a bit of courgette past the kids vegetable radar this dinnertime... so we can now say that they do like the taste of courgette (or rather the taste of the cheese sauce that they were layered in.
Anyway, was a bit fiddly getting the t junctions in and all that. Couple of issues that I've got with it though - can't get water up to the hight staging at the moment - guess there's quite a drop in pressure by the time it reaches the GH.
If you whack up the pressure at the tap then there's too much pressure at the first few drippers which become sprayers instead. Guess I just need to fiddle with it all a bit more. Anyhow, should mean that everything will get a watering when we go off on holiday.
Down to the allotment tomorrow - the young'un seems to be quite keen just now and I do need to put a few hours in.
The missus managed to slip a bit of courgette past the kids vegetable radar this dinnertime... so we can now say that they do like the taste of courgette (or rather the taste of the cheese sauce that they were layered in.
Friday, 11 July 2008
Rain rain go away....
I've managed maybe 30 minutes on site over the past week - largely due to the inclement weather. Bah.
Our allotment isn't taking any more manure - due to the aminopyralid weedkilling debacle that is going on. See the report in the Telegraph
I've heard that about 8 plots have been affected to varying degrees by this. I (fingers crossed) think I might have been lucky - I was using an older pile of muck from one end of the site, whilst most others were grabbing it from a newer pile at the other end. Anyhow, must be upsetting for those hit by this.
I dug up th rest of my first earlies last night - what with all the rain I was thinking that blight might strike. Got a reasonably good crop - probably enough for 3 family meals from about 5 plants...
Oh, also got 2 courgettes and a strawberry!
Our allotment isn't taking any more manure - due to the aminopyralid weedkilling debacle that is going on. See the report in the Telegraph
I've heard that about 8 plots have been affected to varying degrees by this. I (fingers crossed) think I might have been lucky - I was using an older pile of muck from one end of the site, whilst most others were grabbing it from a newer pile at the other end. Anyhow, must be upsetting for those hit by this.
I dug up th rest of my first earlies last night - what with all the rain I was thinking that blight might strike. Got a reasonably good crop - probably enough for 3 family meals from about 5 plants...
Oh, also got 2 courgettes and a strawberry!
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Raspberry havest - gooooog
Took a whole dishfull of berries tonight - kids ate em all. Plus a good serving of gooseberries. I'll put out some of the new growths from the raspberry onto the allotment site during the week. I think the end nearest the road would be a good spot - they'll only be able to spread out in one direction so I might be able to keep them under control.
I've got so many tomatoes that I planting them in all sorts of strange places - today it was all around and under the kids trampoline. I expect she who must be obeyed will be less than impressed. Ah well.
I've got so many tomatoes that I planting them in all sorts of strange places - today it was all around and under the kids trampoline. I expect she who must be obeyed will be less than impressed. Ah well.
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Pallet construction
Thought I'd test out the practicalities of building with pallets at home before potential embarrassment on the allotment. Got hold of some very good quality timber from some carpentry work taking place at my wife's work, a load of batten softwood from the same source and a few pallets.Put up a lean-to type of shelter for bin bags and recycle-ables - in the end made it large enough to just about accommodate a couple of bikes. As its outside our back door I wouldn't be allowed to build an eyesore. I'm quite pleased with the final result - though I need to get some hinges as the door is currently flapping about midships... poundshop here I come.
I did spend about £20 on roofing for it - probably would get away with free roofing materials on the allotment.Major lesson was that pallet busting with a bolster chisel and a big hammer does work quite well. Also, the inbuilt strength of the pallets is probably the key to success when using them as a construction source - I cut through a pallet to get the right length for the lean-to and no amount of bracing would strengthen that section to a level that would work in an exposed area.
So, once I've cleared a bit more ground and planted a few more plants I think I'll start to slowly put a pallet shed up on the allotment. I've also got a very large & heavy pvc window down there so I'll look at integrating that into the build.
Back on the blog
Been a bit of a mad few weeks - Download festival took some time to recover from - must be getting old (hence the allotment...)
Anyhow, was losing the battle against the couch grass so finally took up the offer from Malcolm on the next plot and got him to rotavate a patch. Put a few rows of Musselborough and Autumn Giant leeks in there - they finally seem to be thickening in the mushroom trays I seeded them in. Anyhow, I think I'd advise people on this site to use some mechanical method to get on top of the weeds. The combination of fairly heavy soil and heavy couch infestation makes weeding manually a tough task. I'd say that I'm on top of about a 3rd of the plot now and I'm making heavy use of straw as a mulch to try and keep it that way.
Had my first crop of earlies last weekend. To be honest the potatoes and onions at the far end of the plot have mostly been left to their own devices and have suffered from thistle and dock encroachment. Still, got a fair few potatoes from the first row that I cropped. That end of the plot now looks a little like an Afghan poppy field - thanks to a nearby farmer who went for a colourful look 'n' feel a year or two ago.
Anyhow, was losing the battle against the couch grass so finally took up the offer from Malcolm on the next plot and got him to rotavate a patch. Put a few rows of Musselborough and Autumn Giant leeks in there - they finally seem to be thickening in the mushroom trays I seeded them in. Anyhow, I think I'd advise people on this site to use some mechanical method to get on top of the weeds. The combination of fairly heavy soil and heavy couch infestation makes weeding manually a tough task. I'd say that I'm on top of about a 3rd of the plot now and I'm making heavy use of straw as a mulch to try and keep it that way.
Had my first crop of earlies last weekend. To be honest the potatoes and onions at the far end of the plot have mostly been left to their own devices and have suffered from thistle and dock encroachment. Still, got a fair few potatoes from the first row that I cropped. That end of the plot now looks a little like an Afghan poppy field - thanks to a nearby farmer who went for a colourful look 'n' feel a year or two ago.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)