The Weedless Wonder - My Allotment

May at the Plot

2011-05-24T16:34:00.000+01:00

I`ve been really busy since my last update at the plot.

All the Desire spuds went in in the last week of March and they`ce come on so quickly I was worried that any late Spring frost might harm them but fortunately we`ve had a mild and fairly dry Spring so I think we`re out of the danger zone.

I`ve got various varieties of Spring Onions in, Beetroot, Peas and Onion which are coming on nicely.

Experienced some problems with the peas not germinating either too dry and/or we had little visitors!!!

My parsnips ( see photo 2nd bed away ) are looking really healthy this year and after the problems I had last year with canker and forking so I`m more confident they will provide a good healthy crop this year.

I`m giving it another go with the Sweetcorn this year after the badgers pounced just as the silks were forming and polished off the whole crop!!!

I`ve built an enclosure I hope will resist the anticipated badger attack later in the season....I`ve staggered the sowing this year so have 9 in now with another 9 germinating as I type so fingers crossed!!!!

2nd Day of Spring!!

2011-03-22T14:07:00.000Z

Just finished my set of weekend day shifts and on my first day off it`s a beautiful Spring day so me and my Shih Tzu Harry went off down to the plot.

My first job was to move some rhubarb that had appeared on one of our newly formed beds we must have missed in Autumn when we created a rhubarb patch.

That done I created two trenches ready to plant my potatoes, currently chitting, towards the end of the month.

Potato Trench

The warm weather obviously got the better of me encouraging me to sow a dozen or so Gladiator Parsnips.
I had a poor return last year but I`m giving it another go this year. I created a hole in the ground using a stake, back filled with compost and sowed 3 seeds per hole.
Hopefully Ill end up with a strong parsnip seedling which will grow on over Summer giving lovely parsnips in late Autumn.

Just sowed Parsnips

Next to go in were my Red Baron onion sets.....3 rows in one bed and well netted to keep the birds away. Had a problem with white rot last year but not using that bed for onions for a few years now.

I also took the opportunity to sow some Lilia Spring Onions in a large pot in the Greenhouse.
I`ll transplant these outdoors in April when the ground has warmed up.

Lastly I sowed some some Evesham Brussel Sprouts in pots in the greenhouse too.
I has a disaster last year so hopefully with a little more experience i might get a crop in Winter!!!

And nice to see my Aronia Viking fruit bush coming on well after i replanted it in Autumn. It`s only in the second growing season and should provide some high vitamin fruit in the next few years.

Aronia Viking 22nd March 2011

13 Months on!!

2011-02-22T22:22:00.000Z

Can't believe its 13 months now since I took over my plot........

2010 was a mixed first year with some success and plenty of failures.

I lost pretty much all my potato crop to slugs and what I think was wire worm.
Plenty of the crop had tiny holes burrowed into them and bigger holes containing content slugs munching away.

The parsnips forked and I probably left them in the ground too long but I'll give them another go this year.

The cauliflower and cabbages were OK but all seemed to crop at the same time so had some wastage.

My lovely sweetcorn gave the badgers a great late Summer snack....everyone of them.

I am better prepared this year after Autumn digging and adding plenty of manure.

After digging over in Autumn I now have use of a tiller rotavator which although I know is lazy really helps break down my clay solid in to a finer tilth than just by digging and raking.

Top little helper......

The beds look well this year already and I'm going to be more organised in terms of selecting the right crops for each bed and staggering the planting to give a longer crop.

I've bought my seeds from the allotment society and the potatoes are chitting away nicely.

I'll list what I've bought on my next blog but I've added a photo of the plot taken pretty much at the same time of the photo I opened the Blog with in 2010.

My plot January 2011

End of Season Nears

2010-10-12T16:07:00.000+01:00

Well apologies I've not been as active on here as I had hoped but Summer has flashed by.
I've thoroughly enjoyed the plot this year and my parents have really helped out.
We has some success and plenty of failures.
We did well with mangetout peas, onions, spring onions, lettuce, swedes, beetroot and ok with Parsnips.
Our cabbage and cauliflower were good but I didnt stagger the planting enough and ended up with an early glut!!!
We lost all our sweetcorn to the badgers and 70% of our spuds to blight , slugs and wireworm.
We`ve spent the last few weeks prepping the beds for next season and we`ve planted some Spring Cabbage, relocated the Saskatoons and Gooseberry bushes and spread a fair amount of muck about.
My dad bought a petrol cultivator and it has proved to be brilliant in terms of breaking up the beds after I had dug them over.....

The red bush in the foreground is my Aronia Viking fruit bush. I have transplanted this due to an invasion of comfrey in it`s original bed.....I hope it takes to it's new spot!!
Anyway thats it for this years barring any photos I take over Winter....see you in Spring.

Problems!!

2010-07-30T11:21:00.001+01:00

Bit of a mare this week...discovered about a dozen onions with white rot which I believe from research is not good and no onions should be planted in that bed for 7 years!!!

Then the dreaded badgers have struck....not my sweetcorn but my pumpkins and squash have been attacked!!! Not a lot I can do I suppose but I was growing the pumpkins for Halloween so gutted!!!

Everything else going well but poor planning has lead to a glut of iceberg lettuce and cauliflower so some I couldnt harvest in time have ended up on the compost heap because they had bolted or started to rot....but that`s what this first year is about I suppose....still loads to learn.

July - What a great month!!!

2010-07-04T15:00:00.000+01:00

Wow.....I`ve been so busy at the allotment I`ve not posted for a while.

I intend to post some photos from the plot to show the fantastic improvement since I took over in January ( see main.m pic on Blog!!!)

All my fruit and veg are doing really well thanks to a lovely Cheshire June and a good suplly of water on site!!

We are harvesting our radish, spinach, beetroot and rocket.

The spuds will be ready soon and the lettuce hearts are forming nicely.

The sweetcorn is in now but I need to build defences against the badger ser living nearby...chicken wire and flood lights should help!!!!

Ive also sown pumpkins and squash and they are really growing on well.

Ill give proper update soon but hope you enjoy my pics!!!

Sweetcorn going in.....with a little help

Beetroot and carrots

First Raddish

Blackcurrants

The allotment now...compare to image of main page!!!!

Busy Busy May!!

2010-05-19T17:37:00.000+01:00

Wow.....how busy is May on the allotment??

I've been busy sowing lettuce, spinach, beetroot and spring onions out in the beds....hopefully we are nearing the end of the frost patches up here in the North.

Talking about frost 60% of my spuds have been affected by the frost with wilted brown leaves. I took some advice and tried covering the growth but maybe too late!!!

Hopefully the spuds under ground will be fine and fingers crossed for a bumper crop.

Spuds before the frost arrived!!

A fellow plot holder kindly gave me some broccoli (spears) to plant in which I have now done.

In the greenhouse my sweetcorn I sown is coming on nicely and 16 out of 19 seeds have germinated in my 3" pots.

We`ve also sown some sweetcorn seeds in toilet rolls filled with compost as an experiment so looking forward to see how well they germinate!!

My squash and pumpkins have all germinated and I`m really looking forward to growing these for the first time.

I had my last hard day of digging on my sweetcorn bed this week....hard graft....I had dug over in Feb but as my ground is so heavy I was left with large dry lumps of soil ( clay!) which took a fair bit of digging and raking to break down but hopefully it will be worth it went the sweetcorns go in....gave the bed a good sprinkling of growmore fertiliser.

Looking forward to the next months's growing.

My Aronia Viking fruit bush settling in nicely

Lastly I've been watching the Edible Garden on BBC2 and it's been really educational not just in terms of the sowing but the harvesting and preserving of crops I'm growing on the plot.

Learning Curve of April

2010-05-06T10:17:00.000+01:00

Well I've had a busy April on the plot and in the greenhouse with some sucess and a lot of failures!!!

The failures first....outside on the plot in mid April I sowed a row of peas ( Kelvedon Wonder ) and all but one failed to germinate.....My Parsinps also sown mid April in purpose made holes in the ground filled with compost also seem to be struggling although there are signs of possible germination now.

In the greenhouse I lost a full tray of sunflowers and lettuce because I missed two days watering and this together with temp hitting 100 degrees F inside the greenhouse caused the problem I think.

I also sowed 4 x Peppers in 3" pots early - mid April and all failed to germinate.

Ten days ago I sowed courgettes and last week I sowed pumpkins and Squash so hopefully the warmer conditions will bring them on.

A couple of days ago I sowed my sweetcorn and I intend cultivating around 20 plants hoping for a bumper harvest but I have been warned by established allotment holders that Badgers have been a problem eating the sweecorns over the last couple of seasons even by-passing security to get acces to the crop!!!

On a positive note I have re sown lettuce and peas in the greenhouse and they are coming on well together with cabbage, sprouts and cauliflower...I'm just waiting for the right time to transplant outdoors into the Calabrese plot.

Out door my beetroot, radish and perpetual spinach are germinating nicely and the crop of spuds have really come on and the fresh growth have made it through the dry soil and are showing nicely.

With all this dry weather in Romiley I have not been watering as much as I should have been doing but lesson learnt!!!

And finally my Saskatoons and Aronia bushes are really coming on well and hopefully will provide a lovely crop of healthy berries in years to come.

Really enjoying my first Spring on the allotment and will be back on here soon with further updates....can't wait to eat my first crop!!

Sowing Time at the Plot

2010-04-08T12:20:00.000+01:00

With the greenhouse up and running I managed to sow Brussel Sprouts, Cauilflower, Lettuce and peppers this week all in the greenhouse.
I sowed 5 each of the Sprouts and Cauliflower in small pots with the intention of transplanting when the ground warms up. I also intend to sow directly into the ground next week to allow comparison between greenhouse and bed sown crops.
I`ll keep you updated.

I also sowed a small run of beetroot direct into the bed and prepared a small trench with growmore for my peas which I will sow next week direct into the ground.
I also intend to sow some in small peat pots in the greenhouse again to compare the sets.
Finally I sowed some parsnips, my favourite veg.
I used a short scaffold pole to make 6" holes in the bed and then back filled with compost. I sowed 2 seeds per "hole" and watered in.
Hopefully the parsnips will grow nicely through the soft compost rather than forcing through my heavy clay.
Time will tell!!!

I visited th Gardens at Tatton Park with the twins yesterday....really enjoyed the visit even if the gardens were still fairly dormant...but well worth a visit if you live nearby.

Spuds & Onion Sets Planted

2010-03-28T20:53:00.001+01:00

Well at last...after 3 months of clearing, preparing and digging the day finally came on Saturday 26th March when I planted my first crop.
My chitted Dunluce, Charlottes and Maris Pipers were eventually ready and I moved them into our new greenhouse readily available to plant.

I've set 4 beds aside for the spuds with a bed for each variety and the 4th bed a mixture of Maris Piper and Charlottes.I prepared the trench and lined with a layer of compost, shop bought unfortunately until next year when I should have my own home produced compost.

I covered the spuds and formed a nice ridge ready for the first shoots to appear so I can earth up as the plants develop.

After the spuds I planted out Sturton onion sets in 1 bed set in 4 rows.

I marked the end of each row with a cane ready to net if the birds descend!!!

My Rhubarb is slowly coming on...not anywhere as impressive as more established crowns on the allotment but it`s coming along nicely.

I have 4 rhubarb crowns on the allotment now.

And finally a nice picture of my plot that shows the progress made since I started in early January 2010

( see main picture )My plot is to the right of the path and runs from the Greenhouse we built to the right of the photo and off shot.

Greenhose Built !!!!!!!!

2010-03-20T14:16:00.000Z

Just a quick update;

The greenhouse is built now, anchored firmly in the ground and the paving stones set as a path inisde the greenhouse and steps and a patio outside.

I`ve "plumbed" in the water butt which will prove invaluable in Summer as we are some distance from the nearest water tap.

We`ve laid bark down and for the time being we`ve put in our old staging from our old plastic "greenhouse" which will do until we`ve built the wooden staging. Looks OK doesn`t it ???

I`m going to sow some seeds in the greenhouse in the next week probably Peppers, Autumn Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts. My plan is to sow them in small pots and transplant into the bed when the weather warms up sufficiently. Hope this works !!

My next update next week should have pictures of my potatoes and onion sets going in...can`t wait!!!!

Digging Done !!!!!!

2010-03-08T10:07:00.000Z

Well I have somehow managed to dig all 14 beds now even allowing for the cold weather.

I have managed to break down the heavy clumps of soil / clay on half of the beds and it was very satisfying.

I feel the main plot is really looking like an allotment now !!!!

Main Plot - 95 square yards

I plan to put the spuds in by mid March together with the onion sets I bought some weeks ago.

I dont`t feel the ground is warm enough yet so although keen to put my first crop in I know patience will pay off.

Second Plot - 76 square yards.

This photo was taken before I had split the small plot into quaters.

My 3 saskattons have gone in with redcurrant, blackeberry and gooseberry bushes.

I intend to grow just fruit on this second plot including alpine strawberry and rhubarb !!!

Greenhouse

Our 8 x 6 ploycarbonate green house arrived and we started erecting it on Saturday.

Not nearly as difficult as I had imagined and now we just have to install the polycarbonate and we can start off some seeds for the veg.

Birdlife on the Weedless Wonder

2010-03-03T17:22:00.000Z

I managed to get snaps of some birds active next to my plot today.

I saw plenty of what I know believe to be Long Tailed Tits and Blue Tits.

Really great to see these birds on the site.

I also managed a snap of this bird but I can't make out what the bird is...any help appreciated !!

Also heard the woodpecker again and would love to snatch a photo !!!

Light at the end of the tunnel !!!!

2010-03-02T16:28:00.000Z

Well....after plenty of digging and clearing the plot is starting to look like I can grow tasty vegetables on it.

As shown in the photo all the beds have been turned now and compost added..........I`ve still to decide specifically what I`m going to grow in each bed but I know what I intend to grow....spuds, onions, sweetcorn, lettuce, beetroot, spinach, courgettes, parsnsips, cabbage and one or two vegs I`ve never tried before.
I've been on the plot today and it`s been a beautiful early Spring day...the Golden Finchs were out in force and I heard the beautiful sound of the woodpecker on the allotment...I've not seen it yet but I'm sure I will over the coming months so my camera will be at the ready !!!!

I had some good news the other day with regards to another small plot on a different site I've been waiting on for 3 years now...I made it to the top of the waiting list and I've managed to negotiate a 77 square yard plot where I intend to grow my fruit bushes, rhubarb and strawberrys and the good news it`s a two minute walk from my house!!!
I've picked up some Gosseberry Careless, Redcurrant Jonkheer van Tets, Blackberry and the 3 Saskatoons I ordered have arrived so I'm really looking forward to getting the fruit bushes planted up.....Harvest can`t come quick enough to try making the the preserves and chutneys I'm going to try so any advice welcome.
The spud seeds will be going in and the greenhouse erected over the next two weeks weather permitting so I'll update again soon.

Saskatoon A new Scottish superfood fruit crop

2010-02-20T20:46:00.000Z

I want to grow a few fruit bushes on the plot so I can harvest the fruit and make smoothies and preserves for our twins.
I already have a couple of established although not very healthy looking blackcurrant bushes but I have recently come across the Saskatoon berry and really fancy trying them out.
Saskatoon fruit growing is a new age superfood health product.
Although it has been around for ages, its value as a healthy fruit is only just being realised.
The demand for the fruit far outstrips its production.
The fruit is really well harvested in Canada.
A grower has introduced them to Scotland in an experiment to find out if our climate will allow them to grow, fruit and ripen.

The plants and seeds are available in UK, but they have only been grown as very attractive ornamental garden shrubs rather than for their fruit.
The Saskatoon is a large fruiting variety of the shrub, Amelanchier alnifolia. Another Amelanchier, A. canadensis commonly known as the snowy mespilus, grows extremely well all over the UK.
Saskatoons were a major food crop for the north american indians for centuries, but only recently is their full potential being realised, with the demand for new healthy superfoods.
So I've just put an order in for three 1 year old potted plants and I'll be planting them in as soon as it's safe to do so.

I'll let you know how I get on !!!!

Still digging!!!

2010-02-10T20:42:00.000Z

With Spring looming on the horizon ( I know the eternal optimist!! ) I still have four beds to dig over and I`m keen to do it before the weather warms up so I can turn the soil over and let some much needed air into my soil.
Looking at the weather forecast ( snow and ice !! ) I took a chance and nipped up to my plot yesterday with Harry ( our little dog!! )..I'm determined to get those beds sorted and although not ideal digging weather I managed to dig one of my beds 14 feet x 4 feet...the soil was so compact and as it is heavy clay it was hard work...this area has clearly been walked on far too much and hopefully the predicted snow and ice will help break down the clumps of clay ( soil!!) before Spring arrives.
Harry was happy running around and somehow managed to unearth a small animal skull!!!! Think it was a small dog or maybe even a sheep but I managed to retrieve it from him and disposed of it.
I`ve still to erect the new 6 x 8 polycarbonate greenhouse but again it`s a case of fitting that in weather permitting!!!
I've also managed to source a supply of horse manure from a local stables so I`ll be nipping up there next week with my trailer.

Growing Fruit & Vegetables - how to videos Growing Fruit & Vegetables

2010-02-07T10:57:00.000Z

Growing Fruit & Vegetables - how to videos Growing Fruit & Vegetables

How To Plant Potatoes (Lifestyle & Home: Growing Fruit & Vegetables)

2010-02-07T10:06:00.000Z

How To Plant Potatoes (Lifestyle & Home: Growing Fruit & Vegetables)

An Introduction To Vegetable Gardens (Lifestyle & Home: Growing Fruit & Vegetables)

2010-02-07T09:58:00.000Z

An Introduction To Vegetable Gardens (Lifestyle & Home: Growing Fruit & Vegetables)

Potato Seeds & Onions have arrived ...at last !!!

2010-02-07T09:49:00.000Z

Potato Seeds & Onions have arrived ...at last !!!

2010-02-07T09:10:00.000Z

I've just received my potato seeds and think I may have over ordered....I ordered 3kg of each variety so will have to allocate 4 beds to spud growing. Not all bad because the spuds will help tp break up my clay soil for next year!!!!!

I though I'd share with you what I am growing;

Maris Piper

A great all-purpose choice

Makes superb chips (as your local take-away will confirm) and is good too for mashing and baking. A reliable general purpose choice with good resistance to eelworm. Maincrop variety. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - new, boil, steam, mash, chips, saute, baked and roast.

Dunluce
Superb sweet taste!

A variety that will suit those who do not care for very waxy early potatoes. Dunluce has a superb sweet taste and cream flesh which is soft and a little drier than some. It's a very early variety and suitable for forcing in pots in the greenhouse too. First Early variety. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - new, boil, steam, mash, saute and baked

Lady Balfour
A good choice for organic growers!

A Scottish bred variety which has a number of key attributes for garden use. Possessing excellent resistance to some of the major potato diseases including blight, scab and virus Y, Lady Balfour can usually be grown well without chemicals. As it thrives in low fertility situations it can be grown with less artificial fertiliser too. The partly coloured tubers have tasty firm flesh best suited to boiling or baking as 'jackets'. Second Early variety. Skin Colour - White. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - boil, steam, mash, saute, baked and roast.

Charlotte
The classic salad potato

Classic salad potato against which others are judged! Matures as a latish first early, producing good numbers of medium sized oval tubers with a very fine flavour. Very waxy when young and perfect hot or cold. Good blight and scab resistance. Award of Garden Merit. A Salad variety. Skin Colour - Yellow. Flesh Colour - Yellow. Uses - new, boil, steam, mash and saute.

I have also received my onion sets namely Sturton & F1 Forum

I have a couple of Blackcurrant bushes established on my ploy and I've decided to add another " healthy " fruit source to the plot and I've chosen;

Aronia Viking
Attractive & super-nutritious!

One of the less well known "superfoods", an aronia would make a worthy addition to any garden. Native to North America, it's a deciduous shrub that likes mild, damp conditions (ideal for ther UK!), with attractive spring blossom, glossy green leaves and brilliant autumn foliage. Its clusters of small, purple-black fruits are too sharp to eat raw, but are delicious in sauces, toppings, juices and smoothies. Plus they're packed with vitamins and boast three times the level of antioxidants found in blueberries!

I've started chitting my spuds now and will have to finish off preparing my beds now...weather permitting !!!!!

The Weather Channel

2010-02-02T20:45:00.000Z

The Weather Channel

Welcome to my Weedles Wonder Blog

2010-02-02T20:40:00.000Z

I have just taken over a 1/3 size allotment on the outskirts of Stockport with my Dad.
The plot is around 14 feet wide and around 60 feet in length.
The soil is heavy clay.
This site has been covered by fruit cages for many years and the front 1/3 area is split by paths where various fruit bushes were set.
The remainder has around 10 standard beds 4 feet x 13 feet.
We are going to site a 6 x 8 greenhouse on the front section as we intend to grow as much from seed as we can.
Having inherited the plot in December 2009 I was unable to get on the plot due to the heavy snow.
However by mid January I was able to get on the plot but had to clear barrow fulls of slate, metal and various other strange bits.
The beds were in desperate need of a good digging which I have managed to do over the last week or so with only a few left to attack.
The greenhouse has arrived and we will erect that this week weather permitting.
I'm waiting on my spud seeds to arrive so I can start chitting ( I know I'm a bit late!!)
I have had an allotment some years ago for 2 seasons but had to choose between the allotment and my Man Utd season ticket....the allotment lost but thanks to the Glazer`s continual price increases I gave the season ticket up too and have now been waiting for around 3 years for a plot to come free.
I hope you follow me through the year and post advice and help wherever you seem fit.
See you soon.