Weeded, weeded and weeded some more.

Took the cover off my brassicas as they were getting too large for it and there was no give on the wondermesh. They are large enough now not to worry about birds etc.

Broads are almost ready for picking, maybe another 2 weeks.

(see pic) Picked a beetroot and a new carrot to see how they were doing. Well the carrot I could have used as a toothpick but the beetroot was ok, small but will taste sweet and nice. At least I now know the carrots will be ready soon.

Spinach continues to bolt but once flowers removed it grows very fast indeed. Thinned out the swede's which have pretty much all germinated. Runner beans now established and growing nicely. All main crop carrots are a couple of inches and all main pots up and growing. Some are getting flowers already, not sure why that is or whether its normal.

At home 1 strawberry is ready for picking although its grown a strange shape. Tomato's are growing well but I'm not sure whether the flowers are being pollinated or not. Used a brush on them so hope they'll be ok. Courgette's are now growing and about to flower, looks like courgette on toast for Sunday brunch for a while.

Curly Kale almost ready for putting out but it's in roottrainers so there is no rush. Leeks also ready for putting out and both of these will go in place of new pots once they are eaten. And I've been eating alot of them, they are lovely.

These are before I strimmed so it does look better now, I'll post some more tomorrow....

Over the weekend....

Frost on Monday and Tue has hurt my new pots and they are dying off on the top. I dug one up to see what was under and found a lovely batch of Annabelle ready to pick, so have been eating them ever since. Got enough for a couple of months but not sure how the plants will survive with the frost damage.

Pretty much all my Spinach had bolted so removed the emerging flowers. Took a cutting from the Spinach also as the leaves were fairly large around the outside. Not tried it yet but shall tonight, it's Bloomsdale.

Thinned the beetroot to their final positions and added the leaves to a salad, tasted quite strong for such a small leaf.

Broad bean pods are now 4 inches on my first sown batch so will have some soon, all plants are over 3 feet and the ones I've not pinched out are still growing so put some more string around as my plot is fairly open and windy.

Sprouts and Broccoli all getting large will soon have to remove the wondermesh as it's not big enough to give it more height. I'll stick some cabbage collars around then I think but the biggest worry is blackbirds, they've really hit my neighbours.

Put my runner support up and planted the beans. Glad I left it til now as most beans already out on the site have died with the frosts.

The half row of cabbage I put in has not germinated very well, not yet anyway but the row of Swede has almost all come up.

Strimmed down the sides of the allotment and around the shed, it really was getting quite bad but looks alot better now. Have some weed suppresser to put down but didn't get the chance this weekend.

At home, Thinned the Kale in my roottrainers as had put 2 in each. Not much else growing there now, except chilli's and salad bits.

I'll add some pics to the blog later today.

Weeded, weeded and hoe'd :)

Watered everything as even with the rain we had, the ground was dry.

Got first flowers on my early potatos so I reckon another 4 weeks and we can harvest some. In fact it will be nice to harvest something. I hope the slugs have not eaten them !

Broads are full of flowers and small pods, gave a good water. Onions going a little yellow at the tops but not bolting and gonig to seed so left them alone.

Main crop pots all up now so earthed them up.

Went around the whole plot with garden shears cutting all sorts of perennials down, some were completely out of control and 4 feet high. Very hard work but satisfying seeing it looking a little nicer.

Brassicas are almost 3 feet high now so might have to remove the netting as its only 4 feet itself. Got some cabbage covers which I will put around them as alot of whites flying around.

Runners at home have grown so fast had to remove a shelf from the greenhouse. Will plant these out next week once I've made a few wigwams.

Tough day in all, had to chase kids who had come in the allotment through the gate and I'd not seen them. The oldest said his Step-Dad would come and beat me up ! I'll risk it :)

A nice sunny day yesterday at the allotment, although I only had a few of hours to spend there.

Mainly did weeding which was becoming a little out of hand, the surrounding area around my plot is very overgrown and looks like I'm going to have to buy a petrol brushcutter to control it. Can borrow off other people but dont want to be asking them all the time.

Thinned out my carrots, or what remains of them as alot have either not germinated at all, or have been even by the slugs. I forgot to pellet them but have done so now. Sowed some Spinach in the half row of missing carrots as this will grow fast and we eat lots of it.

Weeded the enclosed brassicas which really are growing fast. Have only lost 1 complete broccoli to slug damage and as I have 15 plants, not too worried. Re-pelleted the enclosure, I have no problem using pellets to kill slugs, it's the only non-organic thing I've used so far.

Broad Beans are now all flowering, in fact the second row which I sowed direct have caught the home grown seeds up so I may get these all at once. I have pods on most which are only about 2 inches long at the moment, but should be able to harvest some fairly soon.

Early spuds not flowered yet so looks like I have a little while to wait before I can get any of these.

Spinach is growing really fast, I can harvest this now I think, but will let them establish a little more first. Have a full row and a half now and Mrs Sebbster loves it so she will be happy.

Main Crop pots are mostly all through now, already earthed up and they were planted 8 inch down so no need to worry about them.

Sowed half a row of Savoy cabbage, had the seeds so put them in but I'm not overly keen on them. Will see how they grow and use it as experience. Saw alot of cabbage whites around the allotments so they will need covering.

Sowed a row of Swede's.

At home, 3 growbags in action. 1 full of salad onions and 1 Courgette plant, 1 has 2 tomato's (Burpless Tasty Green) and a few lettuces and the other will be planted with 2 cucumbers and a chili plant.

Set 2 trays of runner beans last week and already 6-8 inch high. They do look a little leggy but shouldn't be as plenty of light and warmth. Wont be long before I put these out as my little greenhouse cannot house a quick grower for long.

Curly Kale is all showing.

Potted 2 Comfrey plants which I received a few days ago. This stuff grows very very fast so I'm not sure whether I'll plant it in the open on the allotment or in a big tub.

Lettuce covered in Greenfly so sprayed them all with washing-up liquid water.

Potted on a couple of courgettes, thinned out my Spinach, weeded the onion beds and checked the Wondermesh covering the brassicas. In fact something is eating the wondermesh which is a worry, got very small holes in a few places around it but will still do the trick.

Took the weevils off my broads, they really have done a nasty job on them. All are flowering now and the first in were covered in black fly so pinched the tops off. They are high enough now. Cant stop the weevils though, the whole allotment seems to have the same problem as I checked out a few others and they have the same problem. Also attacking my neighbours peas now.

Only half a row of beetroot has germinated so planted some replacements after making the soil a little easier with some sharp sand and compost.

Early carrots are showing nicely albeit a little late, still covered with fleece. Main Carrots also showing, not covered yet but soon will be.

Went to Poundland which is now the place for cheap gardening, I picked up a wooden full size dibber, 4 rolls of 5m x 1.5m weed supressant, 3 more rolls of 6m x 1m fleece and a multi hose attachment. Less than a tenner !

At home tomatos have been outside now for about 3 weeks and are growing well, still watching out for frosts. Chilli's have their first fruits on and the strawberry plant has flowered and will be bearing fruit soon. Only have 1 as I just wanted to try them.

90% of my 50 Salvia's have germinated but are growing really slowly, I guess this must be normal. The 50 pot marigolds are all germinated and are now growing well.

Waiting for 30 Runner Beans to come through, not in a rush for these still a little early.

Piccys

Earthed up and watered, not much else....

I did check out other peoples Broad's though, they are all getting munched by weevils so it's not just me. I have pods though :)