Potato Progress & Seed Rescue

Look what I found when I went down to the Allotment today!

Yes, I have Potato Progress

I decided that I would be able to pay more attention to my Tomato & Courgette sowings if they were in my utility room.  That's due to these April Showers of course and the inability to get to the Greenhouse without getting soaked, so here there are at home!

My Cucino Seeds have Germinated

Well 2 out of 4 did so 50% isn't bad and I am looking forward to all the baby Cucumbers that they will produce.

Potato Competition!

Before I get to the Potato Competition, here are pictures (not very exciting) of the Cucino seed that I sowed at the greenhouse the other day

However I have brought them home as they need a more constant temperature to germinate

Oh yes, there is also a pot of Basil (brown pot) at the back.

Now for the Potato Competition

How very exciting and all for only  a £1 entry fee

So I got my pot & seed potato

Popped in some compost and then the potato

I labelled and watered it

& 

my fingers are now crossed

There are two Prizes

One is for the biggest crop

& 

One is for the biggest potato!!

When I went to the Trading Hut today to pay my £1, I found out that there were already 8 entrants, so that's good.

Recent Harvests

Savoy Cabbage, Apples & a Pear

Plums & Cucino (Baby Cucumbers)

Cherry Tomatoes, Cucino, Courgettes & Cucumber (not in photo)

Strawberry & Seedlings!

It was such an exciting day today as I popped in to water the plants in the greenhouse, as I saw lots of germination going on!  It's all thanks to this nice warm weather we are having....

Butternut Squash

 Cucumbers

Cucino

Carrots (it's the little green thing to the left of the picture)

Marigolds

& a Strawberry!!



Peas and digging holes!

Progress at the allotment is always very slow when Junior is there with me, but I had a plan!  I asked Junior to make sure that his broad beans and strawberry plants were very well watered, due to the last few days and of course the current day of hot weather. 

He had brought some pea seeds to plant, he got a packet of peas in a birthday card, so I told him that he had to water the ground well in preparation - this meant several trips to and from the water tank with not only his watering can, but some of my small ones too, as I was watering the plants and seedlings in the greenhouse too - the plan was going well.

When it got to "planting" I got a bamboo stick as a straight line marker and showed Junior what to do - the rest is history - he did his interpretation of what I had showed him and planted away.

This kept him busy for at least half an hour, which left me free to get on with my peas that had been started off in the greenhouse and were due to be planted out any day now!

Junior then decided that he wanted to dig a hole, so I let him get on with that too!  He wanted to dig for marbles but found a 5 pence piece instead!!

I was able to plant about 20 broad beans in my broad bean patch to fill in a few gaps.  Sorry I forgot to take photo's of both my achievements today, and I say achievements because that's exactly what they were - I had a plan and it worked today as I was able to get on with a few jobs that I had been needing to get on with.

Yesterday, whilst I had some free time, I sowed:

Sweetcorn
Baby corn (1st attempt so not sure what to expect)
Runner Beans (Lady Di a string less variety) &
Dwarf French Beans

So my greenhouse is looking very "full up" now.

I have 3 varieties of Tomatoes in the cold frame at home - Moneymaker, Roma & Cherry and various chilli's, sweet peppers, Cucino (baby cucumbers) and leeks, all at home on the utility room window sill.  It's very tempting to put them out but I must be wary of a late frost, which could still come as it did this time last year, so I may just pot on the Cucino, Chilli & Sweet peppers for now and leave the tomatoes where they are!

I did cheat the other day and bought some Cauliflower & Savoy cabbage plants from the garden centre - with Junior around this year, I am not ready to be totally self productive as it's all so new having him around - maybe next year when I am a little more organised.

So much to do!

Chit & Shed

Yes that was Chit as a title and not any other word!!

YESTERDAY: Firstly let me mention my shed - basically, due to the roof felt not having been pinned back properly when it was first put up in March 2009, my fault entirely, the rain fell off the roof felt, went against the wood and rotted the floor. My very kind friend from the plot next door - Brian 144a - offered to change it for me and that he did!! I supplied the chipboard and he did the work! When I went down there yesterday it had all been done, so whilst I spent a few hours giving the contents of the shed a good sort out, Junior weeded his broad beans and we spent 2 hours happily doing what needed to be done!

TODAY: I braved the rain and made it to the allotment shop with my son in toe. I needed to get down there for my potatoes but he didn't have a choice. Then again neither did I when I was 8 - where my parents went so did I and I can tell you, I never went to anywhere as exciting as an allotment - I think the most exciting place I ever got to go was the church or something to do with it!! Anyway I whiter on .....

It was a slippy road once we went through the allotment gates - but we made it in the lashing rain to the shop and I bought some Cucino seeds (little cucumbers) Runner Bean seeds (Lady Di - Junior says he doesn't like runner beans but he's never tasted allotment ones) and some compost which will be very kindly delivered to my allotment greenhouse!

Then I picked up my Potatoes:

1kg of Pentland Javelin


These first early Pentland Javelin seed potatoes have white, waxy flesh and a creamy texture making them an ideal potato for boiling or in salads. These are slightly later than other first earlies, but grow well in all soil types and have good all-round disease resistance, especially golden eelworm.

Earlies are less likely to encounter pest problems as they are lifted so much earlier in the year. These can be planted in the south ( UK) mid March; further north by late March / early April.The actual time will depend on weather conditions. First early potatoes should be planted in rows allowing about 30cm between tubers, and 60cm between rows.

3kg Cara


Late Maincrop.

Round/oval pinkish-red eyed tubers with soft moist flesh. Particularly good baker. Withstands drought. Very disease resistant, including golden eelworm and blight. The allotment favourite.

I haven't gone as mad this year as I did last year - see http://alithefrog.blogspot.com/2010/02/potatoes-spuds-tatties-are-chitting-in.html as I really don't know what time scales I have on my hands this year with an 8 year old to entertain during the school holidays, so I am downsizing everything including the potatoes, although I may pick up a kilo of Roosters as they are good roasters.

My one dilemma this year is where to chit! Yes, last year, I chitted in the bathroom but this year Junior uses this bathroom including the bath on a daily basis, so I have to find another room. The guest bedroom will be too cold as the heating is off in there, so the only other place is here in my hobbies room, yes I have potatoes all over the floor!!!