My First Dig & Weed of 2012

As the weather was dry today, I decided to visit Plot 144 and get Digging & Weeding, however, as all allotmenteers know, if you say you are going to the allotment for an hour, you really need 2 so that you can get all the chatting in too, especially when the weather is favourable and more plot holders are on site!

So when I arrive I find a "Dalek" type composting bin by my wooden compost bins.  I was mine, once, but I gave it to a fellow plot holder as he was just starting out.  He happened to be there and told me that he didn't have a need for it any more, so I decided to put it to good use by putting anything new from kitchen scraps to weeds in there from now on, which meant that my current 2 composting bins - the wooden ones - could have a rest and the bits that are already in them will have a good chance to get on an make me some compost!

I then had to take all the kitchen scraps that I had put into the wooden composters and move them to their new  home

I then got to weeding the Garlic in the 1st raised bed.....

 And the onions next to that.....

And then I dug the patch next to that and weeded it at the same time

So a good 2 hours spent there today and a good third of my plot weeded and dug over!

Hooray

More from 144 (and a little from 121)

This IS my allotment neighbour Brian, who's always on hand to help me with something - bless him!

He's just so kind to me and so handy!!

Ok now here's some pictures of plants in my greenhouse

First are my sweetpeas

Here are the Peas (back) Rocket (left) and Cos (right)

Broad Beans

 Cos!

 Onions and leeks are in (this is the raised bed that Brian was fixing for me as it's bowed

 Broad beans outside



Onions & Garlic have finished sunbathing!

After a week of basking in the sun on plot 121, my garlic and onions were ready to bring home, so I took my trusty bike trailer with me as I knew that I wouldn't be able to carry 20 plastic bags of them back!

A few of the onions still need some drying out, but I took these back anyway and they are now drying in the back garden.

As you can see, by the time I lifted the garlic into the trailer there was room for little else!

Once home the onions were strung up & will hand in the sun for a day.

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I did try to plait the garlic but after a few dozen failed attempts and getting frustrated in the 30 degree heat I strung them up in the same fashion as the onions!

I also have about 2 dozen Onion & Garlic bulbs that were not suitable for stringing up,so these were trimmed and put in bowl in the kitchen, to be used first and handy for cooking!

A busy mid May....

I went to the plot every day this week doing little jobs here and there including the weeding!  I find that doing an hour here and two hours there is easier for my foot to cope with than doing a six hour stint at a time!       Here are my Aubergines (2nd attempt as the snails got the first lot!

And these are my newly planted seed of Marigolds & leeks

I managed to buy a grow bag for £2 and put some sweet peppers in it

And my strawberry plants on 122 are looking good

These are the onions on 122

And the Garlic next door to the onions on 122

Also on plot 122 are my main crops, again showing sprouts of life after being earthed up to protect them from the frosts last week

And finally the last sowing of Broad Beans which I planted out in the week.  In the middle are some Broccoli Raab which I got free (seed packet) with a magazine. Never tried them before so I will let you know what they are like!

Weeding!

On plot 121 things were looking a little weedy, so I decided to get the onion hoe out!

An hour later with a flask of co-op tea to keep my hydrated and warm, things were looking alot better

Top pic - Onions to the left - Garlic on the far right.

Lower pic - Garlic to the left (thicker foilage) and onions to the right.

I did unfortunately have one or two mishaps with the onions, and a couple of the garlic's didn't take, but all in all I think I will have a 95% sucess rate!

I have planted double the amount of onions that I put in last year, as I did run out before the "sets" were ready and I have also planted more garlic too.  I do have onion sets to to in soon too, so I should have plenty of onions for 2010.

My lovely greenhouse!

As you can see, I was shocked on my arrival at the allotement for shop duty today!  My Greenhouse got attacked by the winds over the weekend.  6 panels in all were missing.  All found bar one - that was until Arthur the Deliver Boy (who celebrated his 74th Birthday this week) spotted it on a small grass verge outside the allotment fencing.

The mess inside as awful, but the main job was to get the panels back on and to find all the "W" clips that had obviously NOT done their job!!

Luckily Nigel was on hand to help with the roof panels as I would never have reached up there.  I coped with the lower panels, however my nails didn't!!

So after a good hour, my lovely greenhouse, with the help of Nigel, Derek, his dog Laddy & Arthur (Derek, Laddy & Arthur formed the search party for panels) is now back to a more secure one.  I have been to the local Garden Centre and purchased a pack of 25 "W's" which I will go and distribute around the greenhouse panels later.

This is the shed on plot 119.  We called them to let them know that it would need their attention!

Lucky my Broad Beans have flourished under the protection of the mini poly tunnel, which the wind removed, and I found a few raised beds down! I have now removed the other poly tunnel, so as to harden them off before the frost well and truly come along.

The onions and garlic on 121 are both doing really well as you can see from these photo's!!

Onions - Radar & Garlic Albingensian Wight & Provence Wight

When I arrived at plot 121 today, I knew that I would have to rake over the last little bit that I left Derek on his lonesome to do yesterday, as I had to get home for 2pm, and this I did with a gusto!

I raked all the roots and stones out and once satisfied, I levelled or should I say, I tried to level the last section off with my rake before lending it to Mike on the plot opposite.

Then the planting started!

I broke the garlic bulbs open and counted 22 cloves of Albingensian Wight

(Albigensian Wight (allium sativum - softneck).

Large white garlic from South West France. Ideal of aioli. Tresses make a classic souvenir for tourists to the South of France.The garlic of the Cathars, 13th century heretics.

Autumn plant for the best large green bulbs in early June (wet garlic).

 

I then did the same to the Provence and counted 15 cloves in all

Provence Wight (allium sativum - softneck).

A large white softneck garlic that can produce bulbs that approach Elephant Garlic size.

Originating in the lush valleys of the Drôme in the north of Provence.

Large fat cloves that suit vegetable and fish dishses of the Mediterranean. Unlike many other Mediterranean types, responds well in the last three months before harvest.

Plant from September onwards. Later Spring planting is possible but can produce smaller bulbs.  Sweet and substantial. Keeps until January.

So into the newly dug and raked soil they went, in the hope that the birds don't come along and want to play with them.

I then planted 9 full plot width rows or Radar White Onions

I thought it best to tag the end of each row with a brightly coloured marker, as last year I made the mistake of not doing that, and digging up a whole block that I had planted from seed!! 

Silly me!

**PLEASE NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH THE GARLIC STATED ABOVE CAME FROM THE GARLIC FARM ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT, IT WAS ACTUALLY PURCHASED FROM THE TRADING HUT - SO IF YOU LIVE LOCALLY POP IN AND BUY YOURS FROM THERE - YOU ONLY HAVE TO BE A MEMBER (£2 PER YEAR) TO BE ABLE MAKE PURCHASES FROM THE HUT - EASY!**

Garlic at last!

I was panicking a little last night, as I read somewere that if you leave your garlic in too long, it will go bad and not be any good to you. It was words like "yellowing leaves" and "rust" that had me concerned. Did my garlic have that?????

Fortunately for me that was not the case and all my garlic has come through with flying colours, all 3 varities!

Taken from the 14th November 2008.......Two visits to the Lotty today - One before work - where I carefully transplanted over 80 onions -
Half White and Half Red
I then returned and lunchtime and had to search for the garlic.
I had planted 3 varieties, but because they hadn't quite surfaced yet, it was hard to find them.
Luckily, once I have found one, the other seemed to follow as I used my outstretched hand as a "how far apart" guide!!
I managed to find them all, and only damaged two cloves - I found it amazing that the roots were so long! One of them had roots of at least 3 inches!
After safely trans planting them all.....

Some of you will remember my eviction from plot 142 by my nasty neighbour! Ha - not defeated and I have loads of lovely garlic - must read up on how to plait them.

This is a picture of my hops which is climbing up the string well - it will soon be up to the fencing and providing some screening.

And these little cuties are my 2nd lot of Pak Choi that have replaced the delicious Spring Greens that Hubby & I have now devoured - mental note to self - grow lots of spring greens next year!

LATEST! LATEST! Read all about it......

Two visits to the Lotty today - One before work - where I carefully transplanted over 80 onions -

Half White and Half Red

I then returned and lunchtime and had to search for the garlic.

I had planted 3 varieties, but because they hadn't quite surfaced yet, it was hard to find them.

Luckily, once I have found one, the other seemed to follow as I used my outstretched hand as a "how far apart" guide!!

I managed to find them all, and only damaged two cloves - I found it amazing that the roots were so long! One of them had roots of at least 3 inches!

After safely trans planting them all, I pulled out all the perpetual spinach from bed two. Some I will give away and some is for dinner - I may even try freezing some -it's worth a try. Then I lifted all the pinks and re planted them in a huddle together as a temporary measure.

I then walked to Nigel's Plot as he very kindly said I could use his Wheel Barrow. When I collected it, it was practically brand spanking new!! Oh no! Why me???

I then proceeded to dig up some topsoil from my old Bed 2 on 142 and barrow it over to bed 2 on 144. I managed about 6 or 7 trips in all before I felt a spit of rain. Had to call it a day then, so i took the barrow back - THANK YOU NIGEL - and went home.

The End

Sorry there are no pictures

Back soon.

Moving to 144.... it's happening.....

Thanks to Carl and Derek, my raised beds have been moved from 142 to 144 - WOW - speed of lightening or what!!

I didn't think that this was going to happen until the weekend, but I got an email from Carl to say "All done" & "Just a few adjustments needed" so I popped down there quickly in my lunchbreak and low and behold it was like this!!

I am so pleased and indebted to them both. I nearly cried!

All I have to do now is to try and trans plant my onions, garlic, brussel sprouts and cabbages.

My Beetroot and spring onions are all out now and distributed amongst neighbours and I will dig out my parsnips and wash and freeze them later on today.

If I can get at least the onions moved this morning before work then I will be very pleased.

Derek said that once my veggies are out of 142 he will take my topsoil across for me to save me having to buy more - bless his little cotton socks.

My husband is off on Friday afternoon and for the rest of the weekend, and has promised to build me a compost bin - one that I can put my kitchen peelings in, along with tea bags and egg shells, a bit of grass, some leaves, cardboard & shredded paper etc. OHHHHHH I can't wait!!