What I did today - 2015

[NatalieCooke]

Sown the following: -
X9 Sweet Corn (Swift)
X6 Pumpkin (Rocket)
X3 Celery (Sigrido)
X3 Melon (Ruguso DI Cosenza Giallo)
X3 Tomato (Tumbling Tom)
X3 Brussels Sprouts (Evesham Special)

[Snadger]

Sowed courgettes,sage,thyme,annual chrysanthemums and Brussel sprouts.

[kris1960]

Just back from alottment and have done another full day- not enough sense to come in out of the rain. It was wet( drizzle to tipping it down) all day. One of those days where I drifted between unfinished jobs. Started digging new bed but it really was too wet, cut back rasberries and tried get on top of another difficult patch of alottment, cut back perennials and all dead veggie matter i could find, moved about 30 strawberry plants, topped up bird feeders...that kind of day! Didn't stop, soaked to the skin but can't look round with air of pride and a feeling of job well done or even finished!
On the plus side, white sprouting was absolutely delicious, plantings yesterday look very happy and pak choi and tatsoi have grown 8ish inch luscious sprouts from their stumps.
Tomorrow I will definitely complete all half done jobs!
Hope everyone else had a happy and productive day, will read about it after shower, gardeners world, springwatch and dinner if I haven't fallen asleep by then.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Hey! Who said a "Compost Bay" is ugly n needs hiding!





Now 5 days off!

Can I do some damage? Too right!

Can't wait!

[kris1960]

Lovely morning at alottment using cut back wood to 'knit' fences and smaller bits to cut for kindling- still too wet to dig.
Just off to do easter bunny stuff for grandchildren in Coventry.
Hopefully back in time for a couple of hours at alottment- is it one 'l' or two?

[weed]

sown two rows of carrot lost the label ?????

two rows of parsnip also straight and true

mulched raspberries with compost

fell over in the shed trying to reach 25lt container (note to self tidy shed)

went to local park got funny looks from people walking past as i filled said container with young nettle

tops for liquid feed later in the year

and yes the nettles found a hole in the glove ( get the kids to pick them next year)

[Snadger]

Even though we aren't supposed to burn stuff after 1st April, the Committee decision was to have a bonfire today.
We couldn't possibly let a plot in the state it was so I pulled down an ugly array of polytunnels,/ huts etc and burned them.

On my own plot I lifted the leeks that were left in a 10 foot by 4 foot bed and heeled them in in a clump on another leek bed.This released the plot for growing something else. I tickled over the bed, which has been heavily mucked for the leeks previously and raked it ready to plant my early tatties in.

[kris1960]

Just back but only called in at alottment to sit on old 44 gallon drum and admire the birds before collecting salad leaves and rocket for dinner. Grannying was more time consuming than I expected.

A totally mad idea came to me on the oil drum that I can't seem to shift- what if I checkerboard my last very weedy and previously overgrown area leaving the weeds to be black and flowers and vegetables for white squares. The insects would be happy and I could keep weed squares under control(I think). I wonder how quickly I would know whether it would work long term, I don't want to lose a whole growing season on something doomed to failure and it is not as if there isn't already enough work to fill a lifetime there. The more I think of it though.................

[Snadger]

Planted out my Maris Bard early potatoes which took up 3/4 of a 10 foot X 4 foot bed. Plantred up the other 1/4 bed with Desiree potatoes.

[Seagull]

Dug three trenches in what will be my asparagus bed.

I'm not sure my back is ever going to forgive me.

[Greenleaves]

Dug trenches to plant spuds, about 2 weeks before I plant but trying to get everything done before I go under the knife

[Plot28 A&B]

Planted my first and second earlys Maris Bland and Bonnie, sowed four rows of parsnips, 1 x Gladiator, 3 x white gems and finished planting thered onions, Karmen. Rebuilt the pea framE after the wind last week destryoed the first attempt.

Back up again tomorrow to sow some seedlings direct to the seed bed.

[Plot28 A&B]

Planted my first and second earlys Maris Bland and Bonnie, sowed four rows of parsnips, 1 x Gladiator, 3 x white gems and finished planting thered onions, Karmen. Rebuilt the pea framE after the wind last week destryoed the first attempt.

Back up again tomorrow to sow some seedlings direct to the seed bed.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Planted the maincrop spuds.
Dug over the out of control strawb bed, pulling up ancient strawbs and weeds. Added plenty of horsemuck, and topped with home made compost. Covered the whole lot with weed suppressant and planted 6 elsanta plants bought from A1di last week.
Picked kale.

[kris1960]

Totally exhausted- There until 8.15. No way can I checkerboard that area. The spade bounces off the nettle roots, I have inadvertently saved the worst till last. Talked to other allotmenteers and they say that spot has not been cleared for over twenty years! Spent most of the day working on it but have only done a tenth so far. Light relief was finishing my triangular bed where path forks- equilateral with 1.8metre sides. Designed to use clear corrugated roof sheets around perimeter as temporary sheltered bed. Also weeded around raspberries and sorted some problems in composting and storage area. Thanks again Bren for fixing pics.