What I did today - 2015

[Bigmallly]

I thought before the end of the world arrived due to the big red ball of fire in the sky, I thought I'd better get some spring greens in the Brassicage along with a couple of late Courgettes..................

[CaroleL]

Yesterday - spent an hour searching for caterpillars on my greenhouse toms. I thought I'd got 'em all but there are more droppings this morning. Looks like another rummage is needed.

[Lumpy]

Because of the removal of my growing area and it's relocation to another bit of garden so space can be made for Elsie, Gert and Maud (ex bat hens) I have started organising stuff for winter.

Emptied the pots that were dead because OH left them within range of Archie 'the toxic tiddling labrador'.

Moved the spare tyres into said, now fenced off area ready for toms or dwarf runners (next year), emptied the carrot failures out of their boxes and dumped the compost/soil mix into the brown bin so fresh stuff can be put in ready for the garlic.

[Penellype]

I do hate being ruthless. Its been clear for at least a month that the pathetic excuses for melon plants in my growhouse were never going to produce anything even vaguely edible. Today I took the plunge and pulled them out. The main reason for this is that I currently have a beefsteak tomato in there (Belle) which has about 7 decent sized fruit on it. With coldish nights forecast next week I decided it might actually be useful if I could close the growhouse at night, and in order to do this I had to get Belle to lie down along the shelf rods, where the melons were. So bye bye melons and hopefully hello my first ever home grown beefsteak tomato! (Previous attempt was killed by blight just as the first tomato started to ripen, but that was a different variety and outside).

Also harvested a reasonable number of tomatoes of various sorts, more courgettes, lettuce, mizuna and blueberries and a couple of nice perpetual strawberries. Made courgette and tomato soup.

The fleece cover on the gooseberry appears to be keeping the sawflies out as far as I can tell, although admittedly seeing green caterpillars on green leaves through green fleece is probably more than a little difficult!

[WPG]

My maincrop potatoes have succumbed to blight, so I cut all the haulms off and earthed up. I'll dig them out in a couple of weeks, and keep my fingers crossed the potatoes haven't been affected.

[Snow]

My maincrop potatoes have succumbed to blight, so I cut all the haulms off and earthed up. I'll dig them out in a couple of weeks, and keep my fingers crossed the potatoes haven't been affected.

Hope they are ok WPG! At least you got all the way to the end of August.

Today I spent ages squashing caterpillars and eggs on my brussel sprouts, which are really lagging behind in terms of growth; really can't afford too many holes being made.

[kris1960]

I hate missing so much on the grapevine but was unexpectedly back at work on thursday rather than next week! I'm chasing my tail trying to get enough time at the allotment. Organised a delivery of straw and manure for Thursday which I need to use and store, have wsb,red cabbage and psb to plant out when beds are ready, winter crops need to be sown- did some bits this morning but rain has temporarily stopped play.

[rosiepumpkin]

Yesterday I pruned down the roses and cotoneaster, watered everything, evicted many caterpillars from my greenhouse, saved yet more seed for swaps, nattered with other plotholders, watered my new thyme and strawberry bed and remembered that August is probably not a good time to prune my plum tree.

[Jay-ell]

Popped down to Tynemouth market today - it's a craft/flea market so I thought that I might be safe.

But no - I walked away carrying a chocolate habanero, a Trinidad Butch T and a Reaper.

Doh.

[Gillykat]

Oh happy memories of Tynemouth Market It was a rare occasion that I didn't come home without a book or two and a few plants

[rosiepumpkin]

Made a mahoosive batch of mango chutney.

[vixylix]

Lots this weekend! Had a big tidy up / clear out / preserving session!

Harvested and pulled up all my sugarsnap peas, which were at the very edge of survival due to powdery mildew. Pulled up all my spring onions and cleaned ready for eating. Also pulled the bolted radishes which I was leaving, but was sick of looking at. This cleared some space so have spread my chilli plants out a bit hoping this eggs them on to the last push!

This also uncovered my poor cucumbers which had collapsed under the peas - so they are now restaked and still looking surprisingly healthy!

Trimmed all the tomatoes back, removing several which had been munched by caterpillars / earwigs. In doing so several sillly caterpillars fell off and were promptly squashed. For the earwigs I have utilised new gaps to lay several oil / soy sauce traps - which so far seem to be doing a good job!

I pulled all my remaining beetroot (for pickling) onions and garlic (for drying) and baby corn (for eating)

Also cut down all my herbs and spent the weekend making various pesto's / butters / vinegars etc

Looking quite empty now - only tomatoes and peppers still valiantly searching for sunshine. Leeks, broad beans and PSB waiting in the wings now though for end of September

[Bill Door]

Got soaked!

Woke up fairly early to get spring cabbage and dwarf kale plants in the ground. We are away for a few week or so and I wanted to get the plants in so they did not die. No rain but cloudy. walked to allotment with the plants and as I arrived it started to spit. Got down to it and got five plant holes dug. Then it rained. I got soaked and thought it is only rain so finished the job off (planted 40 spring and Kale cabbage). Covered them with netting and spread slug pellets. I thought I was so wet that I might as well pick chard and runner beans for tonight. Arrived home and the rain slowed. Had a shower and guess what? Sun is out and light breeze, no rain in sight.

Someone does not like me.

Bill

[Dorothy rouse]

Just made some courgette/marrow/squash chutney, only 4 jars, but added 4 green chillis + fresh root ginger, and garlic cloves, no idea what it'll taste like, bit of an invention!

[Jonny.D]

Picked some French beans, Rhubarb (For a crumble ) Runner beans, more tomatoes to ripen in the conservatory & "Shelled" the last of the hollyhock seeds