Dig for Victory

Who Ordered The Soup.....?

2010-08-28T14:58:00.017Z

This is my first foray into edible pumpkins, as opposed to pointless great show off ones.

They are "New England Pie", supposedly a good culinary variety, and this is the crop from two plants, which germinated and grew easily, but seemed very susceptible to powdery mildew. More so than other types growing nearby.

The fruits could have done with ripening on the vine a bit longer, but as the plants are completely dead, and in view of the current sub-aquatic weather, I decided to get them in.....Luckily, the cottage has walls, and therefore windowsill about 18" thick!
Apparently, according to young Mr. Buckland, (a boy doing a man's job if ever there was) it's important to leave a short "handle" of vine at the top of the stalk, rather than cutting the stalk off flush. This then dies off and seals the stem, and helps prevent rotting during storage.

Once they have ripened sufficiently, like all squashes & pumpkins they will keep best hung in a net, in a cool dry place, and can be stored right up until Christmas if necessary.

Odd One Out....

2010-08-28T14:48:00.011Z

Using your skill and judgement, try to spot which one of these is actually a dinner plate.

And before anyone starts, sunflowers do not count as flowers when grown on an allotment.

.........They are garden architecture.

Beans And Beets........

2010-08-22T06:57:00.006Z

......Are taking over my diet just now.

What I Know About Fennel.....

2010-08-22T06:20:00.018Z

1. It germinates easily, grows freely, and looks mighty impressive on the plot.

2. Comparatively few people grow it, so be prepared to face a barage of questions such as:
What is it? .....“Fennel”
What does it taste like? .....“Pernod”
Why are you growing it? .....“It looked sexy on the packet”
How do you cook it? .....“Fucked if I know. Look, don’t you have something better to do than standing here like a curious three year old?”

3. It tastes like Pernod. I know I just said that but it’s worth repeating. If you don’t like aniseed it’s probably not the veg for you.

4. Although it romps away (use the thinnings in salads) it’s incredibly hard, if not nearly impossible, to get it to “bulb up” like the commercial varieties in the supermarkets. If you get some fattish but flattish, blade shaped, results, then you should settle for that. Still tastes the same.

5. It goes to seed quickly. Keep an eye on it and harvest before the bulbs start to produce one big central spike, or they get too tough. This tendancy can be counteracted by planting it late, after the longest day, and keeping it well watered.

6. Lightly browned in butter for a few minutes, then simmered in a weak chicken stock for 20 minutes, it’s rather good actually. If you like Pernod of course. It's also good in a stir fry, a rissotto, or grated in salads.

7. It's a powerful diuretic if you eat too much of it. (Remember how freely it grows?) Something you only find out after the event, as they don’t mention that on the packet, or the recipe cards.

………Which is taking the piss if you ask me.

And The Veil Lifted..........

2010-08-10T21:25:00.007Z

Hello World. (Ya big troublesome conundrum! )

I'm back online, and back on schedule at the plot. ...Only things have moved on quite a bit it seems.

Nature still toils undeterred, when hard drives falter and monitors dim .....More to follow.

.

Service Interruption....

2010-06-20T12:56:00.001Z

Please to be assured that the lack of updates here is not due to a weakening of my horticultural resolve, nor even a heavy dose of World Cup fever. Rather it is simply a dead computer.

Posting from the phone, (like this) is torturous, whatever the adverts make out on TV, so nothing further from me, until the techno pixies send me a new machine. Which given the frankly obscene amount of squids they want for one these days, may be some time.

First Crop Of The Year.......

2010-05-30T21:33:00.008Z

I don't understand all the fuss about asaparagus. Or all the waiting. I find you can crop it after just a couple of months....

On arriving at the plot this morning, I was assailed by the sight of a single, huge asparagus spear, slap in the middle of the plot.

It wasn't there on Thursday, but had since risen like some kind of scary, pre-historic creature.

No one has cultivated the ground here in 15 years, but this sleeping giant, awoken by rain and rotavator no doubt, appeared to be making up for lost time by auditioning for a part in a Tolkein movie.

Sadly the proud volunteer has gone to meet its maker......Right after meeting a chicken breast and some new potatoes.

A short but busy life.....

Flying Rats......

2010-05-30T21:17:00.004Z

Pigeons to you maybe. Agents of Satan in my book.

I've never known them to scramble under netting, or inside tunnels before, but apparently the pigeons round here are more ruthless than their soft, southern, Kentish cousins, and have effected an escape from Alcatraz, in reverse... Sort of.

They breached my defences sometime in the last two days and have stripped half my cabbages.

I have improved the netting, and am considering resigning my job in order to mount a round-the-clock vigil.

Wig Wam Bam....

2010-05-23T17:36:00.007Z

.....But not a facial star or a flared lurex jumpsuit in sight.

Just beans... And buckets with holes in them.

I've sown my usual reliable Red Flame variety in the polytunnel, but being an impatient sort of soul, I bought a few plants at the local garden centre to be getting on with. (One man's impatience is another man's sequential sowing!) They are a mystery variety, being labelled "Streamline" on the pots, and "Enorma" on the plant labels.....Ho hum.

Given the cost of the manure & compost I bought from the site shop, the canes, and the plants themselves, these are going to be pampered and very expensive runners, but that's starting from scratch for you.

The soil needed improving though, and the buried bucket system is a tried and tested way of delivering water to the roots; so I'm confident that despite the dry ground they will do well.

And that I suppose is main the difference between me and The Sweet (though there are plenty I assure you.)

I have the rocks you see.... but not the glam.

Speculate To Accumulate....

2010-05-18T17:47:00.004Z

I'm sure I can't be the only allotmenteer, who despite repeatedly swearing to do things on a tight budget, somehow keeps on aquiring more plot related stuff.

On the way from my friends' site to my own on Sunday, I passed a house with a hand written sign outside reading "Tool Sale". Cue the screeching of tyres as I pulled up in a cloud of smoking rubber, and rushed headlong up the garden path. (In every sense of the words).

I have a fork already... Well I have two actually, because the second one was a bargain. But still I managed to buy these beauties, eulogised by the sharp witted salesman, who was in his waistcoat and slippers, and scarely a day under ninety.

A really useful long handled number, so I can turn over my clay/rock/stones without bending my back, and a fabulous old, flat tined potato fork. For all the potatoes that won't grow in my soil... At only £5.00 each, who could resist!

If I only had a shed at the plot, the back of my car might stop looking like a tool sale in transit.

If I Could Turn Back Time....

2010-05-16T22:28:00.011Z

The fact that Cher hasn't entirely managed it yet, despite all the surgery, does not discourage my stubborn pretence that I can cheat the clock, and that May is in fact still March. A ploy that has been made all the more convincing by the unseasonably cold weather we've been having.

Yesterday, it being the weekend closest to the 17th, I celebrated St. Patrick's Day by planting my first early potatoes. Before you snigger though, hands up who's plants got frost bitten this week? ..... Hah, not so crazy now am I!

I put in two rows of Rocket, and one each of Pentland Javelin and Maris Peer. And because even after rotovating, there is only about 5 inches of loose topsoil, I spaced the rows twice as far apart as normal, leaving more bare soil between them. What I lack in depth of trench I shall endeavour to make up in height of hillock.

The shockingly lumpy, hard stony looking ground is a pretty accurate impression of what it is like at the moment. I raked top layer off at the bottom of the plot to put out some cabbages, but there is no way to get a tilth fine enough for seed sowing, so I shall have to draw out rows for things like radishes & beetroots, and fill them with multipurpose compost to give them a start.

The cabbages are all the better for being (mostly) freeman's, from my friends The Polytunnel Pair, at another plot in town. I have Savoy, Red Something -they forgot the variety- and some makeweights from Focus DIY (other brands are available) helpfully labelled as " Cabbage".

Bigger, Better, Faster.........

2010-05-16T22:04:00.002Z

Thus was the work of the alternative rotavator man, organised by Chairman Eric, our site supremo. A good soaking of rain, and beefier machine finally broke down the hard pan to something approaching a workable consistency. It's chunky, and clumpy, and sets off hard as soon your back is turned, but at least we can get something in the ground this year.

Alas the machine only penetrated about 4-6 inches, underneath which is still a hard, claggy layer that's going nowhere without a fight. It has also of course, chopped up all the root weed into a million exquisitely fine pieces, which will soon see me hoe-hoeing harder than a whole Santa Claus convention.

Nonethless...."The concrete and the clay beneath my feet begin to crumble..."

And whilst tomatoes most assuredly will die, love, apparently, will not.

And boy must I fucking love allotments to be persevering with this one!

Unmissable Offer....

2010-05-04T20:25:00.007Z

By popular demand our Urtica Dioica plants are now available to the general public.....

No allotment, garden or small holding is complete with this classic hardy perennial.

Bare rooted stock available now, or alternatively, "in the green" any time soon. (Subject to to 15% handling charge)

Plentiful stocks - Guaranteed to be vigorous doers.

Ask about our generous bulk discounts!

Companion plants also available: Rumex Obtusifolius, Equisetum Arvense, Elytrigia Repens

Praying For Rain...

2010-04-30T19:19:00.003Z

Here's hoping the weather is true to form this Bank Holiday, and properly pisses down all weekend.

I want it to soak my rock hard plot, so that I can then cover it with black plastic to keep the moisture in, and dig over a bed or two at my leisure ( Huh...yeah right!) next week.

I would do a raindance, but I think the ground has probably been flattened enough by the council digger, without me adding insult to injury......

On The Unreliable Nature Of Men And Their Equipment....

2010-04-24T17:52:00.013Z

One balmy evening last week, a man came to me with honeyed words, and told me he that could give me my heart’s desire.

That is to say, he met me at the plot, and assured me he had the wherewithal to rotavate it within an inch of it’s life. His machine was apparently legendary at his own allotment. He was a landscaper by trade he said, and encouraged by his cheerful patter and firm handshake I found myself telling him my plans….This is where the fruit cage will go, over there the shed, and here be dragons.

Come Saturday morning though, as it emerged from his truck, I have to say his equipment did not look quite so big or impressive in the flesh as it had sounded in the boasting. Nonetheless I made flattering comments as we discussed the horsepower and strange foreign transmission system, and he set to with a will.

He huffed and puffed, and the machine roared, and whirred it’s tines with fury, but maddeningly just skittered and skated over the surface. We moved to another position and fell to again, but sadly the task was proving beyond him. The ground continued to just lay there, stubborn and unyielding. Like a woman’s heart.

The poor chap was clearly a bit embarrassed at this point, and swore he never usually had this problem. I felt sorry for him, and said “It’s not you, it’s me.” Me and my ridiculously hard soil. Clearly no rotavator could be expected to operate in those conditions. We must have been fools to suppose otherwise…..Though perhaps if he rested for bit and tried again?

But in truth our enthusiasm had evaporated by this point, and the moment was gone. So he put his machine back in his truck and left.

So any gardener's dreams I may theoretically have had, of sneaking back later and rolling naked in the moonlight in a bed of beautiful fine tilth, now looked withered and small. ……Much like the four bags of seed potatoes I had prematurely bought on the way there.

As for the plot, well I’ll just have to go back to doing it manually.......

Like A Phoenix From The Flames...........

2010-04-18T14:40:00.017Z

Well, if not a phoenix exactly, perhaps a sparrow from the ashes then.

After 2 ½ years on the waiting list I have a new allotment ….. Mine, all mine, for the princely sum of £28.00 a year!

The Southfields site that I looked at way back when Moses was a lad, and posted about on my other blog has now been extended. The Association finally won a hard fought battle with the Council for funding to re-open a part of the site that was mothballed about 10 years ago when you couldn't give plots away. (Urgh, digging - how unfashionable!) This has created somewhere around 30 new (old) plots, and catapulted me up the waiting list.

And here the really good news ends. Having been left to go wild for all that time, the land reverted to grassy scrub, with whitethorn and brambles dotted all over it.

This is a hastily grabbed camera-phone picture taken in March, before any clearance work was done. Plot 63 (It’s mine I tell ya!) is helpfully picked out in magic red pen. As you can see it’s a gentle slope, running roughly NE at the top of my plot to SW at the bottom.

And here’s a view of area now it has been ”scraped” by the council, with a 40 tonne excavator. ….10 poles of weed and clay never looked so daunting.

And clay is the overriding factor really. There’s about a foot of heavy topsoil, and then a layer of clay proper. Since it’s been exposed, flattened by the heavy machine, and the sun has got to it, it’s started to bake hard.

Digging it is rather like one the Twelve Labors of Hercules. It’s hard on top, claggy underneath, and each forkful comes up with the sickening, wrenching sound of torn root weeds. Every sod has to be picked over by hand. A bit like winkling out reluctant spaghetti. This small square is the unimpressive result of about 2 hours toil.

If I sound disheartened, I’m not. I'm chuffed to buggery actually, but there’s no hiding from the fact that it's going to be a long hard slog.

Sooooo…… I have abandoned all my better instincts and am arranging for a friend of a friend with a big tool ….ahem…. commercial rotavator, to come and blitz it for me.

Yes, I know it will chop up and bury all the weed. And yes, I know I’ll be digging it out for evermore. But as it stands, in two weeks time I won’t be able to get a fork in it unless I do something now. I’ll still hand dig the beds again, and pick as much weed out as I can before planting…. I promise.

And besides, who’s to say Hercules wouldn’t have used power tools given half a chance…………………

Do not seek me here...

2007-04-29T15:02:00.000Z

For anyone dropping by on the off-chance that I may have posted an update....well I have... several in fact, but they're over on my other blog "Quotidian". ....Just follow the link.

Thanks for your interest!

Greenmantle.

Alright Already !!......

2007-01-09T14:44:00.000Z

Sheesh! ....Here's a chap trying to lie low....doggo.....incognito etc.... being foiled by other chaps and lady chaps who keep lifting the duvet, and poking aforesaid sleeping dog with a cyber-stick.

Seriously though folks, I'm touched by the number of friends asking for an update, and would have posted one sooner, where it not for the lack of anything much to tell.

The house is still on the market, and although I have recently accepted an offer, the potential purchaser has not sold hers yet, so I am still stuck here in damp and windy Tonbridge....with no allotment, no move, and not a lot of work.

In the absence of anything prettier to show you, here is a self portrait of me looking suitably harrumphed about it.

Anyhap.... On the upside, I am now a leading expert on day-time-Tv, have been gardening vicariously via other peoples blogs, and am also becoming a dab hand at painting bathroom ceilings.

As soon as the move takes off, I’ll start a companion blog to this one, called “Up Sticks” or some such, to chart my progress. Mean while however, as I have been “tagged” by dear Frankie from her Veg Plot…..here are “5 Things About Me”….

1. I am actually a lot thinner than I look.

2. My only reliable Karaoke song is “Dock of the Bay”, but if egged on, and plied with alcohol, I will most assuredly forget this, and attempt any number of other less accomplished alternatives.

3. I am Sports Mad, but sadly woefully uncoordinated, and thus not much good at games. I once gave up playing (in the loosest possible sense of the word) cricket for my local village team, in order to take up golf. I was working on the premise than in golf, at least, the ball is stationary…..”How hard can it be?” I thought……The answer it appears, is very.

4. I am strangely accident prone when encountering recording artists. (Aren't we all!) Over the years I have flattened Toyah in the street, made Lynsey De Paul cry, and dropped Dave Stewart’s camera. Thus when once meeting Kylie, I thought it best to say little, and keep my hands in my pockets. She has a lot of minders.

5. I love anchovies. I also like olives……Buy me some olives stuffed with anchovies (only the pukah Italian ones mind!) and we can be friends for life.....Attempt to surreptitiously feed me parsnips however, and I will curse you and your kin for all eternity.

Apparently the rules demand that I now turn the spotlight on five other unsuspecting souls….so would the following please stand up and elaborate about yourselves…..you have been "tagged" and are now “it” ....as it were.

She Who Digs, Mr. Toad, Rebsie Fairholm, Lottie, & Emma Jane

So Farewell Then To All Of That....................

2006-09-30T13:19:00.000Z

Friends, I have a sad story to tell, but first, a confession to make.

Many visitors to “Dig For Victory” over the season have been very complimentary about my produce, and have also been kind enough to say that my plot always looks neat and tidy. ….Well it bloody should do. I’ve had enough time on my hands as I’ve been out of work all year.!

Because of this I’ve been able to spend quite a lot of time down there, more I know, than some other Allotmenteers can fit in, juggling it around family and work as they have to. In fact both the allotment, and this blog, have been a welcome diversion from the endless round of job applications, interviews and rejection letters.

In the space of a year, I have made a whole host of new friends, pontificated about veg in cyberspace, had some successes and some failures, grown a large pumpkin, and even been on the radio….A job would have been nice, but I’ve enjoyed my time regardless.

Unfortunately, this blog will now cease for a good while, as I am selling my house to release some much needed funds, and to move to a cheaper area of the country. I’ve chosen Northampton, as it’s a nice town, is not really so far away from Kent, has some wonderful countryside around it, and most importantly some much cheaper houses…. Sadly this means giving up plot 14, Ridgeway Crescent though.

At some stage in the future, I’ll certainly have an allotment again, or may even a decent sized garden, but this will probably take a year or two I think. In the meanwhile I shall be concentrating a bit more on my other hobby, which is photography. (If anyone is interested you can keep up with my progress here, by clicking the "photos" tab.)

Today is the end of our allotment year and I have tidied up my plot and handed back the keys.

I cannot finish however without thanking all the friends I have made at RC for their help, advice and humour : Jim, Ray, Ernie, Dennis, Jo, Ken, and all three Peters to name but, err....nine.

Nor my fellow bloggers around the world, especially: Lottie, Frankie, Rebsie, Jane, Mildew, Matron, Petunia’s Gardener, and all the others….. I will be keeping up to date with your pages of course, and sticking my oar in occasionally no doubt.

To end on a happier note however, I know that Plot 14 will be in good hands, as Peter Seach (to give “The Plot Boss” his due and recognise him by his real name for once) is taking it over. His current plot is right at the other end of the site, and it makes sense for him to have one nearer the trading sheds……Also the crafty bugger knows it’s much better soil at this end, eh Peter!

Lastly, my friends Geoff and Sue, in some part due to these pages, and my constant banging on about it in the pub, have decided to take over half a plot at RC this next season….More converts to the wonderful world of allotmenteering!

I have given them my seed box to help them get started.

My work here is done……

Pumpkin Harvest.......

2006-09-30T11:59:00.000Z

So at long last the pumpkins have left the building! .... Not in an Elvis style limo, but on the back of Jim’s truck.

A small group of tuggers and lifters assembled to help us get them loaded this morning, and here I am “posing” amongst the pumpkins.

The larger one of the two should apparently weigh around 170lbs, which is roughly 12 stones in old money. This is calculated by using the very cunning measurement to weight ratio, that you can find on this American pumpkin enthusiast site. Basically you take three specific measurements over and around the beast, add them together, and look up the total on the chart provided. This then tells you the equivalent weight in lbs. They reckon that this method should be accurate to within 5% either way, in the majority of cases.

Those of you from the US-of-A where truly huge fruits are grown for competitions all over the country, are probably wondering what all the fuss is about these two rather unremarkable small gourds. (The current World Record is a mind boggling 1,469 lbs !) Locally however, these are seen as being pretty big stuff. The record at the Tonbridge area show, which I just missed entering, is only 132 lbs.

We didn’t measure the smaller one, but based on picking them up between us, I’d say it is about two thirds of the weight.

Tomorrow is Harvest Festival in Churches around here, the larger one has gone to Hadlow Parish Church, where Jim (in white) and I roped in a passing church warden to help us unload. The other has gone to the Tonbridge Methodist Church, that Jim and his wife attend. Sadly we weren’t able to hang around to see them fully “dressed” by the flower ladies, but here are a couple of pics anyway.

Thanks Jim, John, Geoff & Sue for your help!

Claret & Blue ...............

2006-09-30T11:29:00.000Z

Being a loyal and long suffering West Ham fan, I could not resist snapping this Kalibos cabbage, in a fantastic shade of punk purple, in front of the blue morning glory......My team colours.

Sadly, the way things are going, this looks like the only bit of glory the Hammers are likely to be associated with this season.

Easy Life...........

2006-09-23T18:50:00.000Z

Well don't be looking here for an update!

I've been sitting on my backside all week, and haven't been near the plot once. There are a few tidying things to be done during the week, but essentially I'm having an allotment holiday this weekend. The more perceptive amongst you may notice this coincides with wall-to-wall Tv coverage of the Ryder Cup. Make of this what you will.

Do check back here next Sunday however, for pics of the Great Pumpkin Lift, and my end of season round-up............betcha' can hardly wait eh?

Let Them Eat Cake.......

2006-09-16T12:46:00.000Z

Don't worry, I'm not trying to compete with Lottie, over at Simply Living....In fact I've never baked a cake in my life.

I have however done a few small favours for Peter "The Plotboss" just lately, and also donated a sack of Winter Festival squashes for the stall he and Jo are running at a Macmillan Cancer Support day.

In return, this morning I received this quite unexpected and most welcome homebaked gift!

It seems Jo is a bit of a whizz at this sort of thing, and has made a lot of cakes for the fund raiser.

The kettle is shortly about to boil, and I shall then conduct some very in depth research into whether it is better to eat it plain, or with butter..... I anticipate my deliberations may take quite some time.

Ah, the joys of the allotment economy eh!.............................

Un-Bifurcated Carrots......

2006-09-16T12:23:00.000Z

The runner beans are over now, so whilst the red cabbage are still maturing (bloody slowly!) and the raspberries continue to trickle along, this is pretty much all is I have to harvest now.

I've just tested a spring onion and "crikey!" is definitely the verdict....they are very strong. Much more so that the previous sowing from the same packet earlier in the year. I guess this is because they have been a lot longer growing, and got off to a slow start in all that hot weather. The flavour seems to have "matured" in some way.

The carrots look good, and came out of the raised bed "salad bar" very clean and uniform. This is certainly the best result I've had with them, as I could never get them to grow at all in the bare soil, right next door.

They grew so straight in this manner that I'm at last prepared to say
"bye-bye bifurcation"........ (Sorry!)

Autumn Digging.......

2006-09-16T12:04:00.000Z

I've been doing a bit of Autumn digging lately. In actual fact, this picture is over a week old as I meant to post it previously but never got round to it. I've since finished this section, limed it, and rotorvated it ready for planting.

Much as I usually hate digging, I have to say this time, on this part of the plot, it was almost a pleasure. Three seasons of previous careful turn over when I removed all the root weed I could find, a load of manure last year, and some assidous hoeing this year, mean that it is very clean, and pretty much weed free.

The texture of it is also good at the moment, very soft and friable. It broke so easily with a fork, it was rather like digging into dark sponge cake.

If I'm sounding overly pleased with myself, it's because I feel I've proved that it's quite easy to improve your soil if you are prepared to do it over a few seasons.

Although other parts of the plot are a year of so behind, and therefore heavier, this section bears very little resemblance now to the dense, clay bottomed, bind weed haven it was when I first started.

Satisfaction can come from some strange sources sometimes.....

For The Showmen Amongst You........

2006-09-07T16:19:00.000Z

You may be aware that Frankie at Allotment 21 has been working on producing "The Longest Bean" as part of a pub conceived wager, and doubtless several other allotmenteers will have also been growing runners for show this year. It's not something I'm overly bothered with myself, but a chap called Chris further down our site shows all kinds of stuff.

He recently won 1st* prize I'm told, in a local area show, in a class for "11 beans of 15 inches or more"...Yup...15 inches... or more!

The variety to grow, for those in the know, is apparently Stenner, which is a specialist show bean, and the weapon of choice of the incomparable Medwyn Williams.

I took a wander down to Chris's plot today and snapped this pic of a typical example to show you....One of the ones that wasn't long enough I presume!

* Correction: It appears I did Chris an injustice when I wrote this post, as I have since been informed that he actually won 1st prize, and not the second I have accidentally demoted him to. Sorry mate!

Patience is a virtue they say..........

2006-09-07T15:54:00.000Z

Since the weather has cooled down, and we've had a drop of rain, several of the crops I have been disparaging all summer have suddenly come to the party. The Runners have revived, as mentioned before, but now the morning glory planted for pollination puposes has also started flowering.

The red Kalibos cabbage, have suddenly started to form hearts, just as I was about to hoick them out to the rubbish heap. I've removed the very outer leaves that were so badly damaged by flea beetles early on, and they now look a lot more respectable.

And even the relucatant raspberries have put on a sudden growth spurt, and started fruiting in a more meaningful fashion.

I might get that trifle after all...........

One potato, Two Potato.......Err, that's about it.

2006-08-30T22:22:00.000Z

My Collins English Dictionary defines the word "disappointed" as “being saddened by the failure of an expectation”, and further goes on to describe the term "miffed", as “offended” or “to be in a petulant mood”. Clearly the compositors of said worthy tomb cannot be vegetable growers or there would surely have been a more unambiguous reference to potatoes.

Well there would have if they had dug up the rubbish I did today.

Being as I have finished all the earlies, and was reduced to buying potatoes in Sainsburys I figured I’d make a start on the Sarpo Axonna main-crop I have been nurturing all summer. The lush green haulms are not dying off yet, but they must surely have done all the growing they are going to do by now.

Last year I grew the sister variety Sarpo Mira, and they were a huge success…. Huge rows, huge tubers, huge smugness factor. The Axonna are supposedly similar in every way, apart from being more uniform of shape, and a bit creamier of flesh. The results however have been a “failure of expectation” .

Not many potatoes, weird shapes and quite small. It took four hills to yield enough reasonable sized ones to fill a carrier bag, where as twenty hills last year filled three large sacks. I mashed some tonight and although they taste OK – at least one turned out to have unpleasant stringy bits inside it. Thus I am now in a “petulant mood”.

The difference of course is undoubtedly moisture, or rather the lack of it.

Last year the ground was well manured, but this year in the absence of any spare muck I relied on grass cuttings and newspaper as a bottom mulch. Last year they grew smaller tops and put more effort into the crop….. Last year it rained.

I’ll get the rest of them up at the weekend I expect, and I suppose I should say in their defence that they have no damage on them whatsoever; unlike Ray’s rows of Cara, which looked a nice successful crop, but half of which were apparently nibbled or drilled.

Not even the slugs are fussed about my disappointing spuds.

Normal Service Is Resumed....

2006-08-24T09:29:00.000Z

For whatever reason, be it the bees, the drop in temperature, or the recent prolonged rainy spell, the runner beans are now back in full production again.

Nice long beans, and still quite tender for this time of year.

A welcome revival.... but a puzzling one.

Natural Gold..........

2006-08-20T10:14:00.000Z

These are the first of this year's cobs.

Well the first to make back home to my place long enough to be photographed that is. I did pick some the day before, but accidentally stopped at the pub on the way home and was relieved of them by eager friends!

I have no idea what the variety is, as the plants were obtained from Dennis's brother, "Charlie the Smallholder", and just came helpfully labelled as "Sweetcorn".

Very sensible too if you are a primarily a food producer. It's only us hobbyists that agonise pedantically over which strains to grow.

At any rate, they look like good cobs, considering it has been so dry, and there are plenty of them on the plants. The Tuxedo variety I planted myself later are also coming along and are about 2-3 weeks behind these I think.

And here are the fist of the "other" pumpkin crop.

Again, I don't know exactly what sort they are, as although I planted them myself, the packet just said "Pumpkin - F1 Hybrid" on it, and I can't remember where I bought it from.

You don't really get a sense of scale from this pic, but they are about as big around as a saucer, and would be about the right size for a "stuffed pumpkin for one". Not that I can see myself bothering with that though.

They look as though they will slice up into nice chunks for roasting, or maybe for just standing about in the kitchen... I think there are about a dozen of them on the plants in all.

Pumpkin's Progress

2006-08-20T09:02:00.000Z

Another camera-phone snap of the Atlantic Giant. I'll keep feeding it, but I'm not so sure it will get much bigger than this now. Have started to think about what I can do with it... might have to find a local church or school who will accept it as a harvest festival donation I suppose.

A Load Of Old Has Beans......

2006-08-16T15:51:00.000Z

I have been increasingly perplexed for the past few weeks about the comparative lack of runner beans on Plot 14 this year.

My Red Flame plants are lush and vigorous, and are producing plenty of bloom but precious few results. They started the season in full swing, but productivity has tailed off dramatically in the last month - considerably earlier than usual. At first I even thought "bean-nappers" might be beating me to it, but this was entirely unsubstantiated of course, not to mention a little unfair on my fellow plot holders.

I then reasoned that since the hosepipes have been out of action due to the burst pipe, I have not been misting them with water as I have always done previously (having learned to do this at my fathers knee almost) just irrigating them from below as usual. "Peter the Plot Boss" tells me however that in his opinion this is a red herrring, and makes no difference. I am unsure. If it is actually an old wives tale, it's a mighty common one.

He laid the blame fairly and squarely on the humble bumbles...or rather the lack of them. Apparently the long very hot dry spell has hampered their reproductivity, and their work ethic. Whilst I can't say that I blame them, it would nonetheless explain the problem. A quick walk round the site reveals that a lot of other healthy looking bean rows, also seem pretty barren, so maybe this is indeed it..... And Peter usually knows a thing or too.

What do other allotmenteers and gardners think?

How are your runners this year compared to last year?.....Leave a comment and let me know.

Airwave Adventures..........

2006-08-13T11:15:00.000Z

Am just back from spending half-an-hour on air with the nice and incredibly learned folk at Radio Kent.

I was amongst some of their regular contributors both in the studio and on the phones chatting about allotments in general, how we all got started, our sheds, and also fielding listeners questions.

The latter - on subjects as diverse as growing unusual spanish peaches, to what types of brassicas to choose - I was very relieved to be able to leave to the professionals, although I was able to chip in with some advice on pruning back your Dill's Atlantic Giants. (As if I didn't know all about that after this year!)

I had great time, and hopefully it sounded OK !!

Just to prove I ain't blagging this blogging, here's a pic of me (on the left) with the show's presenter, the very lovely Sue Dougan, and the very knowledgeable horticutural expert Steve Bradley.

As for the experience of seeing what presenting a radio show is like, well "Multi -tasking" don't even come close!.....As well as chatting off air, cueing up callers on two or three screens on a huge presenting desk, linking with the control room, and calming nervous guests, Sue kept up a cheery and faultless delivery to the listeners all at the same time.

A bit like flying a fighter jet whilst chatting about veg, eh Sue?

Many thanks to the guys at Radio Kent for inviting me, and thoughtfully arranging it for a day when it was too wet to go to the allotment anyway.

Radio Ga Ga....

2006-08-10T21:03:00.000Z

So one minute you're fossicking around among the runner beans, muttering to yourself about black fly; and the next, you're broadcasting to the masses!

Or so it seems.

"National Allotment Week" is coming up, (Well we all knew that… didn't we?) and my local radio station - BBC Radio Kent - are dedicating their Sunday morning gardening slot to "Talking Allotments".

Somebody at the Beeb has apparently been making good use of the licence fee by reading this humble DFV blog.

A nudge and a wink later, and Steve, the show’s Producer, has been in touch inviting me to drop in to the studio and take part; along with proper journalists, and real live published authors….Little old me.… On the wireless!

So if you are in the Radio Kent catchment area, you should be able to hear me making a spectacle of myself this Sunday sometime between 10am – 11 am. (The show is actually on from 8am -11am though, as I’m sure Steve would like you to know.)

I’m not sure what the format is yet, as I’m awaiting my final mission briefing tomorrow.

Right now, I’m just working on holding a public conversation without swearing......

….So bother those black fly!

Summer Daze..........

2006-08-07T12:50:00.000Z

August seems to be the peak of productivity on our site.

Next month, things scale down, ground becomes bare and dare I say it, a bit "autumnal" looking. But for a few weeks the summer is still blazing, and providing a good excuse to snap a few more pictures.

Titchmarsh has now come into his own, frightening those pesky crows from "Dumbo" off of the corn, and the uncookable, artichokes are competing with the sunflowers for the bees.

Raspberry Wars

I had the first few Allgold early autumn raspberries yesterday as you can see here. They were very sweet and juicy, but alas also very few in number, due to my foolish lack of care earlier in the summer, when I didn't realise they needed so much water in the first year in order to become established.

It looks as though they will keep coming one by one for a while, but the few spindly canes can't produce enough to do anything with, apart from wolf them down the moment the picture has been taken. The Galante are also about to fruit, but fewer canes survived of this variety so I'm not planning on making any big trifles!

Next year they'll be a lot stronger, but if Matt has a picture to prove his superiority in the fruit growing stakes, I'm prepared to concede defeat for now....(curses!)

Duffer's Guide to Onion Strings...

2006-08-07T08:31:00.000Z

Here is my first attempt at stringing onions......It's not perfect by any means, but I'm reasonably happy with it.

In the end I did not do it by the proper stem plaiting method, but just sort of improvised on a suggestion from Ernie on the plot above me...That is to say I cheated, and tied them all together one at a time, with string.

If I can manage it, it must be pretty idiot proof, so here's what you do....

Step 1.Cut the stems off the onions leaving a stalk about 4-5 inches long.

Step 2. Take a big one, and tie it firmly to the end of a long piece of strong string, anyhow you like.

Step 3. Now make the simplest of all knots right above this, by making a loop, and passing the
other free end of the string through it.

Step 4. Stick the neck of the 2^nd onion through the noose, and pull it down tight to the top of
the 1^st one.

Step 5. Repeat ad infinitum, turning succesive onions so they hang down in the most appropriate gaps, thus making the job look good from all sides.

The trick is to make sure that you get all your knots pulled down as close to the previous ones as possible. If you leave even ½ an inch of bare string between them, the final result will look loose and gappy.

In fact, if you can make the loop of each new knot also take in the remaining neck of the previous onion, as well as the one you're now adding, it seems to all fit together a bit more solidly.

When you need to use an onion, start at the top of the string, and just twist one off.

Plot Cam II - Return of the Judder

2006-08-07T08:10:00.000Z

Well I finally managed to take a spare camera card to the plot with me yesterday, to record another video blog. In truth there's nothing that incredible to look at, but it's quite a change from the last time I shot one here in April.

What has not changed however, is my woeful cinematography. I think the sound is better, but it's still wobbly as heck so be warned. This is partly due to the uneven terrain of course, and also possibly due to the fact that halfway though filming it, I noticed a woman a few plots down had obviously got too hot in her tee-shirt and was gardening in her bra. I did not let this distract me though......After all, it's not that sort of a movie.

As soon as your back is turned......

2006-07-29T21:23:00.000Z

I've been away for a week loafing, golfing, and touring about Northamptonshire.

I went down to the plot for the first time today since I got back, tidied up a bit, and did some watering. A lot of runner beans and climbing french beans are now destined for the freezer. This is still after "Jim the Sweetpea Baron" next door, -who has kindly been watering for me - has had his share.

Last week the two Dills pumpkins were about the size of a large cereal bowl. Now, five days later, they are bigger than a medicine ball. I had forgotten the camera of course, so snapped this one on my phone, including one of my mitts in it for a size reference.

It's going to be a big old bugger I reckon......(I have sausage fingers if it helps to gauge the scale)

The heatwave seems to have broken here today, so pray God we get some rain tonight.

P.S. The reluctant sweetcorn belonging to "The New Girl", that Dennis and I previously pontificated about, seems to now be flowering OK....That is, as far as I can tell from sea level, as it's about 10ft high and rising....What has she done to it?

Hotter & hotter........

2006-07-16T16:53:00.000Z

A couple of absolutely blistering days here this weekend. I managed some allotmenteering on Saturday morning, and some golf on Sunday, which was without doubt the hottest round I've ever played. (Meteorologically speaking that is... golfistically speaking it was merely tepid.)

Just a few pictures to update on things I haven't photographed recently. I was going to shoot another short movie clip, but after all the stills I took (to whittle down to this lot) there wasn't enough space on the card, so that will have to wait.

The pumpkin patch has been completely overrun by Dill's Atlantic Giants, so the other pumpkins and the courgettes are fighting for elbow room at the moment. I'm trying to keep to just two fruits per plant for now, and then further reduce to one each later on. It's a constant battle to keep cutting off new ones though, and to prune the plants back at the borders with the edging shears!

The runner beans, and climbing french beans are doing really well, the sweet corn is just about to start setting cobs, while the onions & shallots are drying off nicely in the sun. The latter have done very well, and I have a scarily large net full of them, even after giving quite a lot away. I think the weather has just really suited them this year.

Have a look at these two rows of cabbages.... Apart from the fact that one is a red variety and the other a green, according to the packets they should be about the same tight, pointed size and shape. The green Hispi are behaving admirably, but the red Kalibos are growing big and open, with no sign of any hearts forming. Why this should be when they have been treated identically I don't know.... Nature can be weird sometimes.... And annoying.

Lastly the sunflowers. About two months behind everyone else's due to being a 2nd try, they are now really starting to get going. None of them should be much more than 5ft tall in the end, so I think they will catch up quite quickly. Flowering supposedly lasts till the first frosts, so there is plenty of time.

Apparently I have to go out and do pub quiz this evening....assuming I didn't entirely fry my brains round the golf course that is.... A good excuse for a bit of dampening down methinks!

Under Starter's Orders.......

2006-07-13T09:22:00.000Z

The Runner Beans are off and running!

I was able to pick a small handful for the first time today. In a fortnight's time I'll be swamped.

Everything else on the plot is growing like crazy too. I'll try to remember to take the camera on
Saturday.

Rumbled ................

2006-07-06T14:36:00.000Z

Down to the site this morning “sans camera” unfortunately, to potter about a bit and sow a few seeds.

Having pulled the last of the Early Nantes carrots, I sowed another two rows, again in the salad bar, as well as some more radishes. Then after pruning the Triffids, and lifting a few more new potatoes, I decided it was time hoick out the late lamented broad beans, and dig over the soil ready for something else.

I had no sooner started, than Dennis arrived and began digging as well.

If there’s one thing I hate more than digging (well two things actually) it’s digging when it’s rock hard, and in competition with someone else.

Just as I was beginning to have had enough, Mrs. Dennis phoned, and he told her he would only be another hour and a half at most….. I wimped out at this point and started bagging up my sun-dried shallots with an air of great concentration.

Shortly after this a very nice, chatty, lady from “the far side” appeared and asked our advice on sweet corn. Hers are refusing to flower, and as a “newbie" she was concerned she might be doing something wrong. Dennis reckoned it was just a matter of time, so I agreed, nodded, and did my best to look sage. (Actually, having had a sneaky peak at Plot 48 since, I’m sure we’re right, as the offending plants look healthy and vigorous enough in all other respects.)

It was a this point however, that “the new girl” as I’m obliged to call her, - not having bothered with any introductions, - mentioned that she is a regular visitor to DFV, and was very complimentary about my plot and blog.

I haven’t really let on much about the blog to my fellow allotmenteers at RC, but I suppose it was just a matter of time before I was rumbled!

This raises the possibility though that her sweet corn may in fact never come to anything, and I shall be revealed as an ignoramus on my own website…… Naturally I did the only thing possible in the circumstances to guard against this, and bribed her with a bunch of carrots.

Rest assured however gentle reader, that I shall not let this new found fame go to my head…...Oh no!…..Certainly not!….....Not I !

Fight the Blight.................

2006-06-29T15:57:00.000Z

I went down to the plot today to dig up some more new potatoes, and noticed that the second row of earlies, and the main crop are both just about to start flowering. This is the time then to start piling on the water. So I did.

I read on someone else's blog the other day that "you should never water onions & potatoes" which seems strange, but I can't find the entry now. Potatoes need lots of water to yield a good crop, and the time to start is when the very first flowers appear. Dr Hessayon says "Water liberally in dry weather - This is most important once tubers have started to form." Commercial growers usually work to the rate of 2 gallons per square yard, and will apply this regularly in hot conditions.

One of the reasons why some folk are cautious about watering their 'taters, is that the prime watering time of mid June to mid August, is also the dreaded potato blight season, and this most devastating disease thrives in hot humid conditions.

The best way to avoid blight is by knowing how it is spread. The following is good practice, and was explained by Stefan Buczacki on his Garden Questions program on one of the cable channels today....( See - daytime TV can be good for you!)

1. Contrary to many people's belief, blight does not live in the soil. It is a fungal strain, who spores are borne on the wind over long distances.

2. The spores lands on the leaves, and will remain there in very dry weather. They cannot "travel" through the plant, but require rain (or watering) to wash them down the stems into the soil, where they attack the tubers. Therefore hot rainy summers will almost always result in various degrees of blight on intensively cultivated allotments. New potatoes will probably harvested by then, but main and late crops can be ruined if left unchecked. Although you can now get quite a few good blight resistant varieties.

3. Now you know how the spores reach the spuds, make sure that when you water, you keep the hose or watering can nozzle right down at the base of the stems, at ground level, and water each plant individually. This way you will avoid washing spores down the plant as much as possible. If using a hose, take the pressure jet off the end to eliminate too much spray.

4. If you do get an attack of blight, as soon as you see the leaves turning a sickly yellow and black, (this is very rapid as opposed to natural dying off) immediately cutting the helms right down to ground level may well save the crop underneath. Burn any infected material, or bag it up for disposal off the site.

5. Although it can't live in open soil, blight will remain in any stray tubers, so make sure when lifting the crop, that you remove every last little one....And don't throw them on the dump....take them off site and bin them. Re-infection from last year's compost heap is one of the most common sources of the disease.

But certainly don't let the fear of blight stop you from watering your spuds....(Sounds like a euphemism for something rude... Ed.)

Dawn Harvest..............

2006-06-27T08:31:00.000Z

Awake and restless again at 4.30am this morning (early summer sunrises are the curse of the insomniac) so down to the allotment by 5.30am, just for the sake of a walk really.

Very cool quiet and peaceful at that time of day.

Picked some veg whilst I was there, and brought back this lot for dinner tonight.

Just add sausages!

Bad Jokes & Artichokes....

2006-06-23T14:35:00.002Z

An uncharacteristically diligent and productive week thus far.

Peter the "Plot Boss" is recovering from an operation, and so I was asked to cover for him and open the trading shed this coming Saturday. As well as selling stock, I shall be the "Mower Monitor" & the "Strimmer Supervisor" for a whole two hours!

Having collected the keys this morning I took advantage of helping myself to all the aforementioned communal equipment, plus the rotavator, today, in order to have free time to run round after everyone else on Saturday. This is just as well as "Plot Judging Day" for the six local allotment sites is on Sunday, and although I don't stand a chance of winning anything individually, parts of mine did need a serious going over, so as not to the the RC side down.

The climbing french beans are starting to climb their wigwam, although the jury is still out on the efficiency of the "buried bucket method" of irrigation, as their roots are not that deep yet. I'm assuming from the name "Blue Lake" that they will have blue flowers, which will look a bit odd, but doubtless interesting.

The Atlantic Giant pumpkins that I expressed concerns about previously, look like fulfilling my fears. They have both bolted off in a beeline for the nearest path, and have had to have the tips of their runners chopped off with a spade. I'm hoping this will encourage them to sprout in other directions, although they are not yet a fraction of the potential final size.

The peas are nearly ready, and I have watered them copiously to assist nature with the business of pod swelling. Next to them, where I had some lettuces that are now finished, I'm going to direct sow some more peas for a late crop. I think I'm just in time to get something from them before the summer's end, and have chosen Kelvedon Wonder this time as they seem to indicate a slightly longer season on the packet blurb.

Whilst digging over the ground for this, I was visited by one of our many tame blackbirds, who will come right up to the fork as you turn the soil. This one is indentifiable by the white patches on his body, and has been around all year. Although he'll peck worms from almost right under your feet, he won't take them from hand at all.

I am also in hope that Al, or Petunia will be able to give me a decent Globe Artichoke recipe. Mine are all going to waste at the moment as I have not the first clue what to do with them. I know I have had them served with butter in restaraunts, where you are supposed to scrape the flesh off the leaves with your teeth, but this seems like too much work for so little return. Perhaps someone can advise of a soup or somesuch similar.

Currently the only use I know of is in shocking bad jokes like the one below for which I apologise in advance...............

Bob has worked for SafeSave Supermarkets for ages, but doesn't
get on with his boss. One day he learns that the promotion he has strived hard for all year has been given to the Boss's son. Angry and frustrated he goes to the pub after work to drown his sorrows, where his pal Arthur sees him looking glum. On being asked what the matter is, Bob explains his troubles to Arthur over a beer. The evening wears on, one better turns into several, and Bob is now getting really maudlin. He tells Arthur that he thinks the only way he will ever get ahead at work is to do away with the boss and his lickspittle son. Arthur is now pretty drunk too, and declares that Bob is his "Besssht Mate" and he'll not stand by and see him treated like this. Filled with misplaced zeal, he swears to bump off the pair of them, for the price the change in Bob's pockets.

Next day the headlines read....." Arty chokes two for a pound at SafeSave"

Sorry!

An eye for the Broads....

2006-06-14T10:33:00.000Z

Not a great deal to report on the allotment front this week as I was away for the weekend in Edinburgh. Before I left on Saturday morning though, I got up early to cycle down to RC about 7am, and chuck enough water about to last over the weekend. It was quickly apparent however that I was going to have to walk down, as some b*****d had broken into my garage overnight and nicked my mountain bike!

Anyway, when I returned on Tuesday, everything was still growing fine, and it looks as though someone has done some watering for me whilst I was away - Thanks Pete! It would have needed it too - It was around 30 degrees here all weekend apparently. Thank god it's rained hard yesterday and today.

I started to pick the broad beans whilst I was down there, and soon filled a black sack, which I then had to lug home again. They made a rather daunting pile on my lounge floor, and it took me the entire duration of Korea 'v' Togo to "shell" them all. In the end they 2/3rds filled my big stock pot.

During the tedium of France 'v' Switzerland I set some aside to make a cold bean salad with, then blanched the rest in batches, and bagged them up for freezing. In a few days, all the rest that I left on the plants as too small will also be ready.

I must get around to getting that second hand freezer!

Around the ground..........

2006-06-06T10:25:00.000Z

One of the things I like about our site at RC, is that it is relatively unspoilt. Some other sites I see on the web, and out of car windows, sometimes look a bit like industrial installations, with galvanised iron sheeting, wooden pallet fences and barbed wired all over the place. I know they are very tidy and productive, and their plotholders love them, but I still prefer the "green garden" style of allotment.

I guess we are just lucky that ours is an open plan site, and all the sheds were provided by the council at the same time so it all looks tidy and uniform. We are surrounded on all sides by housing so security is good, and despite being in the middle of town it remains a very leafy oasis. One that many locals don't even realise exists, as you can't see it from the road anywhere.

Anyway, whatever the reasons, the whole site is looking pretty good just now, so I thought I'd post a few views.

(Click on the pics to enlarge)

The Sun it Shineth Every Day....

2006-06-05T13:43:00.000Z

Three days of proper weather have allowed me to rack up a good few hours at the site over the weekend, and things are now in good order. I have reasserted my evolutionary superiority over the Kingdom of Weeds, and am now master of my own plot again. This has included putting down some black plastic on the one area that I am leaving fallow. I'm not overly keen on how it looks, but given the absolute refusal of any green manure cover crops to germinate there I don't have much choice.

I've just started pulling the first lettuces from the raised bed, and very nice they are too. They have grown good crisp hearts, and seem to be completely free from pest damage. OK, so I have about 18 of them ready all at the same time, but that's a minor quibble.

The broad beans have come on leaps and bounds since I pinched the tips out. I picked a few pods to try on Saturday, but the beans inside are not quite large enough yet. They need about another week or so I'm guessing.

The peas are also climbing up their wigwams nicely, and the runner beans have survived the cold, windy spell admirably. They just need tying in again to persuade them to leave their neighbours alone and climb the lofty path to righteousness.

My Delvdad shallots are going great guns this year, and look like being the best crop yet. The only thing I did differently this year was work a lot of soot into the ground before planting, so maybe this has helped.

And after clearing the weeds away all three rows of potatoes look promising. This picture shows quite nicely the different stages of development between the very early planted ones on the right, the second earlies about 3 weeks later and the maincrop which although planted at the same time are naturally slower growing.

The weeding has also freed up ground to transplant out the cabbages that I grew from seed, in the raised bed. One row of Hispi, and one row of Kalibos which are a red variety. The netting was a bargain at a £1 a roll from a stall at the local garden show, but it's a bugger to stretch out and needs sticks every few feet. It will be a pain each time I have to remove it to hoe, but that's life. We are surrounded by mature trees at the site, and any uncovered brassicas get torn to shreds by pigeons in a matter of hours.

Overall, things are working out pretty good. I still have a few more bits and pieces to plant out, but apart from that I'm now really at the stage where all that's needed will be a hoeing and watering session a few times a week. Once the pumpkins, courgettes and brassicas start to fill out and cover the ground the plot will be quite full.....Until the harvesting starts!

And the waters receded.........

2006-05-27T22:48:00.000Z

A week to forget about.

Despite all attempts (including blowing up my microwave and filling the flat with acrid black smoke) I did not quite manage to cough myself inside out however, and am now pretty much recovered. (Why does Benylin have to taste so revolting?) So taking advantage of the unseasonably dry spell between 9am and Noon today I went to the plot to see what has been going on in my absence.

I arrived just as Peter, who promised to do some watering for me, was just finishing doing exactly that. We had a brief comedy conversation along the lines of “ Ah, Thank you my man.” and “ I knows my place zurr”…before I actually looked at the ground and pretty much lost the mood for humour.

Fecking weeds !!!

A considerable amount of hoeing and hand weeding has restored some order to the top half of the plot, but the soil is far too wet for me to get onto the bottom half to finish the job. Weeds offend me, but I will just have to tolerate them until things dry out a bit.

I consulted Pete’s copy of Dr Hessayon, the vegetable bible, and decided it was the right time to pinch the tops out of my broad beans as they have just set pods, and were really starting to get covered in blackfly.

After this I planted 60 pots of sunflowers. The ones I sowed in the soil in April have all failed to germinate, due to the cold and the damp. To be honest I can’t personally be bothered about them now, but having had several conversations with bemused plot holders about my theoretical sunflower hedge, I feel obliged to try and make it happen, so have sown another lot, albeit rather late, in the cold frame.

The runner beans have taken a pasting from the wind and the cold, but look like they will all hang on if only the weather warms up a bit now.

Apart from this things are fairly shipshape on Plot 14, and will have to blunder on for another week before I get chance to put in much time down there again.

Going the extra mile......

2006-05-19T12:30:00.000Z

A bit of a dilemma this morning as to whether to go down to the plot, or not.

On the one hand I've come down with a cold and hacking 24/7 cough, and should really have stayed indoors out of the ridiculous wind. On the other hand, if it follows the same course of events as the last time I had a similar lurgy, I'll end up in bed for a week on antibiotics anyway, and stuff that needs planting out won't wait that long. So I went down for a couple of hours, barking all the way. I must admit I did think about Al still soldiering on at her plot with shingles of all things, and this helped put my malady into perpective. (Mind you, in my defence, I have got a "Man Cold" which as we all know is far more serious than the female variety.)

Was aghast to see the amount of weed seedlings that have sprung up in the last few days, and spent a good while hoeing the whole plot. I couldn't be bothered to scrabble about and pick them all up though, so when it rains again I expect 5o% of them will re-root. Still, it looks better now.

Dennis next door to me had dropped off the sweetcorn plants he aquired from his brother, and promised me in return for some seed potatoes I got for him from someone else. (...are you following?) So I planted them out, and then decided I could do with a few more, so planted some seed myself in the cold frame. I've failed miserably to germinate any sweetcorn before, hence my reliance on imported stock, but you never know, maybe third time lucky.

After this I planted out the runner beans, into the teeth of a gale, and tied them losely to the canes with some bass in hopes that they will withstand the blow. Not ideal weather, but they have grown on so quickly and really needed to come out of the cold frame before they got too intertwined with each other. I expect they'll be OK.

Next I planted out 2 courgettes, and 2 F1 hybrid pumpkins. These are a smaller more practical variety than the Atlantic Giant I put out last week, and about which I am now having some serious misgivings. The seed packet made no mention about any special spacings, but from Howard Dill's own website I notice they say plants should be at least 16-20 feet apart! His pictures show massive, all conquering, leaf runs that would swamp half my entire plot. Am hoping I will be able to chop them back to a manageable size with too seriously harming their fruiting abilities.

Final jobs were to scatter some slug bait, pull a few sticks of rhubarb, and gather some more radishes from the salad bar.

Peter on the plot to my other side was there, and expressed some concern about my hacking and barking noises, reprimanding me for being out in the cold. If I don't feel like going back down for a few days he's kindly promised to water anything that's still under glass for me, so that's something at least.

Now for the sofa, duvet, and hot toddies.

Getting there....

2006-05-13T10:04:00.000Z

Just a bit of a general update on the sudden growth spurt at Plot 14.

This week of warm weather has finally kick started things outside, and some of the coldframe raised plants are now ready to go out as well. The overall picture is looking a lot busier and more interesting than it was when I first posted here in February.

The first row of early spuds is doing well. These are the Vale's Emeralds and were planted quite early, about 3 weeks ahead of the others. I've already earthed them up once, so am now hoping there will be no more late frosts. And the salad bar is coming along nicely as well...

My Dill's Atlantic Giant pumpkins are now planted out on their raised humps, sitting on a bed of rotted compost, and with a tube angled underneath them. This is more for delivery of liquid fertiliser to the roots than for watering. It's a bit of an experiment but we'll see how it goes. They'll have to stay under a cloche for a couple of weeks though.

The broad beans look about halfway there height wise, and are
just starting to suffer the attentions of a few pioneering blackfly.

Raspberry Wars

Not a great deal of progress on this front!
I think my Galante troops must be suffering from a lack of moral fibre. Either that or my expectations of
strong growth and fruits this season were all out of proportion. Maybe they'll just mainly make roots this first year.
I took a leaf from Matt's book and top dressed them liberally with Blood, Fish & Bone yesterday, and then
worked it into the surface with a rake. I only hope Matt's aren't all about three feet high and roaring away!

The Humble Radish............

2006-05-10T22:23:00.000Z

The first to sow, the first to grow. The easiest crop of all to look after....The humble radish barely rates a mention as a serious vegetable.... Even little kids can grow them.

And yet few types of veg are so instantly rewarding, especially at this time of the year when all the other crops seem to be taking an age to really get going.

These are a variety called Cherry Belle. Being red all over, they look great, and have a fairly mild peppery flavour that is perfect with a good cheese sandwich and a beer.

These are the first pulling, leaving their smaller neighbours to grow on for another week or so. I have another row just sprouting in the raised bed to follow on.

The "first radish" must surely be one of the red letter days of the allotment year...the whole season is before us.

Ticking over........

2006-05-01T13:29:00.000Z

Quite a few small jobs got done on my plot this week, but nothing really remarkable, or worth photographing.

My efforts can be listed thus:

1. Planted out some young peas round the wigwams.
2. Sowed runner bean seeds and climbing french beans in pots in the coldframe
3. Hoed off emerging bindweed shoots everwhere.
4. Hoed off more bindweed shoots 2 days later
5. Sowed some cabbage seed in the seedbed
6. Mowed and edged
7. Earthed up the first early potatoes that have just come through
8. Planted out some lettuce plants in one of the raised beds
9. More bloody hoeing
10. Ingratiated myself with various folk hereabouts by dishing out bundles of rhubarb

The plot still looks like it hasn't got much in it at the moment, but that will change in the next few weeks as my pumpkins,corguettes and beans go out, and the sweetcorn plants I have blagged a neighbour into getting for me arrive.

It feels a bit strange to be on top of everthing, but I remind myself that I only grow on a modest scale, so don't have hundreds of young plants to prick out, or acres of fruit to weed and train like some other plotholders.

Hopefully this week one of local papers may yield a second hand freezer to put in my garage, so that I can keep a bit more of my own produce this year instead of having to give two thirds of it away again.

Rhubarb, Rhubarb!............

2006-04-24T22:53:00.000Z

Well here is the first crop of the season!

Two weeks ago it was only just bursting through, but the combination of wet weather, and the manure I piled over it last winter have made it go mad.

I have three crowns of an unknown variety, but there is enough to pull this much every week, if not twice a week. Disposal is not a problem either, as everyone in the pub seems to want some. I have had to start making a list.

Incidentally I just finished the last of the previous year's crop from the freezer this weekend. That's what I call timing, and also why rhubarb has to be in my "Top 5 Things to Grow" (or simply allow to grow) on any plot.

Makes for quite a nice photo as well......

Buckets and beans.........

2006-04-24T22:28:00.001Z

In the first two years on my tenure at RC, I grew dwarf french beans, using the normal ground dwelling varieties, but I didn't really find them to be very satisfactory to be honest. They take up a lot of ground all summer, and are very delicate - even the gentlest of accidental tugs when picking beans risks killing the whole plant.

This year I have decided to go for the a climbing variety called Blue Lake, and hope to get better results. Anticipating a dry summer, I have tried to make watering more efficient, buy burying a cheap 98p plastic bucket (B&Q's finest) with two rows of holes drilled round the sides. The beans will then be planted inside the canes, around the bucket, so that water can be applied direct to the roots, without waste and evapouration. Scientific(ish) tests show that a full bucket takes a little over 2 minutes to drain away into the soil, and this seems about right to me.

Actually, I'm pretty sure it will work OK, as I always water my runner beans from beneath, via a length of kitchen waste pipe buried in the bottom of the trench, again with holes in it. A simple "L- bend" connector, and an upward length of pipe left protruding above the soil at each end, allows me to stuff the hosepipe down to root level. A good few miniutes soak, twice a week, is far more effective in hot weather than daily surface watering. Several people at our site water their bean rows this way, and you can spot them at a distance, by the luxuriant green growth all summer long.

“It grows Igor !”……..

2006-04-24T21:49:00.000Z

My onions and shallots are doing really well, and growing away strongly now. Although I planted them deeper than recommended, every one has sprouted, and none needed replanting….Smugness will be excused on the odd occasion I hope.

Also growing well, but without any influence from me, are the four globe artichokes that I inherited, but can’t quite seem to kill…. If only the potatoes in the foreground will do as well...

Crash test veg...

2006-04-24T17:42:00.000Z

These are the two small raised beds I mentioned previously, that I made from some hinged, crate-stacking boards donated to me by a friend. I intend to use them as a kind of revolving salad bar, by sequentially sowing small quantities of radishes, lettuce, spring onions etc.

As you can see they are sponsored by Volvo, so I suppose that my lettuces will have the best side impact protection in their class.

I had a stroke of good fortune today, when after helping “Peter the Plot Boss” turn on the mains water, and check all the taps and tanks, he gave me four old glazing panels he wasn’t using, and which are an inch perfect fit for these beds!

They should bring seedlings on nicely, though I will need to make some kind of support frame to prop them up like a roof ridge as the plants get taller.

Shameful neglect of duty.....

2006-04-17T15:42:00.000Z

Nothing much to report here I'm afraid.

Despite the long Easter weekend, very little has happened on plot 14, Ridgeway crescent.

I have actually been down to the site twice, just for flying visits; done the mowing, and made a couple of small raised beds out of some haulage company stacking boards, which a friend gave me whilst clearing an old warehouse. (Hard to describe them here but pics to follow in due course no doubt.) I've half filled them with a mixture of soil and compost, and am planning to plant my lettuces in them. Another friend who is in the double-glazing business is supposedly finding me some discarded secondary glazing panels to eventually put on top of them.

But that's about it...... No spuds buried, no runner beans sown, no peas transplanted.

However, some pretty average golf got played, some beers were drunk, a quiz was won, and I spent a lot of quality time with my sofa....Nature can wait.

Considering I'm not currently working anyway, I think it takes real dedication to be that lazy over a bank holiday!

Lights, Camera, Action....

2006-04-05T17:53:00.000Z

Ok... So I know I'm a copycat and a rip off merchant, but after seeing Bluetit TV, I have been beside myself with Technomalogical envy.....Video on a blog...How cool is that!

So, having ascertained the production secrets, I can now present for your edification the following epic clodbuster..."Allotments of Fire".

Caution is advised however if you are unusually prone to sea-sickness, as due to the fact that there are a two schools of thought on the use of tripods (All the other directors say you need one, but I say's yer don't) it is filmed in Deluxe Wobbly-Rama-Vision.

Sorry about the dodgy sound at the start, it soon gets better.

Must have been breezier than it seemed!

April Arrives, but no tomfoolery..........

2006-04-02T08:17:00.000Z

A typical April morning of sunshine & showers. After a short drenching on the way to the site, the rain held off long enough to get quite a bit done.

First job was to cultivate and rake over a largish patch of ground that I am not planning to grow any actual veg on this year, and broadcast sow it with one of those "oh-so-trendy" green manure crops. I chose Red Clover from The Organic Gardening Catalogue as it can be mowed over a few times to prevent it growing to seed, and to make great mulch or compost material, before being dug in at the end of summer. Then I’ll probably sow some Hungarian Rye Grass to over winter on it, before digging it in again in the spring. At least this should look reasonable, keep the weeds down, and keep the “Tidy Plot Police" happy without me having to do too much.

After this I forked over last year's potato patch at the bottom of the plot, cultivated it, and raked it down to a reasonable tilth fine enough to sow some seeds. Now I don’t normally go much on growing flowers.... It smacks too much off “girlie gardening” for me, but I wanted to fill this bed up and block out the rubbish dump at the bottom, so I have chucked in a long row of various types of sunflower. Prejudices aside, I have to admit that if it works well, a 5ft high x 30ft long wall of them should look quite spectacular.

Raspberry Wars

In terms of the numbers of shoots per each 10 canes, the Galante are lagging behind the Allgold at the moment. Seems they will have different coloured foliage as well as fruits.... The waiting is just bloody tedious!

Galante ........................................ Allgold............................

Sowing some seeds...........

2006-03-26T15:31:00.000Z

The heavy rain here on Saturday has really helped the topsoil, and despite a very fine, misty drizzle this afternoon it was light and moist, and perfect for sowing seed. I put in a row of Isikuro spring onions, some Cherry Belle radishes, Little Gem lettuces , and Chantenay carrots.

I also prepared a small seed bed, where I intend to grow my brassicas this year, and sowed some red cabbage called Kalibos, as well as a pointed head variety I had great success with last year called Hispi. I’ve found that cabbage seedlings sown in the soil they are eventually going to grow in, seem to do a lot better when transplanted out than ones sown in trays of compost. I suppose it’s just less of shock, and they are also probably hardier from having been outside all the time.

The onions are starting to show through now, although the shallots are lagging behind. Also sprouting encouraging, if very tiny shoots, which I noticed for the first time today are the raspberry canes I planted in early November. I have ten canes each of two autumn fruiting varieties, Galante, and Allgold. Both come from Ken Muir, who is a highly recommend supplier of all things fruitful. I’ve recently seen that Matt of Matt’s Allotment is also growing Galante for the first time this year, so I guess there is a bit of competition to keep up with!

You just can't get the staff..........

2006-03-25T10:22:00.000Z

A very busy couple of days at Ridgeway Crescent. Some overdue good weather yesterday brought out all the usual suspects, some of whom I haven’t seen for months; and on a Thursday as well.

I arrived at the site intending to plant out the broad beans and do some general tidying, but found “Peter the Plot Boss” already there, and got the unexpected offer of the swanky red rotavator there and then. Thus I spent an hour or so chugging up and down, breaking it up to a medium sort of tilth, and working in some Growmore at the same time. Very satisfying in the sunshine, but it leaves your arm muscles in a shaking spasm for hours afterwards.

I then planted the beans, and went very liberal with the slug pellets just in case, and did some edging and trimming. Along with a spot of hoeing, and a good shed clear out, this felt like the first real gardening day of the year.

Despite this progress however, I can’t help feeling that I’m not getting the full effort from the new Under Gardener. He seems to just want to stand around all day in his Raybans looking cool…… He might think it doesn’t take much to impress the birds, but I on the other hand, know that it’s not that easy!

Done with Digging.......

2006-03-21T13:53:00.000Z

Finally.... a good workman-like 1½ hours at the plot this morning has seen off the last of the hand digging! It's the job I like least all year, which probably explains why I never finish it 'til March.

Now at last I'm ready for the rotavator; this weekend weather permitting. There are two communal machines to choose from in the site shed, but with a bit of diplomatic negotiation I think I have secured first grabs on the best one. It's bigger, more powerful than the other, and has a reverse gear with a hydraulic lift that makes manoeuvring it much easier.

It's also red, shiny, and much louder, which are the most important factors of course....Big boys toys eh!

Whether to weather the weather or not..........

2006-03-18T16:07:00.000Z

Quite what motivated me to get off the sofa this morning at 11:00am with England on 211 for 1, and beer & pizza in the fridge, to go down to the plot in the teeth of a Siberian gale I know not!...Such are the sacrifices expected of the dedicated Allotmenteer I guess!

But go I did, and regretted it before I was halfway there. The wind chill factor was so ridiculous I had no trouble convincing myself that I didn’t really need to do any digging, and could pretend I was only going down to open the coldframe and harden off my broad beans anyway.

Luckily, as soon as I arrived, Peter the site administrator (from the sensible shelter of his car) gave me the OK to help myself to some beech tree trimmings that will make excellent pea sticks. I have had my eye on this most useful resource since the hedge round the car park was cut last month. So have several other people it seems, and as I was last on the unofficial list, there were not quite enough sticks left to make a whole row. In the end I settled for three "wigwams" instead, (as vaguely visible below) and think this will be more aesthetically pleasing anyway. Plus, it gives the oppurtunity to have three seperate sowings and spread the cropping period out a bit .

Sequential sowing is something that I’ve never really got to grips with previously, and in my twisted mind it's something that needs to mastered in order to be a “proper” gardener; so I’m intending to give it a good go this year.

Once I had set out my wigwams and at least done something constructive, I was about to go home, when a couple of old boys turned up and started digging. Stupidly this shamed me into have a go myself. After about half an hour however, it became apparent that it was too hot and cumbersome to dig with my coat on, but that without it, every time I bent down to pick out the wretched convolvulus, my shirt came out, and the wind whistled round my kidneys.

Being no stranger to risk assessment, I immediately identified this as a potential health hazard, which I quickly mitigated by packing up and going to the pub…..from whence I have just returned ‘ere posting this update, so sorry about the spulling.

Free stuff.........

2006-03-09T18:32:00.000Z

Having finally acquired (from the excellent Organic Gardening Catalogue, via my equally excellent Dad) some Red Flame runner beans, which I couldn't get last year, I have no interest in the free packet of Enorma seeds T & M have kindly sent me… nor the complimentary Autumn Giant 2-Argenta leek seed either... So I’ll happily send them to anyone who can use them. Just drop me an e-mail.

The Eyes have it............

2006-03-09T17:33:00.000Z

Revealed! ...... The latest “must have” interior design feature that no stylish home should be without!

A challenging installation of chitting potatoes, tastefully arranged in front of the lounge window. Next season all the Kensington and Chelsea glitterati will be doing it….though doubtless they will be using Jimmy Choo boxes instead of Reebok Classics.

Thompson & Morgan finally came through and delivered, albeit with a couple of substitutes for the varieties I originally ordered. Instead of the Sarpo Mira main crop I grew last year - and which yielded a truly huge crop of large baking sized potatoes, whilst completely living up to their billing for being blight, eelworm and slug resistant - I now have a new sister-strain called Sarpo Axona. These apparently have all the same growing properties, but are slightly creamier in flavour, and a more normal shape than the Miras, which were in truth, very long and flat looking. Should be a good alternative.

Of my preferred earlies, Adorra had also sold out, so I now have Accent, and Vale’s Emerald. The plan is to plant one variety about 2-3 weeks later than the other, and try to stretch the new potato season out a bit. Last year I followed the old maxim of putting my spuds in on St. Patrick’s day…only to have to rush down to the site one evening in May to protect the emerging plants with fleece against a late frost. This year I’ll wait until the middle of April, and see how that works out..... Given the lateness of my delivery, and the stubborn reluctance of the seed tubers to do any sprouting yet, I think this is no bad thing.

Convulsed by Convolvulus...

2006-03-03T22:04:00.000Z

I took advantage of the bright sunshine yesterday to put in a couple of hours of digging on the new lower half of my plot. The soil is wonderfully light, turns over easily, and is still rich in organic matter the previous owner put in last year. However, as it was ultimately left to go wild, it is chock full of bindweed roots.

Convolvulus Arvensis, also known as "bearbine" is a stubborn enemy whose roots can sometimes extend down for several metres. In my case I have chased it down to about 3 feet in some spots, but only out of curiosity. I think the trouble isn't helped by a story that when the site was turned over to allotments about 40 years ago, the council levelled the land by dragging topsoil down the slope, covering what I'm told was orchard like grass land...and burying the already existing bindweed several feet down, giving it an even better chance to be a pain. It's imperative to hand dig it, and try to take out every last bit of root fragment to a good spade's depth.

This makes for painfully slow going but there's no real option if you want to get rid off it. The second front in the offensive starts in the growing season when I meticulously hoe off any new shoots as they appear. No matter how deep rooted it may be, without leaves in the light to photosythesize it can't go on for ever I reckon. Following this digging and hoeing regime for 2 years, I have pretty much eradicated it on the ground I have previously had myself, and can look forward to easy digging in the future. It may be nice to have the extra space of the new plot this year, but going back into the trenches with convolvulus is proving to be a real bind!

Green Shoots..............

2006-02-27T14:59:00.000Z

Went to the plot just for a “look-see” this morning. Too darn damp and dismal to do anything useful. At last, after several weeks of prevaricating, the replacement crop of broad beans in the cold frame have started to come through, giving every indication that I, instead of Apodemus, might get to eat this lot. A very vibrant, Spring like green on an otherwise miserable day.

The local forecast is for another 10 days of freezing weather, which is depressing, but if it rains a lot it will just about be excusable, as here in the South East we are desperate for every last possible drop in the reservoirs. We’re already facing the prospect of a year round hosepipe ban as it is....without the 200,000 more homes proposed to be built in the region by 2010.

Phoned Thompson & Morgan this afternoon to chase up my seed potato order, as word on the allotment is that they have been having some problems. Seems they have apparently, but orders are now flowing again, and mine should be here sometime this week……now where are those chittin’ shoe boxes I saved?

Of Mice and Men.....................

2006-02-21T16:08:00.000Z

Apodemus Sylvaticus was the culprit!... He sneaked in under cover of darkness and made free with another man's property...namely all my broad bean seeds. The thief is of course more commonly known as the Woodmouse, or Long Tailed Fieldmouse, but calling him “Apodemus” seems to personify the little villain quite nicely. Of the four rows of Aqua Dulce beans I planted in November, the mouse, or mice, have had all but one single, solitary bean. To add insult to injury, on either side of my plot, my neighbours’ beans grow unmolested and proud... Why was I singled out?...Were my seeds more delicious in some way?

All I have to show for my hard work are rows of regularly excavated little pits, that appeared over the Christmas period. I know we a like all good “beanfeast” at that time of year, but this is rather taking things too far I feel. A new replacement sowing is underway in pots in the cold frame (suitably rodent proofed) so in the end all that is lost is time and patience. However, if anyone can advise on how to avoid this unhappy occurrence in future, then I'll be delighted to hear from you…I will need to plant peas soon and the fat, happy mice will probably be breeding!

Onions Away............

2006-02-19T09:16:00.000Z

The first crops of the year are in!

Three rows of "Delvdad" shallots, and four rows of "Sturon" onions. I grew Sturon last year and the results were pretty impressive. Good, big, uniform onions that have kept very well.
The planting instructions for both varieties, and other plotholders at RC, favour leaving them sticking halfway out of the soil. Though it may be just the arrogance of a beginner I don't go much on this, and like to bury mine a bit deeper so the soil just covers the top of the dead stalks on the sets. Firstly it stops birds pulling them all up in mistake for nesting material; and secondly I think that in a dry summer like last year, it helps to have their roots a little deeper so they don't "dry & fry" after you have watered them. I also like to space them out a couple of inches further each way than suggested, as they benefit from regular hoeing....and I have big feet.

I'm not setting myself up as an onion aficionado, but in the last two years mine were as good as anyone's on the site....Stick with what works I reckon.

Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbour's Raised Bed...

2006-02-18T23:04:00.000Z

Since dipping a toe (or a hoe) in the world of allotment blogging...err like yesterday,… I can't help noticing how many people are sporting impressively neat and tidy raised beds on their ground. It's enough to make one feel strangely inadequate. My plot is 32'x 90'..or about 9½ rods in old money. It’s true I only currently have about two thirds down to cultivation, as I just inherited an extra half from a friend who “bowed out gracefully” after a couple of years tenure, and so am therefore playing catch-up... (I’m kidding myself the other third is really a “lawn” whereupon I will eventually sit, sipping vodka & tonic and reflecting upon my self sown glory.)... Even so, the thought of dividing and raising the growing area seems FAR too much like hard work – So I guess I shall remain a flatlander, and …(look away now if easily shocked)..walk upon my soil with a heavy farmer-like tread.

Call me a luddite, but I know what I like.

"Hello my name is Andy and I'm a Shed-aholic"

2006-02-18T22:37:00.000Z

It's small, very imperfectly formed, and suffers from the depredations of the "Shed Elves" who always trash it when I'm not there........But it's mine!... All Mine D'ya hear....You can't take it away from me.....Bwwuuuuhahaaah!

Back to the land.....

2006-02-17T22:32:00.000Z

So then.....February 2006.....the start of another growing year, and
my third at Ridgeway Crescent.

My plot may look bare now in February....but in my mind's eye
it is already August.

So, upwards and onwards then.....