Tuesday 29 March 2011

Plot time!

Well, the weather did play ball and we did manage to get up early enough Saturday morning to spend a couple of hours on the allotment before we went away.


It's looking surprisingly weed free and for the first time I actually think we're on top of things this year. The spring brasicas under that white netting need re-covering this week if possible as the cheap netting seems to be falling apart and could to with being lifted off the crops now they're getting bigger.


The over-wintering onions and garlic have done amazingly well, I've read so many reports of people losing most of their crop this winter I was half expecting to find a load of gaps but actually I think pretty much everything we planted is still there growing merrily. Yay! We added this years shallots to the bed too while we were there as they really needed to be in the ground now.


Ever since I was a little boy my Dad has grown rhubarb at the bottom of his garden. He's got about four crowns I think and they've all pretty much as old as me. Every few years he splits them, replants a section of them and they carry on producing masses and masses of huge sticks without my Dad paying them any more attention. Last autumn was splitting time and since the rhubarb we inherited on the plot has been less than impressive so far we jumped at the chance of getting our hands on some of Dads spares. We dumped a load of manure on top of them and pretty much left them to it over the winter and as you can see they're sprouting nicely at the moment.

The fruit bushes are all coming back to life too, the blueberries in particular are looking beautiful with their little clumps of buds looking just about ready to burst into flower. The plan for this year is to use the far end of the plot as a large covered fruit area, with money not exactly laying unused in our pockets at the moment we're just looking at covering the ground with some weed suppressing fabric and erecting some netting covered canes to keep this years crop safe, but all being well at some point we'll be able to get a proper fruit cage installed.

As well as giving the plot a bit of a general tidy and hoe we also managed to get a couple of rows of potatoes in the ground. We planted some Riviera (first early) and some Charlotte (second early) and we've got some Gladstone (second early) to go in this week all being well.

All in all it may not have been the longest session on the allotment we've ever had, but we did manage to get the jobs done we wanted and seeing the plot look nice and tidy at the start of the season was lovely. Best of all though was seeing the daffodil bulbs we planted last autumn in full bloom. If ever there was a sign of spring, this is it.


6 comments:

Mark N said...

The backdrop to your allotments looks much nicer than the industrial estate we have!

Jo said...

I intend to plant some daffodil bulbs at the plot in autumn, it's so cheery seeing splashes of colour in spring. Looks like you got plenty done at the plot, it's looking nice and tidy.

VP said...

Hi - good to see you blogging and over at mine again :)

A packet of nasturtium seeds is yours - can you email vegplotting at gmail dot com with your address details please and I'll send them ASAP!

Paul and Melanie said...

@ Mark - lol Thanks, we're very very lucky to have aplot where we do. It's in the midst of farmland just outside a little cotswold village near where we live. Couldnt ask for amore beautiful view while we dig. :)

@ Jo - I've never really been that interested in growing things you can't eat but have to admit I'm in love with my daffs and already planning to add to the blooms.

@ VP - Thats great, email sent! And thanks, it's good to be back. :)

Janet/Plantaliscious said...

I love your daffs - it solidifies my determination to plant some on our plot this Autumn. You seem impressively on top of things. Our rhubarb needs a little TLC...

Sue Garrett said...

We have a row of daffodils on the plot that I use as early cut flowers - they perfume the house during early spring - we have a vase in here now.