New Allotment Diary, Feb 13th

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New Allotment Diary, Feb 13th

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cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 05 3:45 pm Post subject: New Allotment Diary, Feb 13th

Picked up a key for the gate on Friday Night, had my first look in daylight today. Not as bad as it might have been.

We spent about an hour getting the dead, dry stuff off the top. Mostly fat hen all dried out from last year. As ever, there's always something unexpected on the site; we found a little spinach, some fir apple potatoess, less horseradish than would be considered worrying, and lots of frogs. At the back by the shed end (which is still locked; the previous owner can have another week to get into it, I can wait) are three bushes that might be currants, there are some other bushes that might also turn out to be currants, and maybe four little raspberries. Not bad.

Dug out a suspicious mound at the end to find that it was two(ish) year old manure. Brilliant find. That's now spread on a newly turned patch of ground that will be my courgette patch this year.

About half of it is almost ready; needs some turning and loosening up, and it'll be ready for brassicas, carrots, parsnips and onions. Another patch is a little rougher, but with some digging it'll be fine for spuds. That leaves about a quarter that's not so good, but which I can chip away at when I get time.

Wednesday night is my next time to spit. That's when I go and burn all the dry stuff we pulled out, and the nasty wet scrap wood. A little kerosene ought to get it going.

Spuds are chitting; that's some pink fir apple and some of a first early variety called rocket. Also got some desiree, which will go on to chit presently.

In seed trays behind me in the living room is all manner of stuff; we can get things going in front of the French windows most years. So that's cabbages, cauliflowers and broad beans, and lots of stuff for the garden (herbs, Welsh onions, mizuna and a few other salad greens). Also a big tub of carrots (I figure the compost I had beans in last year in a big container, started off indoors, should giveme a nice early harvest of carrots).

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 05 9:56 pm Post subject:
This site has a good allotment diary https://www.moonbells.freeserve.co.uk/home.html I found it via the web, and discovered it was a local plot. There are a few gaps in it this year, as the lady who writes it got married.

PeterR

Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 13
Location: Milton Keynes

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 05 11:58 pm Post subject: timing
starting the plot in feb is good timing, so you should do very well this year. i started my plot in july a couple of years ago, which didn't leave much growing season in year 1. sounds like you know pretty much what you're doing, but beware temptation of planting too many seeds indoors this early... end up with leggy plantlets and no room for people in the house -- peter

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 05 8:32 am Post subject:
Good advice there Peter, I've been caught out that way before. The chillis and peppers will be fine, it's the cabbage and cauliflowers that I might be being hasty with. Still, they get plenty of light so they oughtn't get too leggy.

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