Sweetleafs Allotment Diary

[sweetleaf]

• I have two allotments, side by side with the shed on the west plot, I grew half a plots worth of potatoes on the other plot (east) last year and the rest of my veg on the other half of it, soon realizing I had run out of room I took the second plot on late last summer and purchased the shed.
  
  My beloved shed , was broken into but the other allotmenteers helped me to repair and secure it,and nothing had been stolen as far as I know, just rifled and messed about with
  
  
  This is my plot when I had just started last year, a right old mess! It grew me a lot of veg, and flowers (to the disgust of some of the older plotholders!)
  
  Up till the weather took a serious turn for the worse I worked on the west plot to build raised beds, and have planted assorted soft fruit bushes in them Raspberries gooseberries Jostaberries and this weekend Ill be planting blackcurrants ,also, Ive created a strawberry bed.
  A path has been laid the full length of the plot and three pallet compost bins have been filled.I planted hundreds of onion sets and garlic cloves, hating to see the land idle.
  At the top of the plot I will be planting this years spuds and last years spud area will be given over to other veg, Pumpkins will be grown for the first time and a deep bed created for them.
  My next challenge is the creation of a cranberry bog, and I'm researching the best way of going about that without purchasing bags and bags of ericaceous compost, I will be creating my own . Ill let you know how that works out...
  I plan to record all my sowing times, my successes and my failures here, so even if no-one else reads it, I will be able to look back on it, and learn from my own mistakes.
  
  Heres the shed again This is last summer before I got the shelves etc.
  
  
  
  

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Some flowers from the lottie last summer
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[sweetleaf]

I must add that the plots opposite me have all been let now and the whole site barring one plot is under cultivation, a lot of younger families are starting to grow their own veg in our area and the site is finally getting some decent fencing.

I had a fair bit of inconvenience regarding water, last year as the standpipe nearest my plot had been turned off due to an underground leak, I walked miles with cans , but it probably made me fitter!
Now its fixed but I have the grand total of 6 water barrels which I fill with rainwater from the shed, as backup, (I think the pipe isnt buried deep enough under the road and the council lorries are whats fracturing the pipe )

[4pygmies]

What a lot of lovely space SL. I envy you that...I wish I could have kept my allotment but no water, no time, couldn't do it....I want to cultivate more of my garden this year but no time so far. Iwill DEFINTELY keep reading this thread so you can motivate me to get off my a**e and keep up with you!

[sweetleaf]

Went to the lottie this morning, just got back.......shattered, only to find a days worth of dishes in the sink,
lounge looking like the end of a 3 day rave, and Im starving, no energy to do any cooking, so Im sending out for chips

I found a galvanised greenhouse heater buried in the enormous compost heap I inherited, it looks dirty but being galvanised shows no sign of decay!
Ill post a pic in a while, when Ive had a bath etc.
Back is killing me!

[4pygmies]

Watch that back please! Don't go mad straight away.......Grrr, I hate coming back and finding loads of stuff to do - sometimes I grump but sometimes I just whimper...it's not fair is it? Why doesn't anyone ever do these things? Fancy finding a heater in a compost heap! Ooh, I hope it will still work - that's synchronicity that is.....(naaah, it's a heater!).

[sweetleaf]

I blame that Nobody I do, never does anything, lazy b*gger

[sweetleaf]

Today I bought 9 more fruit bushes so guess what Im doing again this week ....Yes another fruit bed !

I have sown some peas into lengths of guttering that have been cut to fit old fruit boxes, last years effort kept getting in the way, so this year I have done the right llength pipe to fit the space available, and this time Ill be growing a lot more peas, having found that most didnt make it all the way to the shed never mind home!


It was the same with the fruit, so thats why theres extra effort on that front too ;D

OH has given me a lead light for the GH and a battery to attach it to so lack of light cant keep me out of the greenhouse, (I have asked myself if this man ever wants me in the house), but he did do it to please me Im sure! ;D

[plocket]

Just a thought about your ericaceous compost Sweetleaf - can you get hold of masses of pine needles? I think they will help acidify your compost. Adding citrus rinds should help too.

[sweetleaf]

I dont know where I would get them Plocket! Theres not a lot of pines around here.......Ill look into it.

I may have to buy compost and grow them in a container of some kind.
The idea of buying in masses of the stuff goes against my gardening philosophy.

[plocket]

Are there no pine forests near you? Do you know anyone with a pine tree in their garden?

I fully understand where you are coming from with regard to buying the compost, but even if you grow the cranberries in pots they will need the right soil. It would take time to make your compost ericaceous anyway, with the peel and pine needles, and you'd probably need a different composter to make it - all of which takes time and space. It was just a thought ;D

[sweetleaf]

I decided to plant the cranberries in tubs, and purchased some ericaceous compost, a reasonable outlay for the tub size although I didnt feel very happy buying it in, I got over it when I saw them tucked in and looking happier immediately. ;D
Im off to the lottie in the morning and will post some pics when I return, the beans have not been planted...too wet, and the runner bean trench has still to be dug, I want to put some wildflowers in the rough area behind the pond and put some more oxygenating weed into the pond too too, my spuds are chitting on the bench and I`m curious how well they are doing.
The squash bed has still to be created too but well see how well I get on with the rest, before I start that.
I had a call from the manager of the lottie a few days ago, apparently the cold frame, which is the roof of my plastic greenhouse did a fair impersonation of a kite, and is now safely tucked behind the shed, I have some tentpegs to peg it down with Ill have to remember to take them.

[sweetleaf]

courgette Tromboncino Nothing yet
Sweet dumpling squash Germinating well
Butternut squash Germinating well
Pumpkin Cinderella germinating well
Gigantes beans (from Mulchmad ) Germinating well ;D
Sweetcorn Incredible nothing yet
Aubergine Black Beauty just showing
Tomatoes Moneymaker 4 showing
Tomatoes Tigerella just showing


Last week, I sowed Peas and runner beans and a few more sweet peas that germinated in a damp brown envelope, ;D I figure they want to grow, and I had better find room for them then
The marigolds are doing well ;D
French marigolds still to be sown think Ill wait now to see what the weather comes up with there are many more packs of seed but I had better be patient I figure....difficult as it sounds

I posted this in the seeds thread also, but I reckon its just as relevant here, I cant wait to get back to the lottie, but atm Im a little unwell, bound to be better by the weekend though!
Mulchmad sent me some Gigantes bean seeds (lovely lady and a sad loss to the gardening community) Im desperate that they should do well and that Ill be able to save seed from them myself, as a sort of commemoration of her, fingers crossed for me please

[alicat]

Sounds good Sweetleaf.

Have a great time at the lottie this weekend and don't forget the tent pegs for the cold frame. ;D

[sweetleaf]

Good thinking Ali! That had slipped my mind! ;D

[4pygmies]

I did wonder whether adding LOTS of citrus fruit to a composter might make it better for cranberries - a bit of a long term project I know! I say this because Primary schools have free fruit schemes now and they have bucket loads of orange peelings. Our school has anyway but I don't put them in our compost bin and it's such a waste! Just a thought anyway.

[sweetleaf]

Not a bad thought though, but it might draw some serious rat attention, they used to bait the park with oranges, and the parkie would sit quietly and shoot them. :

[4pygmies]

You could always have an HA guard on duty at all times - protect your shed too! Do rats like oranges then? They spoil all my best plans....

[sweetleaf]

I think they like all food but the strong smell of oranges draws them in from afar! The parkie always rated them as bait anyway.

[4pygmies]

I hate rats, don't you?

[Sleepy]

[whisper=Sweetleaf]test whisper[/whisper]

[sweetleaf]

Yes dear, I just detest them right down to their disgusting wee ridden paws!

Sleepy dont you know its rude to whisper? ;D

[sweetleaf]

Today I built another raised bed and planted it with Bunyards exhibition Broad beans, I sowed some carrots weeded the onion and garlic beds and turned all my heaps,3 of them!

I noticed that my plum tree had started to bloom and my pear trees are budding which is a relief as I bought them bare rooted quite cheaply and thats always a bit of a lottery I started to dig over another bed but quit half-way through as my back began to complain, I was at the lottie for 9 hours today, so I probably should have quit sooner.
My bird box has NOT been occupied, which was a disapointment but its not too late is it? Perhaps it will be, next week : I made sure not to touch it or go too close in case it was being checked out. The robin was very curious and he came very close to me today, he always is a joy to see, and I chucked as many greeblies in his direction as I could as a reward. I dont want him to get too trusting, its not a good idea, not everyone is trustable after all.

Most of my fruit bushes are starting into growth too, except the ones my lottie neighbour gave me,they are Raspberries (unnnamed), so maybe they are a type that starts later? Hope so... My leeks are starting to look more like Leeks and less like spring onions, but I have heard from my Lottie neighbours that they all have the same problem, the plants were a gift from the Allotment manager, so perhaps they were poor quality to start with. I took my camera, but by the time I remembered it was too dark to take pictures, I shall definitely have to take some next time, as soon as I arrive so I know Ill have the light!

[sweetleaf]

Yesterday I sowed....

Sweetcorn sweet sensation..again!
Cucumber Crystal Apple
Cucumber Marketmore
pepper California wonder



Now I feel better, more tomorrow ;D

[sweetleaf]

I cant believe it.. but almost all my cucumbers, marketmore and Crystal apple have germinated! Is this a record?


California wonder (capsicum) are nowhere to be seen though.

[sweetleaf]

Today, just for fun, I dug a 12ft by 5ft flower border directly in front of my shed and planted a small group of Iris`(es?) and a stray sedum in it, I will fill it with overflow plants from my garden at home, it wont take long at all, ;D

I also have some poppy seeds to sow there, and some sweet peas which can climb small cane wigwams, so I shall have something pleasant and colourful to look at when I do get a chance to sit and relax, and watch the bees .