Still wet weather prevents much happening.

Ive been down the plot just a handful of times since the last post. Mainly to keep picking runner beans! I must have had 4 or 5 carrier bags full now. What a wonderful crop to grow!



Ive also been working at the top of the plot where its over grown with bramble. Ive nearly got the two hidden compost bins out, and a fair amount of bramble cut down. It looked very daunting, but as I did it, it surprised me how much I had done.



Above is a pic of the top of the plot. It was taken before I had got to work on the brambles. There are a few leeks in the ground and the other part is covered with carpet which I hope is going to help me out with the weeds.

Cutting back bramble and more potting.

I managed to get down the plot around 6.15 on Tuesday. Even after all the rain, it didnt look so bad there. Another carrier bag of beans, hoe around the leeks. Then I decided to have a good go at the brambles at the top of the plot. There are two compost bins there, but have been completely over grown with the brambles. If I cut it all back I start building a compost pile with all the waste.

Yesterday I headed up my shed to pot on the leggy seedlings. Lets just see how that goes. Also sown another lot of the spring cabbage.

Seedlings leggy

Well, not that we have had great sunshine the last few weeks, but Ive really had trouble finding a good place for the cabbage seedlings. Unfortunately they have gone quite leggy indeed. I will keep them going and see what happens. But Im going to sow some more this week just to make sure for a crop ready to plant out next month.

Seedlings popping through

Well Im happy to see the spring cabbage seedlings already popping up in the propergator. Next month I hope to plant them out. I do need to get the allotment sorted though. Ive made a plan of what I want the beds to look like for the next season, but I need to get some digging over. Autumn is only 6 weeks away! Friends are visiting this weekend so as much as Im going to enjoy it, I wont be able to get down the allotment to get cracking. The weather is supposed to be terrible anyhow.

Spring Cabbage seeds sown.... others lost!

Well, the spring cabbage seeds I ordered from ebay arrived a few days ago. However, with chores around the house I only managed to sow them Sunday evening. Ive sown 20 in modules in propergator. Fingers crossed for success.
I paid a short visit to the plot last night. The rain over the last week has made it impossible for me to go down for long periods. I hadnt been down for nearly a week. The carpet I laid on the uncultivate part is still in place. To my surprise, the weed on cultivated part of the plot were not really that bad. I did a light bit of hoeing around the leeks, and grabbed another carrier bag of runner beans. Im surprised with the runners. The plants themselves don’t look that great in terms of growth. However, the cropping in fantiastic. Ive blanched and frozen another lot - easily enough for 4 meals.

A note for next season. I have to use netting on the cabbages (and whatever brassicas I grow). The dammage from the slugs has been minimal - which surprised me, but the bird damage is incredible. I didn’t have that many cabbages sown anyway, but the last few have been desimated from the birds. Next season, I plan to grow cabbages for the year (Spring/Summer and winter varieties) so I will really need to give them better protection.

Ive also noticed that the carrots and beetroot I planted in the bed the new potatoes had havent come to much. I think its just been too wet for them. Next year I will hoepfully have my roots bed ready and I can get a better head start.

For me its been a short season. The only crops left to come this year are the beans and the leeks. Its been a noce start though. I just want to really get the plot sorted for a full growing season next. Ive a lot of digging to do. But I think I have enough time to get stuck in and tidy it all up for the first sowing next spring.

Weather still poor - Plot vist to come though

Well, I polished off the second of my cabbages last night. I had it sauted with sausage and bacon, a touch of chili and some spagetti - Wonderful. Im hoping that when I arrive home from work the spring cabbage seeds I bought off ebay will have arrived and can ge them sown in a seed tray and get them off to a good start.

If and it’s a big if with the weather - if it stays reasonably dry this afternoon Im going to pop down the plot to see how things are. I laid carpet over the uncultivated bits of the plot last week and I want to make sure its still in position. I also wanna see how the runner beans have come on since I picked the first handful of beans last week too. They have been a bit slow climbing the poles, but Im hopeful they will have progressed and there will be some more to pick. I think I should also pick another cabbage for some meals this week. I don’t want the slugs to have anymore than they already have.

Will also take some pics. It will be good to look back this time next year and compare - hopefull there will be a noticable difference.

Potatoes, Beans and Cabbages

Well, over the Summer, considering I only have half the plot cultivated and just a handful of veg in the ground, Ive really enjoyed the harvest. It was amazing to be sitting down to a sunday lunch, with all three of the vegetables coming from my very own bit of land!

Its amazing how little it costs too. Now, in todays money climate, growing your own has to be the way forward! This year I was lucky with freebies. The beans were given to me as seedlings and the so were the Cabbages. I have no idea what variety both are unfortunately. At a guess I suspect the the cabbage is Prima.

So far we've had potatoes for a handful of meals ever week. We've gone through 2 of the cabbages, and I managed to pick the very first crop of beans -enough for 2! The beans have been very slow. After discussions with other growers Im not the only one.

Although Ive been very happy with my harvest, I dont feel in control of the plot. There is still a massive amount of uncultivated area. I never really got control of the bind weed (especially around the edges and on the beans bed) and I feel like I could shape the beds I do have better. Well, these will be part of my plans for the autum and for the coming growing season.

As part of my over all goal (which is limited at the present time) to have a supply of seasonal veggies all year round, Ive ordered some organic Spring Cabbage seeds. I bought them off ebay. 99p delivered! What a bargain. Im happy now that I can sow ready for some spring greens as none of the shops seem to have a seed variety suitable for spring greens.

The seller confirmed he had posted them yesterday. Fingers crossed I will sow this them in a propagator by the end of this week and plant them out in the next month or so.