What we have here is a failure to germinate

Slightly better weather this weekend. I managed to get down on Sunday morning and got the grass cut. All looking much better. There’s some frost damage to the potatoes. But the big disappointment is that the carrots, leeks and beetroot sowed a few weeks ago haven’t germinated.  Hopefully, with better weather this week, we might see some action.

Two wet weekends

The last two weekends have been wet, and limited my visits to quick  checks to see how the allotment is doing. Everything seems to be growing well especially the weeds. I scythed  a lot down last week, but haven’t been able to make it over with a mower yet. Hopefully tomorrow.

A Busy Day

Two visits today, the first with Beth and Mary, the second by myself.

I managed to dig over the bed 7 which, although covered, was very weedy. This bed will be host to runner beans, peas. Forked over bed 1 and planted a row of leeks, and a half row of carrots and a half row of beetroot.

Onions and Garlic are starting to show. No sign of potatoes as yet. Raspberry canes starting to come through. Rhubarb is doing very well.

Flying visit

Only had time for a flying visit this weekend.  I made it over for an hour, early on Sunday morning. Watered the garlic, onions and potatoes, and brought home a few stalks of rhubarb.

The weather has been very dry since I put the potatoes in, I’m slightly concerned, that it will affect them.

A Busy Easter week

It didn’t start off too good weather wise, so I didn’t get down to the plot till Easter Monday. I made up for it with 5 hours of digging. Beds 3 & 4 and the new potato bed (5 & 6) were dug over and weeded. Back down again on through the week to plant the garlic(which should have been in ages ago) and onions.

Back down again on Friday for another dig over the potato bed, yet more weeds, and again on Saturday to plant the potatoes.

We picked two lots of rhubarb and have had two very nice crumbles.

At home, I planted out a plum tree.

Next jobs needed:

• replace some dead strawberry plants.
• dig over beds 7, 8 and hopefully 9.
• clear out large “compost” heap. This is really just a heap of weeds and turf. I’d rather have the space for bed 9.
• A friend is giving us some gooseberry bushes so I need to find somewhere to plant them.
• Also really need to get some planting going in the greenhouse – I’m running a bit late on this.

Dig! Dig! Dig!

After missing out last week due to family commitments, I was determined to get down this weekend and despite the showery weather, I managed to put in 5 hours or so on Saturday. Some sitting in the shed out of the rain was necessary, but by and large a very productive day.

• Finished digging over the bed for the potatoes. This will still need forked over again before planting.
• Dug over last year’s potato bed. This will be split into two beds, one for beans and peas, one for garlic & onions.
• Forked over and manured bed 2 in preparation for Brussels Sprouts.

Lots of digging. Very tired by the end.

On Sunday, I cleared out the greenhouse at home, and planted a plum tree in the garden.

Spring has sprung!

Yesterday, it really felt like spring has arrived. The weather was so good I got a touch of sunburn on my head.

The whole family headed to the allotment and watched me dig. Well, actually everybody did help a bit.

I managed to get another bed and a half dug over, Hannah my wife dug a bed, the girls found half a dozen parsnips. Also cleared out some brambles from the top of the plot, and fixed the raised bed round the rhubarb.

I need to remember to take a pump to pump up the wheelbarrow tyre.