Swine Flu

I'm currently in bed with suspect swine flu. I'm not having much luck this year with getting on the plot. Luckily my father has been harvesting and I've got sacks of potatoes in my garage ( nice and clean, no scab or blight yet ), a fridge full of courgettes and a freezer full of runner and french beans ( despite it being a very poor year for beans on my plot). The beans and courgettes have now finished. There are still plenty more potatoes to dig up.

There are also the butternut squash and pumpkins still growing so I'm looking forward to seeing how they are doing. And I want to see if the sprouts have caught up as they were a little slow to get going.

At home my cherry tomatoes have been excellent. The new for 2009 variety 'Sweet Olive' that I tried have been superb. Loads of fruit and in my opinion the best tasting cherry toms I've ever had. They were better than the cherry toms I had in Italy during my 2 week holiday there and that's saying something.

I'll get some pictures at the weekend to show how things are.

Courgettes

We harvested our first courgettes yesterday, and it looks like there are many more on the way.

The early potatoes are disappointing still. There aren't many of them yet. More rain is needed.

The runner beans and french beans are still struggling but this seems to be a general trend across the whole site. I'm still hopeful that they will recover and provide a good harvest. Mind you, runner beans don't like temperatures above 28C, so last weeks 30 plus will have slowed them down even further.

On the home front my 'Sweet Olive' cherry tomatoes have set two or three trusses. I think that if we get some good sunshine this week the first ones will be ripe by next weekend. I can't wait to taste them.

I've still got some sprouts and leeks in my cold frame at home. I really need to get them planted out. Last week was just to hot for any concerted effort. Forecast is for cooler weather this week so we should be able to get the job done.

Neck Rot

I was able to get to the plot today. I took some photos which have been added to the previous post. The most obvious thing was how quickly the weeds had grown up and taken over. It's going to take some serious work to clear them once I'm fit again.

I harvested all our garlic, about 20 bulbs in total. Some seemed to be suffering from neck rot while others had mildewy bulbs. Usually my garlic is resilient to most things but perhaps this variety is not so good. I'll have to rack my brains to see if I can remember the variety I planted. Anyway, the goods bulbs are now out in the sun drying and will last us for a few months.

One plant that I have not had much luck on the plot with is tomatoes. They just have never done very well. I now grow them at home infront of a south facing garage door. It must be an ideal spot for them as they seem to thrive there. I'm growing 'Gardeners delight' - a traditional favourite cherry tomato : 'Money Maker' - a standard salad tomato : and 'Sweet Olive' - a new F1 variety which gives Italian plum shape cherry tomatoes. Sweet Olive is doing very well and I'm quite excited to see what the fruit is like. A good warm, sunny week is forecast and I'm hoping that by the end of the week I'll have my first set tomatoes.

Missing It

Well again I find myself recovering following an operation and unable to work on the plot. I am indebted to my dad for keeping it running. It's very frustrating as it's a key time to be working. There are the weeds to control, watering to be done and the first harvests are under way.

The winter broad beans did well but would probably have been even better with a bit more rain in April and May. By my reckoning they were 3 weeks ahead of some nearby spring planted beans. Once again i'm thinking is it worth planting them in the autumn? Also, no one else in my family likes them so they make not be grown next year!

We dug up some new potatoes 10 weeks after planting but they were about 2cm across. They were not baby potatoes, more like foetal potatoes. Again, the dry weather has probably held them back a bit. I will be trying again this week and I'm drooling with anticipation at the flavour.

The runner and french beans went in during the middle of May. We then had a week of very windy weather. I don't think they liked this and have struggled to take a hold. I want to see how they are this week as they usually seem to recover well and we always have more than enough beans at the end of the season.

The courgettes, squash and pumpkins went in at the end of May and are doing well. The first courgettes are now showing. After growing 18 courgette plants last year and harvesting a Kg a day I have learnt my lesson and have only got 5 plants this year.

The asparagus (asparagi?) are all growing and have broken the surface. This is a long term project as the rewards will be seen in 2011.

Hopefully I'll get on the plot soon. I'll take a camera and get some more pictures up on here.

Winter Veg

We planted some winter broad beans towards the end of 2008. They have come along nicely and as can be seen are now covered in flower. We now need to give them a bit of support to ensure they are not blown over and damaged. However in an adjacent plot there are some spring planted beans that are only a bit smaller than ours. It does beg the question if it is worth planting a winter variety. We'll see what the advantage is when it's time to harvest.

We also planted our garlic in October 2008. Garlic grows best when it has a prolonged period below 7 deg C. Therefore it is ideally suited to the British climate. It also stores well so a row of garlic will last a long time once harvested. The garlic can be seen at the front of the picture below.

We also put in some winter onions. We planted both red and white varities and these are doing quite well. Onions don't like to have weeds around them and by growing over winter they can develop in a relatively weed free situation. Now it's warming up the weeds are starting to grow so we'll have to get to work with a hoe. That's the reason rows are planted at least 8 inches apart. It gives you enough room to work the hoe between them. Again, as with most things grown on the plot, the onions will keep well in an open mesh bag in the garage. We actually still have some from mid 2008 that are perfectly good to eat.

Potatoes

The potatoes are all in now. You can see what we've planted in the growing today section on the right. The first earlies were planted in the third week of March. More were planted each week until the late maincrop went in at the end of April. Earlies need 10 to 12 weeks of growing before digging up whereas the maincrop need about 20 weeks. This means the first new potatoes will be ready at the start of June and we'll be harvesting until the end of September. We put in 140 seed potatoes. Even with only 1kg of spuds per plant that's still 140Kg. With the manure and added organic potato fertiliser I would be hopeful of getting at least 200Kg of spuds in 2009.

When it's time to harvest they'll go into potato sacks. Last year's crop were still being eaten in January this year. Unlike shop bought spuds which sprout after a few days, even in the dark, the allotment spuds are happy in a sack in the garage for a few months. Makes you wonder what they do to the shop spuds before they sell them.

And when it comes to taste there is no comparison to the shop bought stuff. That was the biggest revelation the first time I grew my own potatoes. They actually had flavour and the different varieties could be told apart. As it's such a staple of the British diet it's amazing what we put up with from the supermarkets. If there's one thing I'd recommend, even if you only have a small back garden, it's to grow some potatoes. You can do this in an old dustbin, a large sack or a special potato planter. Get some good seed potatoes and see the difference. There are plenty of internet sites which give advice on how to do this.

A load of $%&*

A few weeks ago we became proud owners of a trailer load of horse $%&*. We had to pay for it (there are probably people somewhere who will give it away) but for the quantity we received it was good value. What needs to be remembered is that growing vegetables take a lot out of the soil. A good way to put it back is by using manure. It not only adds to the soil nutritionally but improves the composition by adding organic matter. We have already used it to bottom fill the potato trenches (potatoes require a lot of food), spread it over the asparagus bed and put loads into the bean pits. I'm expecting a good crop from the beans this year. What's left of the pile will be dug in over the rest of the plot as required.

We got our manure from a contact number displayed in the allotment shop. The load arrived bang on time and the tractor driver was able to skillfully drop it on the end of our plot. It may be $%&* but it's good $%&* !

Asparagus

Here's a picture of the raised bed where I planted 10 crowns of asparagus, variety guelph millenium. Asparagus really needs to be free of weeds but I doubt if that will be the case here. I'm not keen on using any chemicals to kill weeds so I didn't prepare the ground very well. I will probably have to keep this free by hand. Three weeks after planting the first asparagus tip has appeared. However I must resist temptation. Asparagus should not be cut in its first year. And even in the second year it's wise to harvest exceedingly sparingly. It will be 2011 before I get the full benefit of this years planting. The wait will be worth it though!

Mushroom

I'm not a funghi expert but as this grew up out of the manure I guess it's a horse mushroom!

My First Comment!

This blog is mainly for my own benefit as I record what I do on my plot. But of course it is on the WWW so anyone can read it. And that is what has happened as I have received my first comment! It's from a new plot holder at the allotments so if you read this, thank you and welcome to Callowland Allotments. The comment also stated that 23 new plot holders were shown around and allocated plots a couple of weeks ago. This is certainly evident as the site is busier than I have seen it over the last two years and there are a lot of new faces around. It's good to see.

This is another 'wordy' post so I'll take my camera along next time and post some photos of how things are progressing. Yesterday afternoon was spent putting a raised bed in and planting my asparagus crowns. It was very dry so the rain forecast for this week will be very welcome. The potatoes will appreciate it.

Editorial

My residents association asked me to write an article on allotments for their newsletter. It is shown below. It appears they like it and want me to turn it into a series. Crikey!

"There's nothing quite like picking or digging up your own fruit and vegetables. It's when you taste 'home grown' produce that you start to wonder how the supermarket stuff has been treated and what has caused it to lose so much taste and texture. As more people discover this difference so the interest in 'growing your own' increases. For some it is possible to set aside a part of their garden for growing. For others the only option is to use containers on the patio. Both of these can produce fruit and vegetables of the highest order but to grow the quantity and variety that can really make a difference to the diet and the budget, an allotment is the best option.

Allotments can be traced back many hundreds of years but are probably best known for their contribution during both the world wars. It is estimated that during WWII there were approximately 1.4 million plots in active use. By the end of the 20^th century the estimate was less than 300,000. However as awareness of healthy eating and the value of fresh produce has been extolled by various celebrity chefs, and as gardens have got smaller and towns more crowded so allotments have seen something of a renaissance. They are no longer seen as the providence of the 'old flat cap brigade'. It could almost be claimed that having an allotment is the trendy thing to do these days.

The allotments in Watford are owned by the council. They have 13 sites around the borough varying in size from about 15 plots to over 250 plots. A 'standard' plot is 10 poles in size (a pole is an old measure of area roughly equivalent to 25 sq m). Due to the current demand more 5 pole plots are being let to enable more people to grow their own. The cost is just over £2 per pole per year so it isn't a big expense. You are however required to keep it cultivated so a certain level of commitment is required. Information on getting an allotment can obtained from the council.

Unfortunately for Nascot residents there are no allotments in our ward. Once again we miss out when it comes to green spaces and it is difficult to see where any provision could made for some. However I know of quite a few residents who do have a plot somewhere in the borough so don't let this put you off.

If you do decide to get an allotment, what can you expect? Despite some claims you will most probably get a plot covered in grass and weeds. This is when the 'exercise' starts. It is possible to mechanically clear and turn over the plot but to get the health benefit and for the most complete removal of unwanted plants nothing beats digging with a fork. Do a little at a time, especially if you're not used to digging. Take breaks to look at other plots. Use this as inspiration. And don't be afraid to talk to other plot holders. Almost without exception they are a very friendly lot and are very willing to hand out advice and quite often spare seeds and plants. Look to get something growing as soon as possible, even if it's only in the first few yards of your plot. The excitement of seeing something growing that you planted yourself is a wonderful feeling.

It is possible to keep a plot in good shape with a couple of hours work most weeks. The initial digging may be a bit more intensive but after this it's a matter of fighting the weeds, watering in the dry spells and preparation for planting. You will probably have to go more frequently once you start to harvest as some plants benefit from frequent picking and you may be surprised at the quantity of produce. You can also go to just enjoy being outside on your own 'plot of land', without doing any work.

For many the smell of freshly cut grass is evocative. For allotment holders nothing beats the taste of the first baby new potatoes, boiled with a sprig of mint and served with a knob of butter. If you've thought about it why not give it a go? It's extremely rewarding and probably easier than you think."

2009 - Here We Come

Well we're into March 2009. It was only a few weeks ago when the plot looked like this. The snow lay around for 10 days or so and there wasn't much to be done apart from order seed potatoes, asparagus crowns and vegetable seeds. The seed potatoes have now arrived and the earlies are chitting in my garage. Another week or so and it'll be time to plant them.

Over the winter we have expanded our plot to our rightful 10 poles. We're going to use the extra land for perennial veg and fruit. I've got 10 asparagus crowns on order. These will go into a raised bed although I'll have to wait a couple of years before I can collect any shoots. I'm also getting a couple of rhubarb crowns. And the strawberry plants from around the plot will be given a permanent home.

On the main area the ground has been dug over and is ready for the potatoes. We've also got some winter onions and broad beans growing. There is also a row of garlic. We're still waiting to get a load of manure and this will be used for the bean pits.

The brussel sprouts were disappointing but that's most probably because I sowed the seeds too late. I'm better prepared this year and hope to have some available for the christmas dinner!

One thing has been noted and that is the increase in the number of active plotholders near my plot. The only unworked plot in the vicinity is the one to the left of ours. Here's hoping someone takes it up soon. Growing your own really is the new thing.