Sue's Allotment

I haven’t been able to get to the allotment for around 3 weeks when I do have time the weather is rubbish and when the weather is good someone needs my time 🙁. It was raining this morning as I walked the dogs early but I knew it wasn’t going to last long so I made the decision to go because looking at this weeks forecast it was my only chance! I managed to clear the sweetcorn and bags of w**ds I’d left around. There were many w**ds but pointless trying to hoe at the moment I did bring home some carrots and kohl rabi I’ve taken a few photos of things I’ve brought home with me recently.

It’s time to clear the plot winter is fast approaching all the bean canes were taken down today I love all the clearing away.
I still have some things growing well if I remember I’ll take some pictures next time I go.
I have brought home some of the ripened squash that have been grown on another plot they are huge I’m so happy with them there are some small orange ones I don’t know what they are as I don’t have any seeds that match them 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sorry about the lack of posts recently. I have been taking photos of a few things I’ve taken home or picked from the garden at home. Most things have finished now the beans have just about stopped potatoes all dug up and thankfully the tomatoes have almost finished too! I’ve been busy making chutneys, pickled beetroot, fruit jams, and more recently roast tomatoes for the freezer, and tomato soup.
Ive taken home the squash on my plot but still have lots more on another plot (planted later) which another plot holder has very kindly begged me to use to save him w**ding an empty area I gladly took up his offer and it’s now covered in squash leaves and vines we call it the jungle but the squash are growing very well!

Lots of w**ding done today it’s never ending at the moment! My son was supposed to be helping me out at the weekend but it’s looking like it will rain on Saturday so it will have to be another weekend unless the forecast changes. He has offered to empty my compost bins which have been full for about 8 years because I’m to scared something with a tail will come running out 😬
Today I brought home a cabbage( first of the year)some runner and French beans and a courgette. I’m not sure if I mentioned this before but another plot holder said I could use some of his plot to plant some squash as he has a double plot and wasn’t using the bottom end of it so I went along and planted all kinds of squash that wouldn’t
fit on my plot. We have both named it the Jungle they’ve just gone crazy I had a quick look as I was leaving today and counted 8 butternut squashes hidden away I’m sure there will be more!
I will keep you updated on the jungle!

So annoyed bugs bunny made an appearance over the weekend on the allotment and savaged one of my spaghetti squash 😡 it was spotted on my plot and chased off. It’s the first time in many years any have been seen there I’m not too worried there are lots of cats that visit 😊
Today I started pulling up some of the many w**ds it’s never ending, If only everything grew that well!
My runner beans are now starting to produce last year the heat killed them off I barely got any so nice to be able to enjoy a few now.

I’m doing this separate post to show my tomatoes which I grow at home they have gone crazy this year I’ve never seen so many on one truss! I best get my chutney recipes out!

Sorry I haven’t uploaded in a while my mind has been on other things but I have taken lots of photos of things I’m picking. The weather is making it difficult to keep on top of the w**ds but things are growing so well I shouldn’t complain really and at least I don’t have to water the plot every day.

More picking at the allotment this morning 😊 the peas are amazing this year after the disaster of losing them all in the heat last year!
I netted them until the flowers had gone to deter the pea moth and it’s horrible maggot and it’s worked No disgusting maggots inside 👍 so many peas to pick yet. I picked a few broad beans too.
I have a few Blackberries beginning to ripen but I left them there until a few more are ready they are netted so can’t be stolen by beaks!

The berry picking has started! I grow the raspberries at home and I’m picking them daily the red, black and whitecurrants are grown at the allotment and there’s plenty more to come I remember last year halfway through picking them that 40C heatwave came and fried them! Courgettes are starting to appear too all this picking means no time for w**ding though!

I’m so pleased we’ve finally had some decent rainfall! And more this morning the allotment desperately needed it, even though I was watering almost every day it didn’t seem to do much. There hasn’t been much to report from the allotment I’m still digging up my first early potatoes(swift) and things seem to be growing well. I took a few photos yesterday and some from home where I grow raspberries,tomatoes (lots of varieties) cucumber, aubergine, peppers, herbs, lettuce,celery, apples and melons. I think I’ve remembered everything there. Next time I go to the plot I’ll report back how sick I am of w**ding! Rain=w**ds 😡

It’s taken a while but I’m finally on top of the w**ding at the allotment! Today I gave the potatoes a really good soaking and planted some of the many squash I have grown. I always grow too many but this year someone has offered me a small patch on his plot to grow some things so I’ll be putting the rest there. I’d love to say I’m having a weekend relaxing after the hard work I’ve put in this week but I have so much to do in the garden at home!

I’ve finally finished w**ding the strawberries! My plot neighbour had the same idea so we were both busy chatting to each other whilst delicately pulling out the w**ds wrapped around the strawberry plant roots it was nice. I always have people stopping for chats at my plot but normally I end up standing around chatting and not getting a lot done!
I dug some of my swift first early potatoes today we had them for our tea they were delicious 😋

Today I dug up the remaining rotted onions and in their place planted some kohl rabi and 2 different types of cabbage. Then I planted out the sweetcorn.
I was shocked to see the runner beans had grown a little since I planted them last week.It was good to see after last year major failure due to the heat I’m keeping my fingers crossed I’ll get some!
I had a quick peep at the carrots and there are lots of little seedlings coming through.
Tomorrow I’m hoping to sort out the strawberries yet again it’s so bad I can’t see the plants! I did one half of the bed last week so shouldn’t take me too long!

I have managed to get to the allotment this week but the two weeks away have made things very difficult!
I started w**ding around the onions, shallots and garlic what was left of them! I just couldn’t understand where they had gone, the tops of the garlic and onions on nearly all of them had just disappeared and the bulbs under the ground were very soft. I pulled one up and had a good look inside and there it was the maggot of the allium leaf minor 😡 that’s it they are ruined this year all need to be dug up including the shallots that have just started to be affected it’s a shame but I’d rather it be them than anything else ruined.
In better news I’ve planted the runner beans and French beans that have been started in the greenhouse they were a disaster last year so I’m hoping for a better bean growing year!
I also planted celeriac and beetroot that had been grown at home. My next visit will be planting sweetcorn and cabbages I really need the greenhouse space.
At home I’ve planted my tomatoes and cucumbers into pots and put them into their final positions. So much to do and not enough spare time!

Sorry I’ve been quiet recently, I haven’t been able to get to the allotment as one of my dogs was very poorly she ended up having surgery which has meant I’ve been looking after her. She’s so much better now and tomorrow I’m hoping the vet will give the go ahead after checking her stitches that she’ll be able to jump on the chair again because at the moment she has to be crated if I leave the room she screams the house down if I go out and leave her in the crate so fingers crossed 🤞 I can get back to the allotment on Thursday.
I have been doing bits in the greenhouse which reminds me I really need to take a few photos it’s very full now and I’m struggling for space!

Here’s what I put in the ground last weekend at the allotment broad beans and peas I’d started at home but grown outside not in the greenhouse I’ve had such a hectic week I haven’t had chance to post this or spend much time there better late that never 😊

Back to the allotment this morning with a roll of fleece ready for the frost due overnight. My first early potatoes have been peeping through the soil for over a week and this morning a few were through again 😭 I can’t really earth up anymore as they are really high so I just dumped a few spades of soil over the ones that had come through and gently patted them down then covered them with fleece. I couldn’t find the heavy duty fleece I bought a few weeks ago so used another roll it’s nice strong good quality fleece so fingers crossed they will be protected!
I found the heavy duty fleece once I returned home 🙄

Over the last couple of days I have received a couple of messages from another plot holder to say he had covered up some of my potatoes that had come up how nice is that! Bless him he’s 86 as well I told him not to worry about them as no frosts were due.
So I went down this morning and a few more were peeping through the soil so I made a few mountains and covered them over.
I then decided whilst there wasn’t much to do I would build my runner bean structure and a wigwam for the French beans I should point out these won’t be sown until next month and that will be in the greenhouse. It’s going to make things easier when everything needs planting all at once.
I picked the first Rhubarb of the year today so I’ll be making a few crumbles!

Finally the strawberry bed is cleared it took a long time! Lots of grass and other w**ds among the plants, lesson learned keep on top of it!
Today I went to the plot to finish planting my potatoes they are all in the ground now 3 rows of first earlies and 3 rows of second earlies I’m not growing maincrops this year I’d rather use the extra space for more brassicas and carrots. I’ve also sown my parsnip seeds today. I don’t grow much there direct except parsnips and carrots I prefer to start things off at home in the greenhouse.

I went to the plot last week to plant my onion and shallot sets. I started them off in the greenhouse in cell trays as I usually do just to get some roots growing.
This week I’ve only managed to get to the allotment on Monday thanks to this awful weather! I had planned to go almost every day! I did manage to get 3 1/2 rows of first earlies planted which I’m happy about. The second earlies can wait a couple of weeks.
I then started on clearing the strawberry patch but didn’t get far I will try again tomorrow!

I can finally say my plot has been cleared ready for planting 😃😃 I took my mantis battery operated tiller to the plot this morning along with spare batteries it’s all done and looking tidy. I’m not so sure I’ll be moving far tomorrow I have a few aching muscles!
I went at the weekend very quickly to take a few bits down and started the strawberry patch I’m pretending it’s not there at the moment 👀 it’s going to take a while!
I dug up the last of the parsnips today so everything is out of the ground now waiting for the w**ds to grow I’m sure by next week they’ll have taken over again.

I dug these parsnips up this morning always nice to return home with something. I also dug all of my leeks up but they were a bit embarrassing I’ll just blame last years heatwave for them doing badly 👀

Back to the allotment this morning to plant my garlic I had a little helper 😊 so much w**ding to do especially the strawberry bed!

Just a few photos from October-November last year that I forgot to post here

Another new gardening year is beginning 😊 I haven’t sown any seeds yet but I have bought my seed potatoes, onion/ shallots bulbs and will be buying garlic very soon.
I visited the plot a couple of days ago to dig up some parsnips and leeks but nothing can be done at the moment with it being so cold and wet, so I’ll only be popping there to dig things up.
I Have so many seeds at home I need to sort through but I also need to order certain varieties I like to grow too that’s a job I need to get on with!

RIP Queen Elizabeth 😢

I’ve been to the allotment this morning to clear away the sweetcorn and trim back the blackberry canes. I picked the last sweetcorn and couple of beetroots runner beans and dug up my first carrots in many years I’m so happy with them 😃 we have carrot fly quite bad so grew them under mesh netting and it appears to have kept them away!

Did some w**ding at the allotment today I probably shouldn’t say this but I actually enjoyed it! It seems so long since I had to spend time w**ding and I’m still wishing I didn’t have to constantly water everything!
Today I dug up the last of the new potatoes i only have 2 small rows of potatoes left and they are main crops Maris piper and I should add they don’t appear to be very big when I had a peep today.
My squash are coming along nicely I took a picture of one of the very large butternut squash it’s huge! Just needs to ripen now. I also took home the biggest cabbage I had growing at least something is growing well!

I went to the plot this morning before the rain started or so I was hoping!
My main aim was to dig up some more potatoes and grab whatever else was ready and maybe do a little w**ding. However the rain soon started to fall so I quickly dug the potatoes and picked a sweetcorn cob, courgette and runner beans thankfully there were enough beans for our tea 😊 I was actually pleased with the rain today good steady rain for a few hours will do the allotment the world of good!

Things still seem to be very slow at the allotment this is the worst year I’ve ever had! Runner beans are finally beginning to produce I planted them late as they just wouldn’t germinate the first flowers fell off with the heat, fingers crossed I’ll get a few more!
I had a nice surprise this week someone left some cooking apples for me in front of my shed 😊 I think it’s my plot neighbours I’m sure they once said they had a tree at home 🤔 Here are a few things I’ve been bringing home. I keep forgetting to take photos!

I haven’t updated this in a while as I’ve been quite busy. I didn’t think anyone needed to read over and over ”I’ve been to the allotment to water” as that’s all I seem to have been doing for the past month!
It’s kept the majority of the w**ds away though.
The 40C heat we had the other week cooked what remaining fruit I had left but I’d picked enough so wasn’t that bothered by it. All of my potatoes have no leaves anymore the hot weather has seen to that I dread to think what the main crops look like I’m currently digging up Charlotte my second earlies there’s plenty there but they are smaller than normal!
My runner beans were delayed as they just wouldn’t grow from seed the plot so I ended up growing at home and taking them to the plot it’s what I normally do and will be doing next year lesson learnt!! They have only just reached the top of the frames so I’m hoping not too long now before I get some beans.
I’ll try and remember to take some pictures of what’s left growing when I go tomorrow.

Lots of fruit picking today blackcurrants, whitecurrants, redcurrants, blackberries (they are an early variety) and raspberries from home.
I let another plot holder take my gooseberries the other day as him and his wife weren’t happy as the birds took theirs 🙁 they look forward to them every year so I said to take mine ive had a few but didn’t really want them and he let me have lots of blackberries last year it’s nice to return.
I also dug up more first early potatoes they are getting too big now and need using up fast. I grabbed a couple of kohl rabi and some beetroot I attempted to water but it doesn’t go down very far on my sandy soil!

I finally think I’m in control of the w**ds! Not w**d free but it’s manageable now!
I’ve been mainly picking fruit this week and took home my first kohl rabi,beetroot and courgette of the year. The beetroot was so sweet!
I’ve also been continuing to dig up the first early potatoes they are getting too big now so I need to get the final row dug up and used so I can start digging up the second earlies.
I finally planted out the leeks with a little help from my allotment friend Hugh I’ve never cut the tops off and trimmed the roots before planting he swears by this method and having been there for over 40 years he sure knows more than me as to what works best! So for the first time in 11 years I’m trying a different way.
I’ve had a bit of bad luck with getting the runner beans started but I’ve re sown them and I now have a plant at each cane they will just be a little later that’s all better late than never!

Strawberry season is now over I shouldn’t complain but I was sick of picking them I’ve had so many this year! Now the blackcurrants and gooseberries are ripening and the raspberries at home this means more picking!
I’m still trying to clear the plot of w**ds and this is a never ending task!
I’ve been struggling to get my runner beans started this year I had to re sow some so I now finally have each cane with beans growing these will be late this year and so will the French beans for the same reason!
I actually remembered to take a few pictures of things growing 😊

I’ve been to the plot a few times recently whenever I have a spare morning. It’s really difficult at the moment as there are so many tiny w**ds I’m having to hand pick around where I can’t get the hoe and it’s taking along time! I’m not talking a few w**ds you can’t see soil for the tiny w**ds coming through! At least it’s stopped raining no rain no w**ds!
I’ve been busy picking lots of strawberries I’ve had so many this year 😀 I’ve made jam, strawberry and almond crumbles for the freezer, strawberry ice cream and tonight I made a strawberry and almond lattice pie 😊
Last week I planted out the squashes and sweetcorn apart from the leeks every thing is now in the ground.
Yesterday I dug up my first new potatoes of the year they’ve done well compared to last year.

It’s officially strawberry season on my plot 😋😋😋😋 I went this morning with the intention of picking around 6 that I saw at the beginning of the week. I’ll enjoy eating these 😊

Finally a spare morning to go the the allotment 😊 I took down two blueberry plants I have grown them at home in the past and had great success until one year they just died when I checked the root ball I saw the small C shaped white grubs of the vine weevil 🙁 they destroyed my strawberries at home years ago too. So I bought new plants potted them up and they are now in their new home.
I was shocked to see a few strawberries were almost ready they are early this year! I quickly netted them and I’ll pick some next time I go.
Today I went with one job in mind and that was to build the runner bean support and sow the seeds it didn’t take too long so I managed to get some w**ding done.

I spent a long time on Saturday w**ding between all of the onions, garlic and shallots in previous years I have used a hoe and sliced a few up so i use a hand hoe I’m safer with a that!
On Sunday I took down my strimmer as the grass was getting quite long it’s a very big and heavy strimmer a normal one just isn’t powerful enough so I end up pulling my arm and shoulder muscles when I use it!
I remembered to take a few photos of things growing at the allotment so far things are doing well.

I’m back to normal now 😀 I’ve planted quite a few things I’ve the last couple of weeks.
Broad beans, peas, beetroot, all of the potatoes are now in the ground, today I planted lots of cabbage and kohl Rabi. I have clubroot problems so haven’t grown any brassicas for a few years but I wanted to give them a go so we’ll see what happens!
I’ve made a carrot cage and sown some seeds and covered it with enviromesh to combat the carrot fly I have taken a few photos as I’ve planted them. Finally rhubarb season is well underway I’ve started picking it 🙂.

I’ve been going to the plot but I’ve had to take things really easy! Last week I planted my first earlier this involved me getting on the floor with my trowel and hand digging out a trench, it took forever but I managed to do it 😀
I also put some broad bean seeds and parsnip seeds in the ground.
I’ve not been this week up until today as I’ve been busy at home in the greenhouse potting things on and sowing more seeds.
Today I was joined by …….wait for it……..my husband Pete 😮😮 this is the first time he’s been and helped out! He was making adjustments to the new shed and fixing a pallet against it so I can put the canes away neatly 😊 I took my mantis tiller with me to make easy work of the w**ding but I was struggling and he did the whole lot and I have to say a brilliant job was done thanks Pete!
I was able to put my second early potatoes in the ground with ease 😊