Tuesday 28 April 2020

Dodgy Bananas

We had a few bananas that were a little past their prime and turning a nice shade of brown. Only one thing to do. Turn them into Banana Bread.

Not the best, it's what ingredients I had on hand. But still tasty.

Sunday 26 April 2020

Planting out, potting on and weeding.

So we have a number of seeds in the greenhouse that are getting pot bound. So it's time to get stuff out of the greenhouse and into the ground. First off we have the Peas.

I'll add some canes and possibly some netting at a later date. For now, it's better for getting them out for the time being as they are starting to go a bit yellow being cooped up in the greenhouse all the time. We planted 40 toilet rolls worth of peas, but only 34 made it out.

Next off there is the second tray of turnips.

I'm not so fussed about whether these make it or not, as there is the main bed of turnips. But we may as well put them out. These ones obviously don't have any holes in the leaves unlike those I showed you yesterday. I'm sure the Flea Beetles will find them eventually.

I also planted out 9 of the courgettes into the Deep End beds. But I forgot to take photos.

Whilst I was doing the planting, The Wife was weeding her Strawberry Empire.


After that she re-potted the Tomatoes and the two remaining Cucumbers. But they'll be staying in the greenhouse.

We also threw away some of the seeds that hadn't taken, such as the Purple Carrots, and the Cape Gooseberries (though we did find 1 single one - maybe). So, now the greenhouse is a little emptier.

Plant more seeds? Maybe. Have to see what we still have in stock. Mind you, it won't be today.

Saturday 25 April 2020

Compost!

I had an email during the week, from the MAGA Committee. I wasn't the only lucky recipient, they sent it to everybody. It was informing us that they have managed to obtain a couple of pallets of compost and they will be selling it for a short time on Saturday morning from 11am.

Considering that the Wood Chips and Manure bays are totally empty, then this is something that is very much in need.

So I duly joined the queue first thing. I wasn't the only one there as there were plenty ahead of me, and loads more behind.

Once I managed to claim my two bags (limited numbers) I wheeled them back on my flat-tire barrow, back to the plot. I really do need to get that tire fixed. Or get a new barrow.

Anyway, I have a lot of plants which are getting to the stage that I need to pot them on. Or plant them out. But I suspect that some of the plants, if they are put into beds, would be severely hampered by the pests. I don't want a repeat of the Slug Party.

I already seem to be suffering from some Flea Beetle issues on the turnips.

But some of the plants in the beds are making a decent showing. The beans have finally broken through and seem to be heading for the stars.

And The Wife's strawberry empire looks like it'll be coming to fruition soon enough.

Mind you, there is a lot of weeding to be done. A lot of little shoots are all poking their noses up and need to be chopped off at the roots. So guess what I spent the rest of my time at the plot doing. Yes, weeding. The planting out can wait until tomorrow I think.

Sunday 19 April 2020

Quick trip for watering.

I am not allowed to go shopping anymore. In fact I'm not allowed to talk to, or be near anybody else. I am one of the High Risk people. So I now spend my time between the 2nd bedroom (which is my study/work room/Otaku room), the car, and the allotment. However I can drop The Wife off at the supermarket, suitably masked and gloved, so she can do the shopping, then nip to the allotment to do the watering, then back to the supermarket to pick her up and back home again. So that's what I do these days. Especially when we need to do a big shopping and we need the car.

We had rain a couple of days ago, so outside doesn't need watering. But the recent sunshine means that the greenhouse tends to get a bit warm and dry for the plants. So that's my job these days.
The Big greenhouse is our main seeding and potting place. It now has a large variety of plants in it.

However some of our seeds haven't yet sprouted.

The second tray of turnips is looking a bit on the yellow side (left), maybe I should consider planting them outside. To the right of that is the Kale, which is still a little on the small side, and I know that if I plant those outside, the pigeons will make a complete mess of it. To the right, the peas are doing really well, but I won't consider planting them out until the roots are just beginning to show through the pots.
Tomatoes are doing well (they're just behind the Kale) so they still have a ways to go before potting on. But just in front of the Kale are the Purple Carrots. Nada. Zip. Zilch. None. Nothing. They just haven't sprouted at all. Well considering that this was our own seed that we collected, it may not be all that surprising. There is something to be said for buying seed from suppliers. They know how to collect seeds from viable sources. It may well be that the seeds that we collected were not viable in the first place. Having said that I don't know what's happening with our New Zealand Spinach outside, because none of it has sprouted yet. Well it may have done, but there are numerous other small sprouts in there and I can't tell the difference between Spinach and other weeds as yet.

But the Small Greenhouse is another matter. That's our dumping ground at present.

We do have 5 trays of Pak Choi in there at the moment, and I'll probably put the Chillies and the two remaining Cucumbers in there (damn that mouse), but as to the spare pots, tubs, trays and other assorted flotsam. Meh, you know how allotments tend to gather junk? Put it aside for possible future use and you end up with a pile of stuff before long. One of these days I'll have to get round to tidying it. But not today. Gotta go pick up The Wife with about 3 weeks worth of shopping.

Friday 17 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 21 - Pak Choi

So today is the last day of my "Holiday" - unless you count the weekends in which case I have two more days off. I've been off work for 3 weeks now and it's been an odd sort of time. The first oddness is the amount of sunshine. We have had sunny days galore which is quite unprecedented. But the most odd has, of course, been the lockdown. This plot is the only escape I have as I can't even go shopping now due to the limitations on my circumstances.

I had two conference calls with work from the plot. The first was our regular weekly catch-up and coffee break chat but the second, and more important, was the last day of work for a colleague as he is moving on to pastures new. I'm kind of lucky in that my work is not impacted. I can effectively work from anywhere I can get access to the Internet (even the Plot). But I know a lot of people have been seriously impacted by the ongoing situation.

But as to the Plot itself. Well the Pak Choi is certainly getting a little cramped in the little seed trays so it's time to pot them on into something with a little more room. Except I need a decent amount of compost to do that. Fortunately we have had a bag of compost on the plot for the past two years that we have never used. But it has been lying down and has a few holes in the packaging which means the rain has got in and it is soaking wet. So the first thing to do is break it up and put in into trugs to make it easier to handle.

So, to eke out the meagre amount of compost left (we're going to need quite a bit of it over the next few weeks) I first put some of the old composted manure in the very bottom of the troughs before filling the rest of the way with decent stuff. Then I started diggin gout the shoots and potting them on.

From the two small seed trays I managed to get 5 troughs. Though I did throw away some of the smaller seedlings.

So we'll see how these go.

Thursday 16 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 20 - New life

Seems like everything is enjoying the sun this week. Even the Grape Vine has got in on the action.

This ties in with previous times of the year as well. So, all is on schedule. Apart from the lockdown of course.

I did have plans for doing the rear part of the plot, but because I can't get access to the equipment and parts necessary to build the seating area, it looks like this will once again have to be postponed. No big deal really, after all if we clear the spot right next to the small greenhouse we can drag out the table and chairs for a picnic and barbecue again. At least once restrictions are lifted.

Tuesday 14 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 18 - Early Morning

Being on the plot early in the morning is very peaceful. Especially these days with no (or at least very little) traffic. The only thing you can hear is the sound of birds and an argument coming from one of the adjacent houses. I guess not everybody is enjoying the lockdown.

But at least I managed to get the last of Deep End 3 dug out. And a little of No. 4 too.

But the most impressive bit down the plot this morning is definitely the Apple Blossom.

Sunday 12 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 16 - Exhausted

Well we did go to the plot today. But I didn't get any pictures.

I started digging the third bed in the Deep End, and only managed to complete half of it before I just couldn't go any further. It was absolutely exhausting trying to dig through the solid ground. Though I did managed to get a lot of the couch grass out, it's incredibly tough stuff. Especially when the ground is as hard as it is. I'll have to go back again at some point to get the rest of it. But not today.

As to the rest of the plot, well watering was the main action. That and The Wife potted on the Crown Prince pumpkins.

Friday 10 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 14 - Potting on and Transplanting

Well as I threatened yesterday, there is a lot of growth in the greenhouse and the Courgettes are bursting out of their pots. Maybe we should have planted them directly into pots rather than a seed tray. Never mind they'll survive. And even if some don't, we have more than enough of them.

And maybe I've been a bit hasty in putting out the turnips. Although the packet says to sow outside and then "thin" them afterwards, I've always thought this to be a waste. Why let them grow and then kill some of them? Anyway, I've transplanted one tray outside. The other tray I shall leave for the time being.

Thursday 9 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 13 - Mouse in the House

Feeling much better today. So much so that I managed to finangle a Microsoft Teams meeting with some of my work colleagues from down on the plot. Technically I'm on holiday, but since we're all cooped up with the ongoing crises we have instigated a weekly "chat about whatever" just to keep in touch with everybody. I rigged my mobile to offer a Mobile Hotspot and connected my computer to it. Then had an hour long chat with some of the team. They all seemed quite impressed. Probably more so when I can get the chance to offer them some of the fruits of the plot like last year.

On the bad news side of things, a Mouse has been having a go at the seeds that were planted at the weekend. Both the Sweetcorn and Cucumbers have been decimated by said critter. Not sure how many have actually survived given that they hadn't yet sprouted. So to protect them (or whats left of them), I have placed them up on the top shelf of the greenhouse. Hopefully out of mousie's reach.

Meanwhile, the rest of the new seedlings are putting on huge growth spurts.


I'm guessing that there is going to be some major potting on and transplanting taking place in the not too distant future.

Tuesday 7 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 11 - Not feeling too good

So things are happening.

I am well used to the feeling that happens when I get a lung infection. I get a kind of burning sensation in my chest and a feeling of tightness. I have had this feeling for the past day. However I do not have a temperature, nor do I have a cough. My peak flow that I have blown is 560, which for me is pretty good. So I'm not certain that what I feel is actually a lung infection of any sort - or even the dreaded Covid-19.

Just to be on the safe side, I'm staying home and foregoing my daily exercise for a couple of days. Maybe I just need some extra sleep. Or maybe I need to get the vacuum out and tidy up a bit.

Monday 6 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 10 - Rain stops play (Updated)

After sunshine comes the rain.
Well, not so much rain, more like a persistent mist. Still, it's not something I really fancy working in. So today I'm going to be a good little boy and tidy my room.

Afternoon Update:
OK, so the rain stopped and the sun came out. So I did nip down to the plot. Not really did much, just enough to get my daily exercise in.

Dug over another bed and rooted out all the grass and weeds. All of which were dumped into the new compost bin location.

And also threw away the old wheelbarrow at the front of the plot. This wheel barrow last saw major use as a wild flower bed. But now The Wife has planted wild flowers into her raised bed, and this barrow is now a bit of an eyesore and no longer needed.

There are still some things to do. You will notice in the upper photo that there are still a number of grasses growing in the pathways. Since there is no more woodchip (well maybe a very small amount if I dig carefully) then trying to cover them with paper of woodchips won't really work. So I'll have to dig them out.

Sunday 5 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 9 - Digging Compost

Today was compost day.

We've had three "Dalek" bins sitting there for a while now. The first two (black, on the left) have been there for two years. The third one (green) for only a year. It's time that they were dealt with.
(Photo taken yesterday before I dug the beds)
(Today's photo)

The problem with compost is time. Anything can, and will, turn into compost given enough time, but since this first dalek has only been here a year, there are lot of solid matter that could do with being left in the bins a little longer.

Some bits don't want to compost well at all. I am finding a lot of stuff, including:

  • Egg shells - in future they need crushing before being put in.
  • Avocado Shells - Nothing deal with these. They hang around for ages. I'd suggest not putting them in at all.
  • Avocado Stones - See shells. Although some have split and have sent out roots. I've planted one into a pot just to see if it'll take.
  • Root balls - From old pots. Yes the soil does flake away, but the actual root ball itself needs more time.
  • Plastic "Biodegradable bags" - No, just no. I've given up on these altogether. They just don't work and are still hanging around way too long.
  • Stick and twigs - Stalks and such from plants that we've thrown in there. They just need more time.


So the majority of the most recent bin, resumed a place in the moved bin afterwards. (See green bin below - it's full)

But the rest of the good compost/soil was dug back into the bed that they came out of.

The second black dalek had a much better yield. Of course this bin had been around a couple of years. Although the top layer was still pretty much intact and just went straight back into the bin, once I started digging down the soil was superb. I dug out my old griddle and starting sieving the soil. This fine soil was liberally sprinkled on the Strawberry beds, and bed that was dug yesterday immediately adjacent to the bins.

I suspect that this bed will be the eventual home of the Beetroot and possibly some turnips.

On the subject of Beetroot and Turnips, in the greenhouse all is looking well.

The Courgettes have now all got their cotyledon leaves.

As, do most of the other plants, although I can't tell on the Peas because they are just poking their heads through.

And the Crown Prince are just making an appearance.

But three hours digging in the sun is enough exercise for me to handle for one day. Time for home.

Saturday 4 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 8 - More beds to prepare

So I decided to change my focus. Instead of doing the Deep End, which is really hard work, I moved to focus on the bottom three beds of the main bit. This lot was also underwater (was it really just a month ago?) but fortunately these beds are a little more improved over time and are easier to dig. Way easier. The Couch Grass is not as invasive, nor are the beds themselves made of clay.

Needless to say, it took less time to sort those three out, than it did to sort out either of the two beds in the Deep End.

The far bed will be for Beetroot, the closer bed I put some Runner Beans in.

Meanwhile The Wife was sorting out her Strawberry Empire.


We also planted a whole load of new seeds in the greenhouse, such as Cucumbers. This lovely sunny weather is having a good impact on the other seeds are there are sprout and seedlings appearing all over the place. I may have to start planting some of them outside before my holiday period is over.

Friday 3 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 7 - Aches and Pains

Today I was supposed to go back down the allotment. But after yesterday's efforts I'm still aching all over, especially my knee.* So instead I decided to put my feet up (relatively speaking) and make marmalade instead. I've had a can of make your own marmalade sitting on the shelf for a while and never got round to doing anything about it. Today seemed like a good day to finally deal with it.

Tomorrow hopefully, I'll be back on the plot.

* I had an operation on my knee about 20 years ago, to remove a small piece of cartilage that had broken off. Ever since then it's been a little dodgy.

Thursday 2 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 6 - More Digging

Deep End No. 2 is now dug out of all that Couch Grass. A whole wheelbarrowful of it.

This was the bed that had all the pond algae in it, and true to form, the ground was like clay. In fact it was clay. But I eventually managed to get it done.

Of course, I didn't make it easy for myself. Since I had raised the path up a few inches, then the base of the bed is relatively lower. Cue the serious back ache trying to get it all out. And then of course, there was the three barrows of manure to drop back in.

Bed 3 and 4 tomorrow? Or more pathway maintenance? Or maybe I should start digging out the compost bins? Who knows. Wait until tomorrow to find out.

Wednesday 1 April 2020

Allotment Week - Under lockdown - Day 5 - Oddjobs and paths

Lots of little jobs today. I have had a number of pallets in various states of decrepitude on the plot for a while. About time I got rid of them and put them in the waste bays. But some of them are still in reasonable condition and I do have a need of some of the wood. Most notably to finish off the table shelving after re-arranging the greenhouse.

Other than that, I basic shovelled the rapidly dwindling woodchips to keep putting down more paths.

Yes, I still need to dig out that second bed (and the 3rd and 4th!) But not today.