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Farmers and growers produce the food on our tables, but right now many are fighting for their future.

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Without urgent help, some farmers may not have the funds they need to plant next year’s crops or keep their businesses going. That puts the future of British farming, and our supply of homegrown food, at risk.

We are calling on the government to provide short-term loans and introduce a fallen stock scheme, giving farmers the breathing space to recover and plan for the year ahead.

Add your name and stand with Britain’s farmers. Together, we can urge the government to act now to protect the future of British food.

Thought For The Day

 

In My Seed Box For 2027 - Index

 

To find the information for a particular variety of vegetable being grown for 2027 use the index below. Hyperlinks will be added over the next three months as I catalogue the seeds I already have; and add to the list those I have either bought or new varieties that have been sent to me by seed suppliers including:-

Dobies, D.T.Brown, Marshalls, Mr Fothergill's , Organic Gardening Catalogue, Seeds To Suit, Suttons, Thompson & Morgan to trial and blog about. 

Foe over 10 years the seed companies listed above set me packs of seeds for new varieties of vegetables that have been added to their catalogues annually to trial and blog about. 

There are posts on this blog re all the seeds and gardening products I have received to trial since 2015 from all of the above companies, after manvslug.uk and I were recognised as gardening press and invited to the annual gardening press event in London  

Vegetables & Fruits 

Aubergine Beans Beetroot Blueberry Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Spring Greens Carrots Cauliflower Celeriac Celery Chard Courgette Cucumber Gherkin Goji Berry Grapevine Red Green Manure Herbs Kale Leeks Lettuce Luffa Marrow Onion from Seed Onion Sets Pak Choi Parsnip Pepper Potatoes Pumpkin Radish Raspberry Salsify Shallots Spinach Spring Onions Squash Strawberries Sweetcorn Swede Tomatoes Tree Spinach Turnips Water Melon 

Thought For The Day

 

Signs Of Life In Bed 2

View from Rear Bedroom, grass is recovering nicely after a couple of days with rain

 

Further to sowing bed 2 last week there are signs of life.

Left of Bed 2

Right Of Bed 2

View From the Kitchen Door

Two Crimson Blight Resistant Tomatoes Crush & Plum. 

Can you spot the tomato turning red ?

Spotted first Crimson Tomato going red

View of Beds 1 to 6 from patio

Planning and Reviewing September in Previous Years

Reviewing the diary over the last thirteen years for September

2013 - My First September having obtained the allotment in October 2012 - At the first of September 9 of the 16 beds were complete and had been used for growing during 2013 the central path of 600 x 600mm heavy duty ex council road slabs was finished. My first corn on the cobs were harvested and a major hit with my daughter Kelly, A second visit to the Wyevale 50p seed sale was made. I was still harvesting red tomatoes and Blight hit on the 14th September. Last runner beans harvested last week of September.  

2014 - Dorking Wyevale 50p seed sale 2nd September, two £5 Space saving water butts picked up for the greenhouse from TESCO due to a marketing error they had to honour. First discussion with Redrow regarding them helping us form a drop off and pick up area, I didn't know then that it would take another four years to actually make this happen. Harvested carrots and obtained more composting bins off Freecycle. Repairing Planting membrane and making new planting membrane using the trusty soldering iron. Making a Pop Bottle Greenhouse, if only I had known then what a pain in the arse getting rid of it was going to be! Harvesting.   

2015 - Took on additional plot on Spencer Road as I thought there would not be anywhere to drop off and pick up at Mill Green once the development was completed and negotiations re it's formation were not very good with the Council and Redrow at that time. Harvested sweetcorn mid September   

2016 - Tomatoes finally turn red and are harvested. We found a source for woodchips, 2nd Visit to the Wyevale Seed Sale, 72 Senshyu Yellow Japanise Onions from seed to overwinter, Seed Sorting and Labels, 2nd week of September harvesting Sweetcorn. Crimson Crush, Butternut Squash, meeting with council and Redrow as mound of excavation behind access gate.     

2017 -  Allotment work party arranged to clear the area for the drop off and pick up area on Mill Green, Sarpo Spuds, Pumpkin, Marrow, Sweetcorn, Walking Onions, Wilkinson's Sale, SoilFixer SF60 Overwintering Onions Experiment, Timber Bench taken to site and made into a Potting Bench. Still harvesting Cucumbers at the end of the month.

2018 -  3rd Sept harvesting sweetcorn, 7th September Wilko seed sale, Second week harvesting tomatoes, followed by harvesting Beetroots and pickling, carrots and cucumbers & weeding .Power Planter trial and review. Infrastructure cutting up timber joists and painting them ready to make bed frames up for plot 1 

 

2019 -  Seed saving Cucumbers and harvesting Marshalls Alliance Sweetcorn.12th Sept Carrot harvest. Making a beach hut for a wedding! Using the Power Planter to install kerbstones around the allotment. Harvesting Butternut Squash. Bonfires on Allotments are a contentious issue.

2020 -  Marshalls Autumn Catalogue arrived,  Ken Muir's fruit & Suttons Catalogues arrive. Pre Blight Tomato Harvest. New Potatoes from the last 3 buckets harvested. Green Toms in Greenhouse Turn Red. Thompson & Morgan's Autumn Catalogue arrived. Mr Fothergills Autumn Catalogue arrived. Green manure grown.  Spent Compost from tomatoes and potatoes added to beds. My videos were shown on Sean James Cameron podcast. D.T.Browns Autumn Catalogue arrived. Clearing around the shed ready for demolition of wall. Planning the Square Foot Gardening beds. Another temporary roof covering on the plot 1A shed. Decanting contents of the shed to a tarp covered palleted bed with blue water pipe hoops as demolition of wall expected . Mentioned in dispatches on Thompson & Morgan's blog.

2021 -  Marshalls Autumn Catalogue arrived, Stemster - Main Crop - Dobies harvest, nice quantity and size. Pickling Beetroots. Trimming Paths during the 2nd week of September. In My Seed Box For 2022 - Index. So many cucumbers and tomatoes from the greenhouse this year. Andy & Emma gave me some help weeding the plot. D.T.Browns Sarpo KilifiPotatoes Potato in bucket yields were good and the potatoes were a reasonable size. Raspberries and Rhubarbs first year, limited Raspberry harvest and no harvesting of the Rhubarb this it's first year. I started looking at my seed stocks and resourcing seeds from well known co operative seed suppliers. Last year we had an Indian Summer and at the end of September storms came and hit the UK 

2022 - Harvesting the last of the potatoes, RIP Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Great year for quality cabbages,  More Freecycle slabs for paths picked up, Harvesting the last of the tomatoes, Review of Autumn Catalogues, Review of the first growing year of the KC5383 Grapevine Plant - Flame Red  (seedless) grapevine, Undertaking review of what's in my seed box for 2023, Harvested the last of the celery and runner beans, gave excess to plot neighbours,  Sowing green manure, Second sweetcorn harvest.

2023 - I had my Mask/Shell made for the radiotherapy treatment and the 5 weeks of radiotherapy started . My mobility and energy levels were at an all time low following the radiotherapy. Harvest potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Compost making using two Daleks on bed 5. Modifications made to the path in front of the potting shed as I could not get in and out as the step was way too high for my reduced mobility to managed. I managed a few visits to the allotment towards the end of the month, to harvest what I had managed to get in the ground, with the assistance of my daughters.  

2024 - First time ever Blossom end rot on tomatoes. Harvesting potatoes in buckets. Maxifacial and Haematology appointments this month. Grapes from the allotment harvested. I bought a Bamsa mini  chainsaw. Harvesting Potatoes and Tomatoes. In My Seed Box updated. Potting shed painted with V33. V33 Review written. Reviewing New seed catalogues. Onion Beds harvested and weeded. Woodchip arranged and dropped off in car park, paths refreshed with new woodchips. I started planning alterations to the layout of the allotment and the introduction of raised beds dur to my Autoimmune dieses & rheumatism following treatment for my cancer. We went back to a traditional padlock & key system as the combination locks were getting difficult to read and move. 

2025 - St Georges Hospital to get the results of my latest Pet Scan from the Haematologist. 10th September Back British Farming Day. Harvesting Raspberries and Potatoes. Trimming the path between plots 1 & 2 and 1A and 2A.  Planting out Dwarf French beans in the climbing framed greenhouse. Tomato seed saving from Big Mother Fucker and Tennis Ball given to me by Jim a plot neighbour. In potting shed as raining, shucking Climbing French Beans and Shopping around for best prices for various varieties of Vegetable's.  Rheumatology Appointment at St Georges, I started looking at what is in my seed box for 2026

To Do List   

Mill Green - Plot 1

• Greenhouse 1 - Currently being used to house all the cardboard to be used in the new raised beds, The Loft Conversion has been rebuilt.   
• Infrastructure - Convert standard 2.4m x 1.2m beds to 2 number 1.2 x 0.9m Raised beds with a path between for bed
• Shed Clearance  - Clear excess items from Shed and Potting Shed
• Rear Beds - Clear Bindweed from last beds on Plot 1
• Sign Posts  - Fabricate and take to plot and install 

Mill Green - Plot 1A

• Greenhouse 1A - Wally is going to have this Greenhouse
• Cast Iron Garden Bench  - Andy Plot 12 is going to restore Timber and Give a new home. 
•   
• Shed - now Empty other than items I don't need 
• Comfrey Pipe - To be moved to Plot 1A
• Comfrey - Take Root Cuttings.
• Plot Signs - Make two number Plot 1 & 1A signs 
• Grape Vines - Take Cuttings 

Visit To Mill Green Allotment

 

Emma and Andy took me to Mill Green Allotment yesterday to help me empty the Plot 1A Shed.

It's heart-breaking seeing how the bind weed has taken over Plot 1A

I just about got the contents of the Plot 1A into the potting shed, but there will be a lot of sorting out of what I ultimately keep and what I re-distribute, and bring home.

I brought home enough blue water pipe hoop for the middle row of beds 4 to 6 at the Back Garden Allotment, soil conditioners and Chicken Pellets, and wood chips.

In the afternoon Andy and I filled bed 4 with Farmyard Manure Compost and regular compost. I will let the level drop a couple of days an cover with vermiculite and mulch compost then use the power planter screw auger to mix it in.

View from the rear bedroom window 

Debris Netting Panel For Space Saver Greenhouse

I finished building an infill panel that I started yesterday that I will paint and cover in debris netting to keep the cats and other critters out of my space saver greenhouse in the back garden.

Following my cancer treatment and rheumatism because of my autoimmune disease, I have trouble reaching the debris netting to drop in front of the greenhouse door when left open during hot weather.

The neighbours cats has worked out how to get in there behind the netting. The timber was a couple of lengths Kelly picked up for me off freecycle, the width of the infill panel was dictated by the timber lengths

Rain this afternoon. District Nurses running late, no swab test today then. 

Nature Lost Vault

 

I found a facebook page called Nature Lost Vault, a channel dedicated to rediscovering the forgotten powers of the natural world. They explore ancient growing methods, rare plants with hidden uses, and the ecological secrets that once shaped human survival. It's well worth a visit and book marking. 

Finally Some Rain

 

It's was a noise I have not heard for a couple of months, rain falling and car tyres on wet roads. In the afternoon I picked up more apples and continued to fill up bed 4.

  

The Storm And Rain Didn't Happen

The anticipated storm and rain expected over night and early this morning didn't happen not even spots of rain on top of the cars. So I ended up watering in the seeds I planted yesterday in bed 2 first thing. No rain at the moment.

Appointment at the hospital, and I'm on blood thinners for another 3 months, Leg ulcers dressed late afternoon.

Rains Forecast Get Bed 2 Sown

 
Weather Forecast for the next two weeks

Additional scaffold boards laid over bed 5 to stop the fox, cat or squirrel digging in the bed

Bed 1, Dwarf French Beans getting bigger every day

Left side of Bed 1

Right side of Bed 1

Pak Choi Red and Pak Choi White Stem sown to the front left of the worm tower

Turnip Milan White and Turnip Millan Purple sown front right of the worm tower

Kohlrabi Delicacy White & Kohlrabi Delicacy Purple sown at the back right of the worm tower. Radish Winter Watermelon Red Meat two rows to the right of the worm tower. Dwarf French Beans to the left of the worm tower

Beds 1 to 3 Update

 

View from the rear bedroom window. 

Somethings had a dig, could have been a cat or squirrel, but no poop visible. I really need those hoops from the allotment.

Salad cuttings and water melon added to Bed 1 Worm Tower

Three rows of Different Radish, Golden Beetroot, Red Beetroot and three of the four French Beans in Bed 1

French Dwarf Beans growing well, we will have to wait and see of I get a harvest, but 49p for 10 beans and 4 different varieties, had to be tried as the weather has been so unseasonable.

Three rows of Different Radish, Golden Beetroot, Red Beetroot and three of the four French Beans in Bed 1

The fourth variety of Dwarf French Beans Stanley in Bed 2 8 of the nine germinated

Weeds in bed 2 & 3 pulled, later when the beds are in shade I will be sowing Park Choi and other varieties of vegetables.

Emma And Andy Help Get The Raised Bed Frames Made

 

Andy and Emma worked so hard to tidy the back garden up and to get the rest of the raised beds scaffold boards cut and screwed together this morning.

View of the Back Garden Allotment from the Space Saver Greenhouse

View of the Back Garden Allotment from the Kitchen door

View of the Back Garden Allotment from the Patio decking

Kelly, Emma, Digby & Andy went for a walk this afternoon at Nonsuch Park looking for a Gruffalo for Digby The Gruffalo photobombed them again

My two Disney Princesses who keep me on the straight and narrow.

Bed 5 Topped Up To The First Scaffold Board

Bed 5 filled with apples around the stacked timber decking and covered in all the sawdust I had left.

View from the rear bedroom window, stepping stones along the back uncovered. More dropped apples overnight added to the raised beds.

Once the nurse has been to dress my leg and foot and if the pain is not too bad I may pop out to the back alley to pick up the apples that have dropped out there and complete filling bed 4 with apples.

My Daughter & Son-In-Law Lend A Hand

Daughter Emma and Son-In-Law Andy & Grandson Digby Elvis came early this morning to help get Kelly back from dropping her car off at the garage, so she could borrow my car to get to work. They also hit the ivy and brambles in front of the sheds and picked up all the apples off the paths leading to the back gate and the two sheds.

View towards raised beds 1 - 3

Photos after Andy & Emma had worked their magic

Photos after Andy & Emma had worked their magic, so nice to see it how it should be, any brambles showing will get blasted with weed killer

Emma worked on filling the timber decking with sawdust in Bed 4 and filling around both Bed 4 & 5 with apples.

Worm Tower in bed 1 filled with salad cuttings from lunch

Dwarf French Beans in bed 1

Dwarf French Beans in bed 1

Dwarf French Beans in bed 1

Beetroots either side of the Worm Tower in bed 1