Planning and Reviewing July In Previous Years

Reviewing the diary over the last seven years for July

2013 - Infrastructure works, harvest of first early and cucumbers and the best cabbages I have ever grown ! Beginners luck   

 

2014 - A really good year with plentiful harvests .  

2015 -  Great year for beetroots, Wrens in the bird box .   

2016 - Lots of coffee grounds, drying coffee, Building a replacement door for the outbuilding from decking timber.

Mill Green - Onion White Rot, Runner Beans,     

Spencer Road - Comfrey Bed 2 completed, Four Beds, Butternut squash, Beetroots, spuds and spring onions. Onions, Potatoes, Beetroots and infrastructure works. Burpless Cucumbers go manic  

Home - Tomatoes finally get transplanted into flower buckets.  

2017 - Really behind on growing and keeping the plot weed free, especially the paths on Mill Green as the woodchip had finally rotted down into good growing medium. Absent neighbour meaning weeds encroaching from plot 1.  11th July first red tomato, Meeting with Redrow and Council to agree the formation of the Drop off and Pick Up area, SF60 Potatoes in Buckets experiments, 5 Beds productive at Spencer Road, 30th July harvest of First Early Spuds & Onions

2018 - Extend the watering system, 10th July Cucumbers Planted, 12th Comfrey Pipe fill up and hose across path to dip tank and tap, 13th July temporary roof on shed plot 1A, 16th Dismantle the shed at Spencer Road and levelling the land  on plot 1 17th July Shed Base Goes In, harvesting Cucumbers and Marrows, 20th July Shed Erection, 25th July First Red Tomatoes, Onion Drying the the rack on the side of the shed, Bread Basket fence to protect sweetcorn, 27th July finally rain, High winds damaged the sweetcorn .Bought a Ryobi Circular saw for cutting the floor joist for the new beds, 31st July sow a bed of Beetroot seeds.  

2019 - Onions and New Potatoes in Buckets harvested. Leg injury & cellulitis meant fewer visits to the allotment this month .A Extreme weather a heat wave and temperature of 31.8C ended followed my heavy rain and flooding this month. High Court order overturned the decision to ban metaldehyde slug pellet products, with immediate effect. 

2020 - July is normally the month for harvesting rather than planting, but below is the to do list in no particular order and catching up with what actually happened in June and what has slipped. Way too much has slipped.

Below is the to do list in no particular order and catching up with what actually happened in June and what has slipped. The plan is now to get a few late crops in and to work on getting the plot ready for next season. 

To Do List 

Coronavirus UPDATE

Early into March I ended up self isolating because my wife is very high risk and from the looks of things we will be in isolation for a lot longer than the 12 weeks that Boris Johnson was originally talking about. 23rd March we went into Lockdown, however Allotments can still be visited as it's a form of exercise and mental relaxation and therapy, however in order to shield my wife, I have refrained from taking advantage of the lockdown loophole until the 21st June Fathers Day when I worked with Emma social distancing . 

The To Do List below will remain and be added too with fighting the weeds that will come due to the neglect. As someone who is on his plot all year round and does not leave it alone during Autumn & Winter and who uses it instead of therapy and for my mental well being it's tearing me apart not being able to get to her.

Yes I have decided my allotment is a woman, it is dealing with mother nature after all.

May was one of the hottest on record and Flaming June has been colder and wetter than usual after a 3 day heat wave with temperatures reaching 32C

To Do List  

My Daughter Emma and Son-In-Law Andy have been visiting my plot and dealing with weeds, tidying up and installing 4 new beds on Plot 1 since I have been in lockdown. They even managed to find me two new compost bins to match those I already have and have extended my Dalek Army complete with woodchip paths. 

Below is the to do list in no particular order of what has slipped I visited my plot for the first time in a long time on Fathers Day on the 21st June 2020

Mill Green - Plot 1A

• Clear Bed 2 of Cabbages and cover - TBD
• Progress on the wall rebuild behind Shed - Contractor pulled off site due to lockdown
• Remove and dispose of Corex on the roof - TBD once wall has been rebuilt
• Re felt the roof of the shed - Tree removed from roof, temporary cover in place   
• Fix the potting Bench - TBD
• Clear the Wasp Nest in greenhouse 1A - To Be Done once the wasps have gone! 
• Rhubarb Bed to be created - I have now cleared the weeds in the bed and covered in cardboard in current location and move when ready
• Tidy Up the Allotment  - Courtesy of Emma & Andy 
• Weeding - Courtesy of Emma & Andy    
• Clear Seating Area - Courtesy of Emma & Andy 
• Plant Baking Potato Squash - TBD 
• Plant Butternut Squash - TBD
• Sow Bed of Beetroots - TBD

Mill Green - Plot 1

• As much infrastructure works as the weather will allow - Seven Raised Beds Constructed in Feb two installed in March and waiting for areas to be dug and weeded 
• Install the kerb edging along the bottom of Plot 1 - TBD
• Clear the weeds and install a 600mm margin around the perimeter of the plot - Ongoing
• Woodchip the Margin around the perimeter of the plot. When able  
• Beds and Paths -  Four Bed and Paths installed by Emma & Andy others to be formed when I'm able to get to the allotment again.  
• Erect the greenhouse - New Timbers to be cut and treated   
• Tidy Up the Allotment - Courtesy of Emma & Andy during lockdown .  
• Stockpile Timber ready for burning  - Now covered to keep dry until September 
• Plant Mash Potato Squash - TBD

Home 

• Planning - Ongoing
• Catalogue Seeds - Vegetables for 2020 done just flowers remain.
• New Cut Path Weed Membrane - Completed during April 2020   
• New Cut Bed Weed Membrane - Ideal Isolation Job in dry weather 
• New Cut Planting Membrane - Ideal Isolation Job need to make some squash sheets c/w watering points

Reminders

• None at the moment.- Add when remembered.