More Weeding

 

Sunny and 25C today on the allotment. Watering in the potting shed and crops outside. Taking the Ryobi trimmer to the paths around the beds on plot 1 and up the main path of plot 1A.

Looking up the allotment from the square foot gardening beds on arrival

Looking up the allotment from the square foot gardening beds on departure

View from in front of the plot 1 shed. paths trimmed again and Asparagus bed trimmed. Empty Square Flower buckets staked ready for decanting soil from bed 16.

Beds 15 front one with netting hoops and watering gullies to be installed. I have carrots to sow in that bed next visit.

Beds 15 front one with netting hoops and watering gullies to be installed. I need to find another two hoops for the bed on the left and make a top tie for the hoops next visit.

Asparagus bed trimmed and Empty 30 Litre buckets with handles with block or coir in and watered to hydrate.

Coir Blocks watered to hydrate, ready to add Clover Compost once I can find someone who can lift it out of my compost store for me. It's a 70 Litre sack of compost which weighs about 25kg, however now I have the yet unnamed autoimmune disease and arthritis in all my joints, they are now way to difficult for me to lift and carry. Three years ago I would have had little problem.  

Climbing French beans in the climbing frame greenhouse beds watered. I trimmed the weeds inside on the path and outside on the path between plot 1 and plot 2

Square flower buckets of soil; moved away from the mesh wall to the climbing frame greenhouse and the mares tail that was growing along the kerb stones under the mesh panel were trimmed to leave no hiding places for slugs and snails. 

Bindweed growing up the Raspberries needs removing as they are trying to extend to the neighboring line of raspberries.

Back of Rhubarb and back of the Climbing Frame Greenhouse needs clearing of bindweed and mares tail, job for another day.

Path and around Bed 16 trimmed. The mound of earth needs weeding and decanting into buckets ready for building the next section of raised beds.

Climbing Frame Greenhouse & Potting Up

Another morning on the allotment on what was a 23C Sunny day. The windows needed to be open in the potting shed as it was more like 30C in there.

I spent half my time working on removing weeds from the climbing frame greenhouse beds as I will need the beds ready to accept the dwarf French beans I sowed a few days ago. another two French climbing beans have been nobbled as a result of the rain we have had activating the slug and snail superhighway.

So I'm thinking of sowing some more as back ups. I took the longest burpless tasty green cucumber plant and transplanted it into a position where one of the climbing bean had been nobbled.

Still some weeds to get out in the path and in the bed but a lot better than it was before I started today. I always make a moat in front of the beans and cucumbers and saturate the ground.
Can you spot the cucumber I planted to replace the nobbled French Climbing Bean?

I have pulled and dug up a lot of weeds in the short return, but another attack is needed to clear them all ready for more planting around the outside of the bed, and then the dwarf climbing beans in the inner side of the beds.

French climbing bean in the left corner only a stem now, I will have that out and transplant a cucumber there at a future visit.

After enough baking in the sun I took to the potting shed to pot up the Crimson Cherry and Merrygold Tomatoes

Three Crimson Cherry and three Merrygold Tomatoes potted up and watered.

Sweetcorn watered, and needs to be planted out soon.

Burpless Tasty Green Cucumber with a nice amount of roots at the bottom of the loo roll. This was transplanted into the climbing frame greenhouse.

Hydrating Coir

 

French Climbing Beans

 

PET Scan At The Royal Marsden Today

 

Another PET scan today at the the Royal Marsden in Sutton, "George" the tumour AKA a Solitary bony plasmacytoma of the left mandible has shown as being stable, however the last two PET Scans show indications of active disease in my jaw still.

It's been a little depressing as the possibility of myeloma following Solitary bony plasmacytoma is possible. There will be no more radiotherapy if that happens, there will be maintenance of the cancer using chemotherapy to try and slow the progress. 

Next appointment with Haematology at St Georges is on the 16th June, a month away, the usual the Royal Marsden will have the results in 3 days, but I'm not allowed to see the report until the MDT have reviewed my case which will be in two or 3 weeks still applies and I will have to chase to confirm that they have received the report and that they have booked the review.  

It took two months to get a copy of the letter following my last consolation, and when I asked PALS the guidelines are 5 - 10 days if anything urgent crops up in the blood tests and up to five weeks for letters as they have to send them abroad to be typed up! 

When I was under the Royal Marsden I got letters within 3 days of a consultation.  

Transplanting French Climbing Beans

Climbing Frame Greenhouse

 Another visit dedicated to clearing the climbing frame greenhouse area 

Lunch with Digby

 Digby rocking the Tom Cruse glasses look 

Climbing Frame Greenhouse Beds

Taking on the bind weed and the mares tail in the climbing frame greenhouse is exhausting, as because of my autoimmune disease (still not pigeon holed, and named) I can no longer get down on my hands and knees to weed. 

Thank God for my Kent & Stowe long handled trowel and fork that is allowing me to excavate and follow the roots. I have to bend double to try and pick up or pull out the weed roots with my arthritic fingers and it's exhausting and very time consuming, not to mention frustrating.      

Photo of the bind weed roots exposed by digging down along the kerb edging 

Photo of the bind weed roots further along the bed exposed by digging down beside the kerb edging 

Photo of the bind weed roots still further along the bed exposed by digging down beside the kerb edging 

Potting shed bench with sweetcorn, and climbing French beans growing and tomatoes in the self watering propagators.  

Weeding SFG Beds 1 & 2

 

Square Foot Garden Bed 1 after weeding 

Square Foot Garden Bed 2 after weeding 

Potting Bench setting up another tray of loo rolls 

Jacky Potatoes In Buckets

 

Three buckets of Jacky Potatoes, four per bucket planted to day  

Sweetcorn showing and French climbing beans popping their heads up out of the loo rolls.

Planning and Reviewing May in Previous Years

Reviewing the diary over the last Twelve years for May

2013 - Spring was the coldest for 50 years, I had the first six beds and the comfrey bed in place.Beds 5 & 6 were Sprouts and Cabbages, as expected lots of sowing and potting on happened.

2014 - Frost warnings and seedlings grown in the grow house inside the green house on Mill Green.Potato Halums were a little frost damaged, Slabs at home laid for the Space Saver Greenhouse, Erected the Space Saver Greenhouse at home and the Double grow House at Mill Green.

2015 - Potatoes in Buckets, transplanting Tomato plants, High Winds and damage on the plots, Cherry Trees have Cherries on them, Planting out Spring Onions, Harvesting Over wintered spring onions, Planting Cabbages and Cauliflowers and the Crimson Crush plants arrive, three more bed frames made.

2016 - Spencer Road - Second sowing of sweetcorn due to slow germination then the first sowing germinated after the first !, Beds 1-3 completed, Potatoes in bed 3. Comfrey bed 2 completed

2016 - Mill Green - overwintered onions in greenhouse planted to replace those that were nobbled by slugs in the beds, Sowing frenzy of beetroots, Spring Onions, Cucumber, Celery, second sowing or brassica's as first sowing died. Frost second week of May. Bean frame maintenance.

2017 - Spencer Road Allotment - Working on infrastructure and the watering system for the plot, spuds and onions growing well, Walking Onion infrastructure created. Comfrey Pipe erected.

2017 - Mill Green Allotment - Mosquito Nets to Protect fruit on the trees, Brassicas planted, SoilFixer Potatoes in Buckets experiment, Push Lawn mower obtained off Freecycle.

Having two plots on different sites really did have an effect on the overall progress last year, but the additional beds provided more opportunity for sowing and planting a greater range of varieties of vegetables to try  in 2017.

This year the decommissioning of Spencer Road and the Infrastructure works at Mill Green Plot 1 to accept the Shed and Greenhouse has not gone as quickly as I would have liked primarily due to the bad weather we have had in the way of snow and rain, combined with getting Mill Green Plot 1A back into shape as before the drop off and pick up area was created it was difficult to gain access to Mill Green and keep it up to scratch, plus the intention was to move to Spencer Road so the focus was off Mill Green, Its now firmly back on it.

 

2018 - Moving tomatoes from vending machine cups into larger pots, Sown Sweetcorn, Hardening off Tomatoes in the cold frame, Transporting items from Spencer Road to Mill Green Tomatoes transplanted into flower Buckets, Cucumbers & Courgettes planted. Runner Beans & Beetroots started off at home planted. Two Crimson Crush and a Repunzel grown out in the open on the plot, they were left to go wild and become so prolific .Bought an Apex Rotary Sieve from Germany for less that the version from Wales. Radish in cut down flower bucket. Rain & Thunder storms  

2019 - May as always means the Spacesaver Greenhouse heaving with seedlings and everything getting started off so that it can finally be transplanted at the allotment during the end of the month. The framework for the greenhouse was finally assembled with Andy's assistance and Emma & Andy as I was having problems getting down on my knees due to my leg injury. Andy & I planted spuds, Brassica excess supplied by Pauline, Hazelnut tree arrives and is taken to plot and potted up. Cutting and Painting bed timbers continues, Onion Sets planted by Emma, Beetrootrs sown but fail to germinate or are eaten by slugs. Comfrey Pipe cleaned out, Insect Houses bought from Morrisons.  

2020 - Due to Covid and the lockdown I  didn't visit the allotment during May as I was shielding my wife. My daughter and son in law visited and tried to keep the allotment tidy and undertook weed management. All of my growing was done in the back garden.

2021 - Sieving my own compost. All potatoes finally in. High winds and damage on the plot. Apple trees at home pollarded. Rhubarb plants arrived. Sowing Courgettes, Gherkins & Cucumbers. Tomatoes sown early May which was a little late really. Self tapping screws for polycarbonate sheets on greenhouse. 25th May Towel Day, Bought 21 HD Containerwise Plastic trays.  Trimming the Path with the old strimmer and new blades. Lots of grass from Emma for composting. Second SFG bed dug and the bed frame in but never got around to filling it and planting it up.

2022 - Anti Cabbage whites Hoops and debris netting mesh installed, Red Grapevine growing well, Ordered additional spring clips to fix debris netting, Additonal 600mm radius black hoops cut from roll , Sweetcorn sown, Mares Tail weeded from the raspberry paths, Celery Tango planted in SFG Bed, Weed Free Onion Beds thanks to Emma and Walking Onions Planted, Renewing Woodchip Paths, Where is Wally from areal photo of the plot, two lots of paving slabs off Freecycle, Guidance on Pruning a Grapevine, Topping up Potatoes in Buckets, Potatoes in Buckets sown. Seedless Grape vines planted. Swarm of Bees on the allotment.  

2023 - Spuds in Buckets sown, Solar Powered water pump in Pebble Pool installed. Brassicas sown and potted on this month. Sweetcorn sown, Installing the climbing frame horticulture beds. Mares tail attacked in the AFG Beds twice this month. Emma & Andy helped me get a lot of jobs done on the allotment. Apples showing on the trees. Growing Tomatoes for the Grow Off between Westland & Dalefoot. Two MRI Scans during May. First Meeting the the Maxi Facial team CT and MRI Scan results and the investigations into what turns out to be Cancer starts 22nd May 2023. Andy provided four sacks of grass from cutting their lawn. Luffa & Burpless Tasty Green Cucumbers planted in the climbing frame greenhouse Courgettes, Cucumbers & Broccoli plants potted on. Westland Horticulture V Dalefoot Compost Tomato grow off started. Lazy Housewife French climbing beans went into the ground. Melon went in under glass up against the wall, Girls came and weeded the parsnip bed. Drying coffee grounds and making the birdfeeder. Potatoes in Buckets foliage showing. Laying woodchips in the paths to the climbing frame greenhouse. Transplanting Cucumbers into the climbing frame greenhouse. PET Scan at St Georges Hospital 

2024 - The medical boots allowed me to visit more often this month, Asparagus Bed overgrown with weeds, and 105 parsnips decimated by slugs and snails, 300 Red Baron onions planted, Potting up cucumbers, spuds in Buckets sown, Sweetcorn planted in modules, Square Foot Gardening Beds in front of the Potting Shed deconstructed and reconstructed as raised beds as I can no longer get down on my hands and knees to sow and weed.   

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 is failing and needs remedial works.   
• 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 

Mill Green - Plot 1A

• Greenhouse 1A - Set up more Coffee to dry out 
• Daleks - Dig in the additional Daleks along the path with plot 2A
• Onions - Overwintering Onions and Shallots in weed bed as necessary. 
• Apple Trees - Prune & Stabilise
• Grape Vines - Prune  

Sowing and Planting Plan for May    

May

Week 1              Lettuce (Winter) - Sow 

Week 1              Broccoli (sprouting) late varieties - sow seed bed

Week 1              Cabbage (summer) - plant out indoor sown plants

Week 1              Celery - plant out

Week 1              Cucumber (ridge) - sow seed under cloches outside

Week 1              Kale (curly) - sow in pots or seed bed

Week 1              Runner Beans - sow seed in pots indoors

Week 1              Runner Beans - sow seed under cloches

Week 1              Tomatoes - begin to harden off

Week 1              Carrot - sow maincrop seed

Week 1              Radish – Sow fortnightly

Week 1              Spring Onions – Sow fortnightly

Week 1              Lettuce – Sow fortnightly

Week 2              Beetroot - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors  

Week 2              French Beans - sow seed outside

Week 2              French Beans - harden off seedlings

Week 2              Onion - plant out seedlings

Week 2              Potatoes - nitrogen feed fortnightly

Week 2              Rhubarb- apply mulch

Week 2              Squash / pumpkins - harden off

Week 2              Strawberries - mulch around plants

Week 2              Cucumber  – Sow Party Time 3 plants into the greenhouse 

Week 3              Beetroot - thin out seedlings

Week 3              Brussels Sprouts- transplant

Week 3              Cabbage (spring) - harvest

Week 3              Cauliflower (autumn) - sow seed in pots

Week 3              Courgette - Harden off indoor grown plants

Week 3              Cucumber (ridge) - Harden off indoor grown plants

Week 3              French Beans - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Week 3              Runner Beans - harden off seedlings

Week 3              Swede - sow seed outdoors

Week 3              Sweetcorn - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Week 3              Swiss Chard - thin out seedlings

Week 3              Parsnip – Transplant into loo rolls once signs of germination

Week 3              Melons – Amarillo Oro - Plant Out

Week 3              Melons – Sugar Baby - Plant Out

Week 4              Radish – Sow fortnightly

Week 4              Aubergine – Plant Out 

Week 4              Spring Onions – Sow fortnightly

Week 4              Luffa  - Transplant into pots

Week 4              Lettuce – Sow fortnightly

Week 4              Onions Onwards - water in dry conditions

Week 4              Courgettes - plant out

Week 4              Parsnip - thin seedlings to 15cm / 6in apart

Week 4              Radish - begin to harvest

Week 4              Runner Beans - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Week 4              Runner Beans - sow seed outside

Week 4              Shallot Onwards - water in dry conditions

Week 4              Squash / pumpkins - plant out

Week 4              Tomatoes - plant out