Sorting Out Netting Hoops

The forecast was for rain this afternoon so 3.5 hours on the allotment this morning sorting out the netting that was leaning over the path.

To be honest my daughter did the best she could, and didn't use the longitudinal binder that I had pre drilled with fixing holes for the cable ties.

I marked up and drilled holes in 3 number longitudinal binders.

Uncovered two onion beds and sorted out the leaning and binders, then re-covered with debris netting

I also cut a number of shallow hoops for beds with low vegetables in.

I weeded 3/4 of Square foot Garden Bed 1 then before I knew it with the dark clouds rolling over, it was time to make a move home for lunch.

Planning and Reviewing May in Previous Years

Reviewing the diary over the last Ten 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.  

To Do List   

April was kinder with regards the weather, and a lot of progress was made on the plot now the potting shed is erected and in action.     

Mill Green - Plot 1A

• Re Add additional supporting timbers to the roof of the shed - TBD
• Tidy Up the Allotment - Ongoing but getting so much better

Mill Green - Plot 1

• Potting Shed  - Erected and now in use.
• Greenhouse Cage - Now erected and ready for action.  
• Beds and Paths - The area that the greenhouse cage in the corner was turned over weeded and beds and paths installed during April.
• Water - System modifying following water tuned on 30th March.

Home 

• Planning - Ongoing
• Cut Planting Membrane - Made more full bed blanks some will be turned into planting membrane
• Space Saver Greenhouse - Clear and Cleaned but most of the action now happening in the potting shed.

Grass Cutting

This morning I cut the grass on the main path in front of my boundary beds and the path between plots 1 & 1A and 2 & 2A. I watered everything in the potting shed as it was very hot in there yesterday only 25C in there today.

I re arranged everything on the staging as the parsnip corner has now gone into a bed and I now have a bottom shelf to the staging I built to go along the back gable wall of the potting shed.

This afternoon I charged the batteries to the lawn mower back up and cut the grass in the back garden as there is a couple of hours of rain due in the early hours of tomorrow morning/

Ram Rod Spring Onions showing. and more seedings pocking their heads up in the self watering pop bottle propagators.

96 Parsnips Planted

Emma and I had a good morning on the allotment, I finished building the staging in the potting shed and she planted 96 parsnips in 105 hole planting membrane.

Later in the day I returned and had a tidy up of the spoil from the bulb planter and sprinkle of coffee grounds on the bed and then covered with hoops and debris netting to protect from the foxes.

I also set up the watering system again and tried a direct line rather than the buried pipe.

Radish covered with hoops and netting.

Grapevines watered.

Germinating Sweetcorn & Sowing Seeds

Rain this morning so a visit to the allotment this afternoon to transplant another 26 parsnip seeds that have root growth.

Place Sweetcorn on wet kitchen roll in Chinese takeaway containers to germinate before transplanting into some CHM Modules.

Suttons Sweetcorn Eden F1 that was supposed to have 20 seeds in had 23

Dobies Sweetcorn Illusion F1 that was supposed to have 25 seeds only had 21 !!! << You need to do better Dobies!

Mr Fothergill's Courgette Summer Holiday that was supposed to have Average 10 seeds only had 8 that's 20% missing Mr Fothergill's it's not as if they are small for Christ sake.

At £3.35 for 10 seeds that's 33.5p per seeds and 67p worth missing from the packet.

Weeding Bed 16

Nearly finished weeding the mares tail out of Bed 16 which is supposed to be for Beetroots, but the soil is so good I may put the parsnips in it once its clear of the mares tail as I can get it.

Rain stopped play and I came home.

Lots of new life showing in the Self Watering Pop Bottle Propagators which are all sown with 6 seeds.

More Free Paving Slabs

Today I collected the Paving Slabs I went after that were advertised on Freecycle and were only 6 minutes away from the allotment.

It took me three trips to ferry the slabs from the property to the allotment, and I laid out the first batch in front of the potting shed, extending the width of the path, and I will have some plants in pots in front of the potting shed or perhaps a cold frame, to harden off plants.

Like The Cast Of Last Of The Summer Wine

Six more Parsnips germinated and transplanted into loo rolls, that's 3 trays worth now so I need to find my bulb planter and get them in the ground this week.

16 Organdi Dwarf French Beans sown in root trainers

16 Lazy Housewife Climbing Beans Sown in root trainers

Tray of Cos Lettuce sown.

Coffee grounds in tug with Radish & some slug and snail small blue pellets of death added as they are feasting on my Radish leaf's

Onions all types growing, but whites are a little slower.

Suttons KA1985 Grapevine (Vitis) Lakemore White (Seedless) needs to spread out a bit more this year. It got damaged by wild life last year so is not as advanced or has the wall coverage the red grape vine has

Signs of life on both grape vines which made me smile.

Suttons KC5383 Grapevine Plant - Flame Red (Seedless) showing signs of life

Blossom on the apple trees, also made me smile.

Mares Tail removed along with the root system 

Mares Tail removed from half of Bed 16

Mares tail showing in uncovered beds, (which made me frown) and I removed from half of Bed 16 before coming home as I need to sow Beetroots into Bed 16 this week according to my sowing master plan.

Coffee and biscuits break with John and Wally. The three of us remind me of the cast of Last Of The Summer Wine, not sure which of us is Compo, I think it's Wally.

When the sun came out we could feel it burning our skins, it was not out that long and when the clouds came over it was time to put the fleece back on.

Sowing More Parsnips & Fleece

The weather forecast is that there is a real possibility of frost and although the potting shed is warmer than the outside temperature on a sunny day I was not taking any risks as I now have so many seed sown and seedlings showing.

The fleece covering the top of the staging's along the windowed walls. 
 

The fleece covering the top of the staging's along the windowed walls. 

More germinated parsnip seeds transplanted into the toilet roll cardboard tubes  

Parsnip seedlings & transplanted germinated seed about to be planted into the toilet roll cardboard tubes

Parsnip seedlings & transplanted germinated seed about to be planted into the toilet roll cardboard tubes

To keep track of what's happening or being stored in the Daleks and having picked some nice light grey paving blocks that I use to weigh down the lids which have been known to fly like freebies, and painted a description on the block.  

Basically where I store shredded paper and cut up cardboard for adding to the Daleks when making compost. 

More Paving Slabs Off Freecycle

 

Another great find on Freecycle, picked up and taken to the allotment. One day all my paths will be paved.  

Making The Third Staging - Part 2

So with yesterdays build and proof of concept and test fit for the third staging, today I went about the task of building the bottom shelf of the third staging for the Forest Garden Potting Shed 

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I took the test fit down and more or less repeated the process to make the top shelf to make the bottom shelf with a minor modification and assembled and fixed it all together.    

This photo is from a few days in the future as I didn't take a lot of photos today and I was concentrating on getting the third staging completed but as you can see I've made the bottom shelf the same width as the top by notching out the boards around the legs, whereas the two Forest Garden ones supplied with the shed are within the legs and the bottom shelf is not as wide as the top. 

With to potting tray now in the third staging up against the gable wall, I have more growing space on the staging's along the windows, plus more than ample room for me and perhaps others to work or shelter in the potting shed.   

I installed and inside and outside thermometer from Lidl today adding to the collection of thermometers in the potting shed, so I can see the difference between the inside and outside temperatures. 

I love that the blue bells give some colour and some early food for the bees, but its nice to see that the comfrey is coming up now.