View From The Greenhouse Door

Venting the Cold Frame

Tomatoes in the Bottom of the Space Saver

The sweetcorn are starting to show 

Toms awaiting potting up when I can get hold of more 12.7cm pots

Toms awaiting potting up when I can get hold of more 12.7cm pots 

Finally a third Burpless Cucumber germinates 

I went shopping at Tesco and they had 5 number 12.7cm pots for a £1 so I took the opportunity to stack up on them and then later in the evening 

Potted on another fourteen tomato plant making template hole before insertion of root ball, minimum of root disturbance and transplanting shock.

I've been quite happy with the root structure of the plants, these ones are a little less vigorous that the first 12 as they are small container type varieties. I placed a scoop of sieved mpc with vermiculite in the bottom the placed a full vending machine cup in the pot and created a hole the same size as the plug and then insert, lightly firm and fill around the stem with sieved MPC & vermiculite then topped it off with some sieved MPC. 

Clearing & Potting Up

The rain stopped over night and although wet it was not raining, so I went to Spencer Road which felt really strange as I have not been there in some time. A but of a tidy up and I collected the onion and beetroot planting membrane and a blank sheet off the beds, plus the watering system as I'm going to have to either extend the existing system I have or bring a new system in from the other end of the plot, which actually could be a better idea as we have a water hog and a splitter at the top end of the plot.

Actually if I plan it right I may be able to connect both systems together and increase the pressure a bit, to make watering faster, especially when the hog has the water running for hours on end. There is supposed to be a 30 minute rule and you are not supposed to water with a hose unattended, there again rules don't apply to this guy.   

I cleared one of the pop bottle cloche frames and the 1.2m x 1.2m bed that the Rhubarb is going to go into and had a general tidy up. In addition I made a whole bunch of sand and milk bottle soft bricks, and re loaded the trays with damp sand to dry off in the greenhouse. 

I came away with three sacks of rubbish and it's nice to finally see the back of one of the pop bottle frames, great idea when I built it but pain in the arse to dispose off when you are done with it. 

  
In the afternoon I cleared the cold frame and potted on another 18 tomatoes with the 8 in the space saver greenhouse that enough for the 22 square flower buckets along the pathway plus a couple to be grown on the allotment out in the open. 

I can't recall where I bought the 12.7cm Richard Sankey terracotta plastic plant pots from, but I need some more, I did some surfing on the internet and it always amazes me how vast the price range can be for exactly the same item. Needless to say I found the best deal I could and have 30 more pots coming via ebay at a very reasonable cost with free delivery.

What To Do When Its Raining?

The answer is washing mini plant pots

Washing Vending Machine Cups for reuse 

Yes I'm allowed to do this in the kitchen but I have an old bowl and washing brush and cleaning pad specifically for cleaning pots 

Feed Me Now

Just like the plant in the Little Shop of Horrors my Dalek needs feeding 

Two very large sacks of grass were picked up from my Sister-In-Laws front garden this morning and taken to the allotment and were decanted in alternate layers with shredded paper that has been living in the food bins with lids waiting for the arrival of grass cuttings.

Finally a layer of comfrey has been added to the top layer of grass of the alternating sandwich construction of greens and browns and watered in.

I've been trimming the top of the hedge between us and my neighbours and clearing the debris that builds up at the base of the hedge on my side of the fence, and working my way up to the cold frame that is need of a little renovation.

    

There is a sacrificial timber picture frame that the cold frame sits on so that it will decay before the cold frame walls do. Guess what, it had decayed and fell apart so I cut four new timbers from my wood pile and painted the timbers before going to the allotment and assembled the picture frame using L brackets when I came back from the allotment. 

The plan was to lay the gravel trays in the bottom and transplant a number of tomato plants up from vending machine cups into larger pots and put them in the cold frame, however the rain forecast for about 10 tonight decided to arrive as I was just finishing my lunch and there was a mad dash to get stuff under cover, so rather that sort out everything that came out of the cold frame a lot of stuff has gone back inside until the rain stops.

Mr Fothergills Cairngorm Optigrow® Leeks Update

Day One 17/04/2018

02/05/2018 - 15 Days 

There was no real difference in the speed of germination they both appeared at the same time, but I would say that the Optigrow seed were fatter and easier to handle than the untreated seeds   

03/05/2018 - 16 Days 

07/05/2018 - 20 Days

11/5/2018 - 24 Days

The Optigrow Leek experiment is proceeding but they appear to be developing at more or less the same speed as each other and if anything the standard seed on the right are more uniform and straighter that the treated Opitgrow seeds on the left. I will keep photographing the progress and updating this post as they grow.

Loo Roll Towers

The job last night was to turn round loo rolls square and snip off the corners so that they fitted nicely into the modules. I cut the trays in half so that they can be handled easier, they also stack pretty good as well. One of these will be parsnips and the other two will be the second wave of beetroots in an attempt to get them beyond tender slug attractive status as there are still too many slugs on my plot.    

The Mr Fothergill's Student Parsnips are now laying in a take-a-way tray lined with damp kitchen roll to promote growth. The lid was placed on and the container placed under the stairs in the dark.

In best Blue Peter tradition here are two containers I did three days ago with sweetcorn 

Just three days ago they looked like this 

So the best developed corns have now been sown into the flexi pots that I use each year, these are made of recycled plastic and I really wish I could find them on sale again because they are so useful for sweetcorn. 

The remaining sweetcorn that is only just chitting or have not germinated quite yet have been put together in one container the lid sealed and put back under the stairs for an additional days growth, and they will be put into a tray of flexi plots tomorrow. 

The second wave of beetroots have been sown but as the last lot were a little hit and miss I opened a new pack of Mr Fothergill's Beetroots Perfect 3 that have a sow by date of 2018 

The Optigrow Leek experiment is proceeding but they appear to be developing at the same speed as each other and if anything the standard seed on the right are more uniform and straighter that the treated seeds.

Still no further signs of life from the six seeds sown of each variety, I think I'm going to have to sow some more to get what I need for the allotment, the Burpless is new seed and that's quite disappointing germination rate.  The Marketmore I can forgive as the seed is a little old now. And still no signs of life from the marrow seeds at all !!!.

Finally I potted on one of each variety of the larger tomatoes that I have room for on the floor of the Space Saver Greenhouse, I really could do with getting rid of the cold frame and getting another Space Saver Greenhouse, I so wish that I could fit a huge greenhouse in the back garden.  

So it looks like the cold  frame that ends up being used for storage of pots and trays over winter needs to be cleared tomorrow to make way for more growing tomatoes to be potted on and protected until after the last frost date which for me is the end of this month.

Cherry Tomatoes

Tomato Maskotka

Pre work gardening item for today was to sow half a dozen Tomato Maskotka that I won on a Facebook giveaway from Mr Fothergill's.

They are Ideal for basket and pots and that what I'm growing a lot of this year in anticipation of getting the second Allotment Greenhouse erected. The Web Site details for Maskotka states "Big crops of sweet 'cherry toms', its bushy habit is ideal for all sorts of containers."

The other tomato was a re sowing of Tiny Tim, looking at the pack these were sow by 2013 so it could be that I will not get any but I have sown around 10 seeds in a pop bottle propagator and I only really want two plants, so we will have to see what happens in the next 8-11 days which is the normal germination time for this tomato.

Having grown these before I know they are a heavy cropper and are ideal for pots and containers and could potentially even be grown on a window sill. Previously I have grown these inside the Space Saver Greenhouse.The fruits ripen quite early and the height of the plants is only 300 - 500mm tall maximum. 

Watering Visit

So a very early visit between 7:00 - 8:50 am to water the carrots, Onions, Walking Onions, Cabbages, Potatoes, and Trees, following what was the hottest Early May Bank Holiday for forty years! I was not on my own to other plot holders had a similar idea and I ended up sharing a water tap so watering on reduced pressure which takes longer. 

The photo from the corner of the plot was taken as I was leaving the and the sun was only just reaching the boundary between plot 1 and plot 1A. I also managed to fill some milk bottles with dried sand and to lay out some damp sand in the greenhouse for drying as I have a mass of empty bottles that need turning in to soft bricks, and hopefully when the next beds start going in I will have a need for them. 

I added the additional the 1.2 x 2.4m sheet of weed membrane in the corner on my last visit but didn't take a photo of it in place. The rest of the grass is going to be subject to a little weed killer experiment, more on that in the future.

The Rhubarb is looking particularly moth eaten with all the holes in the leafs and I need to dig the area around it and mulch with some woodchip over cardboard.

I bought the planting membrane home with me so that I can write on each sheet what it's for otherwise I have to open each one to see what the pattern is and if its the correct sheet. Another sack load of rubbish came away with me, I'm going to get the allotment tidy by clearing little and often.   

Coming home and looking in the Space Saver I finally have three out of the 12 Cucumbers showing, two Burpless and one Marketmore which have taken time germinating because of the cold snap last week, but now we have had some extreme warm weather they are moving fast this is about three days growth.

Early May Bank Holiday

A heady 28C and no cloud today, I started up by picking up a tug of grass from my sister, then on to pick up two sacks of sand off Freecycle then down to the allotment to drop it all off. So I fed the Dalek a layer of browns (shredded paper) a Layer of grass and another layer of brown (cut up cardboard) and watered it in as it was placed in layers.

No activator has been used at all this year apart from diluted pee and the levels are dropping faster than I can fill the Dalek up. That may change once my Daughter and Sister-In-Law cut their grass again.

With the charge that was left in the trimmers battery from Sunday I managed to clear the way to the water tank before the battery died and coming home.

   
I cut down square flower buckets and made a couple more Spring Onion trays and used the jig to make holes in the compost for sowing in a grid. I now have one tray of 110 White Lisbon and a tray of 110 Lilia, which is a dual purpose Italian variety with a pungent flavour.

Lilia are best grown as a salad onion with nice, dark green leaves and a shiny, intense red inner core. I may leave a few to grow on as and when they mature, the bulbs shows off its defined red and white inner rings.

Two food containers with damp kitchen roll now have their lids on and are under the stairs in the dark and hopefully the sweetcorn will chit and show within the next few days.

This year I'm giving the Scarlet Emperor a rest in favour of Marshalls Stardust Self-pollinating, white flowering runner beans.

According to the web site Stardust produces masses of self-fertile white flowers on vigorous plants. They set well no matter what the weather to give you deliciously tender, stringless beans that are full of flavour.

This unique variety is the result of an expert cross between a French bean and a runner giving plants a self-pollinating habit meaning they don't rely completely on bees, so you get a consistently reliable crop come rain or shine.

Carrot Sunday

Well the cold weather is well and truly over (for the moment that is) 26C today 27C tomorrow and no cloud cover so not ideally the weather to be slogging away on the allotment. I'm very lucky because I have shade at the top end of plot 1A until about 12 ish if I want to keep out of the direct sunlight or need to cool down 

So the main job for today was to get the carrots in Bed 8, I could however not find the planting membrane that I was going to use and instead just cleared the volunteer potatoes and the tree saplings that were growing in the path

I had this little chap come and help me with the clearing of the path

Once he'd had his fill of grubs and insects I laid the weed membrane down between the beds and the Daleks.

I have to say I love this Stainless Steel Dibber, Potato/ Bulb Planter, Weeder, Soil Sampler. Its made in the UK, there is a patient pending on it and its £8.50 off ebay. So much neater than the traditional bulb planter and ideal for planting stuff grown in toilet rolls or vending machine cups. The only thing I do is put an elastic band on the outside to the depth I want but actually after a few goes you get your eye in and don't really need the elastic band anymore.    

So eight rows of carrots grown in toilet rolls later, I went and got three wheel barrow loads of wood chips and laid the path between the beds and the daleks. More conifer leaf that wood chips but it will do the job until it becomes browns for the compost bin and is dug up and replaced. 

Finally a good watering and covering with debris netting after adding a longitudinal brace to the top of the hoops. As you can see the sun was travelling around and by the time I was finished the bed was in direct sunlight.

It has to be said I'm very happy with the £35 strimmer from B&Q the line does not break all the time in fact I have hardly advanced it at all really in the three times that I have used it. Strimmers... the light sabres of gardening Jedi everywhere!

I trimmed along the bottom and the side of plot 1 and the area around the Rhubarb again and laid 600mm wide path weed membrane using the kerb edging that will ultimately be installed vertically once the grass under the membrane has died off.    

Planet Unknown

Sometime I know just how these two feel, I have Butternut Squash and Cucumbers that just will not germinate! 

Planning and Reviewing May in Previous Years

Reviewing the diary over the last five 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 - Mossquito 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.  

Below is the to do list in no particular order and catching up with what actually happened in April and what has slipped

To Do List  

·                     As much infrastructure works as the weather will allow - Not enough over the last two months due to the weather.

·                     Weed & Level the Shed and Greenhouse Area - Started but need to be completed

·                     Remove the Trees from along the wall  - TBD too late to burn now

·                     Lay weed membrane over the whole plot - Now nearly all covered 

·                     Collect the last of the slabs from Spencer Road - TBD

·                     Lay the slabs for the shed and Greenhouse - TBD  

·                     Erect the greenhouse - TBD

·                     Make Air Onion raised bed frame - Completed

·                     Move Comfrey Pipe from Spencer Road to Mill Green - TBD

·                     Rhubarb Bed to be created - TBD

·                     As too late to burn - stockpile timber and keep dry ready to burn next year - New

Home 

·                     Cut more path weed membrane - Ongoing 

·                     Make a Spring Green planting membrane sheet - New 

Reminders

·                     Purchase vent opener for new greenhouse.- TBD

MAY
Week 1	Cucumber (ridge) - sow seed under cloches outside
Week 1	Runner Beans - sow seed in pots indoors
Week 1	Runner Beans - sow seed under cloches
Week 1 Week 1	Spring Onions - sow fortnightly - Apache Deep Purple Tomatoes - begin to harden off
Week 1 - 2	Carrot - sow maincrop seed
Week 1 - 2	Leek - transplant container grown seedlings to final position
Week 2	Beetroot - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors
Week 2 Week 2	Leek - thin seedlings from seeds sown outdoors Lettuce - sow fortnightly
Week 2	Potatoes - nitrogen feed fortnightly
Week 2	Rhubarb - apply mulch
Week 2	Squash / pumpkins - harden off
Week 3	Beetroot - thin out seedlings
Week 3	Brussels Sprouts - transplant
Week 3	Cauliflower (autumn) - sow seed in pots
Week 3	Cabbage (summer) - plant indoor sown plants outdoors
Week 3	Cucumber (ridge) - Harden off indoor grown plants
Week 3	Runner Beans - harden off seedlings
Week 3 Week 3	Spring Onions - sow fortnightly - Shimonita Gherkins - Sow In greenhouse Swede - sow seed outdoors
Week 3	Sweetcorn - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors
Week 4 Week 4	Leek - buy seedlings and plant outside Lettuce - sow fortnightly
Week 4	Onions - water in dry conditions
Week 4	Parsnip - thin seedlings to 15cm / 6in apart
Week 4	Radish - begin to harvest
Week 4	Runner Beans - sow seed outside
Week 4	Runner Beans - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors
Week 4	Squash / pumpkins - plant out
Week 4	Tomatoes - plant out