Topic: How has my allotment faired without me

[Digeroo]

Just back from two weeks away and just been to have a look what has survived.

Good Lost only 3 of 15 courgettes so much better than last years complete wipe out.  Though did remember the slug pellets this year. 
Some huge blackcurrants developing.  Peas, broadies, brassicas looking good.  9 Mrs Lewis beans under 5 ltr bottles looking good.  Parsley plants ex Tesco good. Rhubarb.  Globe Artichoke huge.  New fruit trees lots of new little leaves.  Established apples covered in fruitlets:  the bees done good.  Desiree looking good.   Some rows of carrots popped up.  Later sown ones have fewer problems with weeds.  Gooseberries looking good.  Loganberry and raspberries lots of flowers.
A bit iffy:  runner beans good a few plants, purple tepee beans even under bottles not looking good.  Potatoes Annabelle and mayan Gold.  Sweetcorn
Bad.  I left a few poppies here and there, and they have formed an army and grown huge.  I thought I had got rid of most of the goose grass - wrong.  Fat hen on the march. And another green weed I do not recognise.  But they are only about 5 inches high so will act as green manure.  One plant has a flower head so I will leave it to see what it is.  Birds have been at my red currants even though they were still green, one set was netted but looks like they been in there as well.  Parsnip situation poor only the self sown ones doing well.  One blackcurrant bush covered with mildew, never seen that before and several covered in greenfly.   

So all in all things looking very promising.

[saddad]

Always a worry when you go away in the growing season...

[Redalder]

Going away next week - madly trying to absent proof everything, not helped by days of pouring rain but at least drought won't be a problem. Got melons sprouting in the greenhouse, they will just have to go out whatever and start again if disaster - or maybe in cold frame with lids off?

[saddad]

The cold frame would protect them from cold draughts... and allow water/rain to get in..

[Digeroo]

Will fleece be enough for melons now?
How big are the melon plants.  I have had my courgettes under 5 and 8 litre bottles.  I have in the past managed to source the 8 litre ones in Gran Canaria and bring them back with the bottoms cut off filled with clothes.   I have fitted 3 in a suitcase. 

[Pescador]

I'm away at the moment,  due back  Monday which will be two weeks. Had to plant out toms and peppers before I left.  Got all my fingers crossed.

[Digeroo]

Did you have them covered?

[Pescador]

Not covered. I'll find out next week.

[Digeroo]

I am the queen of the plastic bottles.  I put the plant under the ground level, earthing the plant up round the plastic bottle so only a window at the top.  Add slug pellets.  I like this way because things like the hedgehodge does not get to eat the contaminated slugs.
Even with the top off the bottle the frost does not seem to affect the plant.

[Pescador]

They've survived, just!
The toms were very lanky when I planted them and they've caught a bit of frost damage but should survive. A second sowing of them was looked after in a poly tunnel have were planted out on Tuesday.
Padron peppers took a slight hit but not too bad.
Weeds and brassicas are romping away, as are the straw/rasp/gooseberries. With the warmer weather to help ripen them I'm looking forward to a good harvest in the coming weeks.

[Pescador]

They've survived, just!
The toms were very lanky when I planted them and they've caught a bit of frost damage but should survive. A second sowing of them was looked after in a poly tunnel have were planted out on Tuesday.
Padron peppers took a slight hit but not too bad.
Weeds and brassicas are romping away, as are the straw/rasp/gooseberries. With the warmer weather to help ripen them I'm looking forward to a good harvest in the coming weeks.
(Apologies for the orientation of the photos!)

[Pescador]

Despite the frosting, I can see the first fruits forming on both Sungold and the Padron peppers.

[Pescador]

Also managed to recover a row of parsnips and beetroot from the midst of a rather dense weed bed!!

[Pescador]

Just an update, I picked 20 Padrons on 15th July and the are another couple of dozen that will be ready in 7-10 days.
The Sungold Tomato plants are massive with loads of fruit, and I should start harvesting next week.
So they survived and flourished through neglect!

[Pescador]

Just found a pic of the toms.

[Digeroo]

The courgette plants that I planted out before I went on  holiday are now huge.  One has three growing heads so produced up to three courgettes a day.  They each had a wheelbarrow of manure so they are really going for it.  It was worth getting them out early.  I did loose several, and one later failed to have a growing tip.  I think it was eaten by slugs but it has never produced another one.