Allotments 4 All

Hi Everyone, Has the rain stopped you this weekend in or around the Garden, Greenhouse, what will you be doing, i'm making up a data base on my computer of all my seeds, IE-Plant names / Growth types / Foliage type / Planting Position, this will help me on my Learning Curve Gardening corse i'm doing aswell at night, cleaning all tray and pots for sowing, trying to work out how many bags of compost to buy (what is a good seed compost) and trying to work out how many more Veg seeds to buy for my allotment,when it stops raining i hope to go to the woods and get some stick for my runner beans and peas, must go to focus and buy a couple of fleeces and some clear plastic for wind protection, and a net to stop the butterfly getting my cabbages. When is it the best time to start sowing seeds in a cold Greenhouse February or March as i dont get a good result without some heat :( (i cant grow them all in doors - her who has to be obayed dont like it >:() said its like a garden center, Nothing wrong with having seedtrays in every window and on every table - is there HA! HA!
still catch you all later
Windy :)

The weather doesn't normally stop me, familly commitments do.  However, that said I am pleased that all of my main plot is prepared for the year ahead and plot number 2 is nearly completely dug and couch grass free!  Have washed the fleece in pillow cases in the washing maching and it has come up a treat, also have stacks of 'cleanish' pots at the ready. I buy my potting compost from the local nursery and tend to go with whatever the current good deal is.  Usually 3 bags for a tenner.
I have lots of seed now so any more that I acquire will be in the form of gifts, swapsies or specials....just too good to pass up type things.  ;D Keep thinking I will do something groovy on the 'puter, seed sowing plan, list of what I have, database of plants in the garden, but never quite get round to it.
I fill the greenhouse and the conservatory with seeds and plants, and he who is occassionally obeyed doesn't mind at all, he loves the plants and loves the harvest, whether it is flowers, fruit, veg or me smiling at my achievements.  I heat my greenhouse once the seeds go in, so anytime from the start of feb, my conservatory is heated year round in the house central heating circuit so can grow lovely tender babies in there.

Going down now to start some sweetpeas and chillis off...and maybe some leeks....and a couple of courgettes, just as an experiment......

I have been down to plot today, very cold and soil is pretty wet even here in the south. Dug up some leeks, picked some brussels.
At home have just updated allotment/growing diary on 'puter'. This has been invaluable to me. I started in Feb 2003 when I obtained my first plot. I record everything I do from planting the seeds to when I weed or pick fruit and veg. I also try and weigh what is produced and keep a record. It's not as accurate as I would like due to work/home/ child commitments but it is interesting to look back. It's especially difficult when it becomes manic in June/July/August when Iam trying to record everything but also need to water,weed, pick, freeze, and actually cook and use the the produce.

I have started to grow sweetpeas, lettuce, cabbage advantage F1 (which I will use as spring greens with those already grwing on plot), basil and celery.

EJ what a good idea to wash the fleece in a pillow case in the washing machine. Also just wanted to say I enjoyed the recipe for raspberry and lemon muffins you have put on this site. I cooked some a few days ago using frozen raspberries as have rather alot in the freezer. My son ate 2 as soon as they came out of the oven- he is not mormally much of a cake eater.

It's not so much the rain that stops me, but the cold. And I've been so tired at weekends that I haven't had the energy to do anything. I was planning on sowing my onions and turning one compost bin this weekend, but only managed a quick walk round the garden to see how everything is doing.

Today is gorgeous (actually looking out of the window from my basement office, I now see that it's now overcast) well when it was gorgeous I wanted to get out there, but of course, can't. I've got friday off, so I hope the weather's better then. Oh I miss the soil in my fingernails!

It looks gorgeous Aqui, but boy is it COLD!  bbrrrr.  Spent an hour in the greenhouse and had a quick potter around the garden, but then gathered all my seed sowing stuff up and came into the warmth of the conservatory.  Got some chilli seeds in..... ;D

Emma - chillis already! Are you being impatient? Or should I be sowing them now too?

I've just realised that I didn't quite get my earlier post right - I love it when it's cold, but clear, but when it's overcast and cold, i get all miserable!

i shall be sowing my chillis soon too. the year i sowed them late, they didn't ripen, even in a greenhouse. last year-early, and had a hot crop of orange chillis. think they need quite a long growing and ripening season.

My packs say Jan/Feb so I thought why not.  I started mine at the same time as my toms last year, which would have been January and had a massive crop of chillis.  My toms had a lovely long growing season, plenty of fruit, but took forever to ripen.

And also, I am getting sooooooooooo impatient.  Just to see that little fleck of a seedling doing it's stuff!  ;D

righto. More things for me to sow. goody!

EJ - did you feed you toms a lot? I've been reading up all winter and lots of people have said that feeding them slows the ripening process.

Not a lot Aqui, I am useless when it comes to feeding my plants, and now Ava has plumbed my greenhouse in, I use the hose for watering and forgot even more!  I think it was to much heat, I seem to recall Tim or John or maybe Hugh saying that toms will resist ripening when the temps are tooooo high.  More ventilation this year.

On Sunday weather very cold but bright so took advantage and finally got to grips with my hugh budhlia cutting it pretty well to ground level  (needed a small saw so fingers double crossed now!!) Also gave blackcurrant bushes a really good pruning cutting out all wood I thought was over 4 years old.  Yesterday very heavy rain showers and very windy so took all the branches/twigs to Council composting/recycling site.

Checked pots and borders and lots of bulbs coming thru, crocuses daffs tulips irises.

All Vanessa and Ailsa Craig tomatoes are about 1" and Sungold and Moneymaker are now showing.  Geraniums not showing yet - sowed orange/red/white.

Set two trays of Charlotte to chit - early for us but trying it that way this year.  Other varieties will follow at our usual time

New (removable) shelves erected in g'house and paraffin heaters checked ready for seedlings to go in...

Two nights washing what seems like hundreds of pots - just to be ready...

GREAT to be back in business again  ;D

Hi everybody,thanks for the replys, a couple of questions,
Lady of the land -your diary,in a gardening course that i am taking i said that i should make up a diary as well ,do you record all the problems and how you fix them,when you sow seeds, to when you pull them, the things that you built, to a weekly weather report,
EJ -Seed Compost-you dont use a John Innis number1-2-3 then,your Toms that you grow are they indoors or outdoors type,as i would like to grow outdoors type under plastic "A"frames on my allotment, my plant and veg data base has taken a lot of time but iam learning loads,
Wicker- i have a load of Daffs-Tulips & crocuses shoots coming through the ground now, my yellow winter jasmine is in flower,the buds on my Camellias has swollen well,what colour is your budhila, you'll find that your budhila and will come back with vigour,
Aquilegia- i now what you mean about dirty fingers i worked on a farm for 14years them having to stop with a back problems, an allotment and a home garden does not cut it,
Kerry, how can you like chillies (dont tell me  its  a woman thing )HA!HA! I'LL never forget when i was at college - we had a bet to see how many chillies we could eat (drunk at the time) im shore they burnt a hole in my boxers two days later (HOT-HOT-HOT)
still thanks again
windy

windgale

I generally record everything I have done ie. When I have sown seeds, how many, when they germinate, anything we have built/made for allotment - compost,raspberry support etc. When I have fed plants or added something to the soil such as growmore, lime, manure, potash etc.

I do sometimes record information about the weather but it is basic for example that it has rained alot recently or the weather has been hot for last few weeks.

Having said that, it is when I remember and there have been odd occasions I have not recorded anything for 2-3 weeks and then find I cannot remember what I have done.

I must admit to date I have not had any major problems except for onions. In 2003  I planted onions in september  and although they appeared fine when harvested they developed either neck rot I believe or if it was white rot then I may have a more serious problem I have had to buy some from the  supermarket much to my annoyance. I think living in the south and with the  hot weather the last last 2 years I have had the allotment has helped.

Can't stretch the purse stings to Mr John Innes Windy.  I know some will 'tut tut' but I am always chuffed with my results, everything thrives, some too much, and I make my own compost which I use mixed with the regular stuff to beef it up for my pots.  The only 'proper' composts I buy are for things like cacti, orchids and pond plants.

That is some very thorough record keeping Lady.  I tried last year, but soon forgot, or did a whole days sowing and didn't record anything and then of course you have no memory of what you did.  Would love to do it, and am determined to try a bit better this year....famous last words!

Hi Windy, budhlia is the most common purple (Davidii?) and is I know tough as old boots - but I have not cut it back for a couple of years and it was virtually a tree!  I do expect it to thrive but never take anything for granted!!

I always intend keeping making a scale plan and a record of veggies - varieties, when planted, how good crops were etc but never do and as for the flowers well I move things around and forget where I have put them until they come up again - luckily Mr W is organised and methodical....

Hi EJ, i can relate with your views on the compost, and i do the same, adding a load of sharp sand  to help with drainage, can you inform me the type or names of the tomatoes you grow for outdoors, as i would like to grow some on my allotment.

Hi MRS Wicker, when we moved in to our old house it had a very large old orange coloured budhlia (not sure of the latin name) on a corner wall, i pruned it down to 6"from the ground in the winter time, it grow new shoots, then i pruned on the new groth every two years, we had loads of butterfly in the summer time, nice to watch,  i should get a cutting for this house really,
thanks,
windy

The weather hasnt really stopped me as there I have had plenty to do not only in the greenhouse, but also in the garage where i store all my tools, pots and trays and is in need of a good sort out.

No what i am bothered about is the effect the rains (and wind) are having on the garden. Despite being on a hill, the soil is getting very wet and not having much chance to dry out and become workable.

I am in more danger of loosing plants to wet feet than I am to freezing this winter i think.  ::)

hi windygale, re: chillis-well i don't like them really hot-although that may seem the point of chillis. it's just the first year they tasted like small sweet peppers, and the second year they turned colour as they ripened. so you can taste they are chillis, but they don't burn your tongue off! :P

To be honest with you Windy, I grow whatever toms I am growing outside.  I don't specifically choose outside varieties.  I try to fill up the greenhouse, then a couple on our deck with is south facing, then the rest on the plot, which is also sundrenched...well the bit that isn't shaded by the trees!  ;D  I am going to make a 'lid' this year to go over my allotment toms of clear plastic, like a roof, which hopefully will up the temperature a little and help reduce the blight problems....we shall see....

Hi RF, i must say i've been sorting thinks out, washing pots and trays,and the weather has not stoped me ,my old greenhouse has stood the test of time,its made from old windows from a window firm and with 2"x2"wood, people around my house make fun if it,but i make fun of them now with the heap of broken glass and bent metal in there garden, wet ground-have you thought of putting drainage pipes around your plot,

EJ, the reason i asked was i went to focus, some of the packets of toms never said if they were greenhouse or outdoors plants, and if i used the pips from toms i buy from the shops is that ok or do they need special growing conditions (its good all this growing )ha!ha!
i'll use a plastic tent made from clear plasitc and bamboo sticks,

Kerry, i think i'll leave the chillis and stay with Onions-Leeks and shallots, they are hot enough ,
later,
windy.