Cabbage Update

Spring Hero Cabbages

My spring heroes are looking healthy. they have grown a little but I suppose they'll put on more growth when the warmer Spring weather comes. The wire is doing its job and 

keeping the pigeons off the luscious leaves. 

This You Tube video  shows what I can expect if all goes well.

And this site will give me plenty of cooking ideas: Cabbage Recipes

Mustard - Still Growing

Mustard

When I went up to the allotment I expected the mustard (green manure) to have been killed by frost and to be lying on top of the soil waiting to be dug in. As you can see from the photo it was very healthy! It's obviously frost-hardy to a certain extent. The longer it grows, the more nutrients it'll contain to add to the soil, so - long may it thrive! - until I chop it down before flowering....

Some interesting forum comments on mustard as a green manure.

Allotment Chores

Spent a short time clearing away yellowed leaves from the cauliflowers and putting them into my compost bin - where I disturbed the resident mouse!

Purple Kale

Purple...

...Curly Kale.

I took these photos of my neighbour's allotment. The row of purple kale looks beautiful, especially in contrast with the bright green weeds. It's the first time I've ever seen it and I might grow some myself next year, if there is enough space on my plot.

Here's a recipe I'll try once I've grown the kale: Baked Purple Kale Chips from a lovely foodie blog I came across tonight.

Leaf Mould

The leaf sacks that I filled in the autumn are slowly rotting down in a corner of the allotment. I look forward to spreading the resultant leaf mould onto the soil.

Better Luck Next Year

First attempt at cauliflowers.

They have no flowers - so are they 'caulis'? The green is always our favourite part anyway - so we'll enjoy them. Hope for better luck next year.

A Second Bite at the Cherry

Mini Cabbages

When I harvested this summer cabbage I left the stem in the ground and cut a cross in it. Now extra greens are growing from the stem.

Reliving 2011

Just reliving...

...a few growing moments...

...from this last year...

...and wondering what successes and failures await in 2012. I've got soya bean seeds to try and I'm hoping that this year the carrot and parsnip seeds will hold their own against the weeds in the initial stages of growth. 

Sweet potatoes will go in earlier and we'll grow more sweet corn.

The broad beans in the bottom photo grew very well but I won't be planting any this next year. Instead I hope to grow many more peas including sugar snaps.

It's great to look forward....

Winter Jasmine

Winter Jasmine

This is one of my favourite plants. It's profuse, yellow flowers are a tonic during the short, dull, grey days of winter - and when the winter sun shines they almost glow. I love their cheerful vibrancy and when they first appear I find myself welcoming them aloud! 

Luckily I know I'm not alone in speaking to plants......which reminds me, I need to get up to the allotment and have a stiff word with the cauliflowers; when I last looked they were all 'cauli' and no 'flower'.

Unknown Abundant Apple

Neighbouring Apple Tree

This apple tree leans over the fence from our neighbour's garden and is covered in fruit every year. I don't know the apple variety but this old tree produces an abundant harvest. I pick those I can reach and the blackbirds are provided for well into the winter. The windfalls are enjoyed by our dog - part of her 5 a day??

I'll have a browse through these apple variety images and see if I can identify it.

Parsley and Bay

I've cleared the salad plot in the garden and discovered a lovely new parsley plant. I've taken away the weeds so now the parsley can grow without competition.

It's not a brilliant photo, I went into the garden a minute ago and snapped the parsley in the dark! Hurray for digital and flash.


Parsley recipes


I replenished my stock of bay leaves in the kitchen from the bay tree too. I read somewhere that bay leaves are best used after they have dried for 4 days because then the oils are more concentrated and the flavour will be good. This twig will hang on the cupboard door until it's been used up, when I will cut another one.

Our garden bay tree came from a Farmer's Market where I got it at a bargain price. It had been meant to be a standard with pretty, twisted stems but it had been forgotten and, as plants will, had carried on growing. So I snapped it up, put it in the garden and I can now supply family and friends with all the bay leaves they need. It was a couple of feet tall when I bought it and is now about 10 feet tall. So nice to wander down the garden for free bay leaves!

Bay leaf recipes

Decorative Gourds

I found a use for some of the gourds we accidentally grew this summer! They brighten up my Advent wreath and everything reflects in the old mirror that was gathering dust under a cupboard..... 

Planning for Next Year

It's cold and windy and wet.... time to plan for next year from the warmth of home! 


My jobs:

• draw plot on paper and decide on crops
• check dates on existing seed packets and replace where necessary
• clean plant pots ready for sowing next year
• clear the salad plot behind the house (don't want to trek to the allotment for a few salad leaves!)
• make some fleece tunnels
• make bird scarers - try and copy my neighbour's design using large plastic drink bottle - very effective as they whirl round and make a sound.
• find an effective bird-scarer to put in my cherry tree so the pesky pigeons leave next year's cherry crop alone!

Planting Strawberries

Potted Strawberry Runners

I had planned to plant out strawberry plants on the allotment today but it was cold and damp and I wondered whether this was the best time to make a new strawberry bed. 

Perhaps it would be better in the spring when the soil is warmer? Or can strawberry plants be planted out at any time?

There is some useful information on the garden organic website.

Spring Heroes are Growing

These Spring Heroes...

...are growing well.

I'm looking forward to eating them next Spring, when they'll be much bigger! I've read some good things about this variety and its overwintering capabilities.

This Year, Next Year

Mustard - Green Manure

The mustard is looking pretty good now. According to the seed packet it will die off with the frost and form a 'beneficial, protective mulch' which I'll dig into the soil in the Spring. Next year I'm going to try red clover - I suppose you can grow green manures at any time of year if you've a patch of ground with nothing to go in it?

I bought sugar snap peas and dwarf beans today ready for next year. I'm growing the dwarf beans instead of broad beans because, even though they're home-grown, no-one in the family likes eating broad beans - but they were still fun to grow and grew well. I've got some in the freezer and I slip them into soups and risottos etc. Without their tough, outer coat they really are a marvellous bright green.

Browse seeds here.

Combating Whitefly

I'm trying to attract the whitefly away from my cauliflowers. The yellow cards seem to be helping a little but I think I should have done something sooner. Unfortunately other insects get stuck to the cards too.

Listening to 'Gardeners' Question Time' I heard Neem Oil recommended so I'm thinking of trying that next time. A fellow allotmenteer uses washing up liquid - another possibility. As for now, hopefully, a cold snap is not far away and should solve the problem.

Shallots and Onions

Shallots

The shallots are keeping well in a wire basket suspended from a beam in the garage. I'd like to grow even more next year.

Today I bought the first bag of onions since June - I've only got two home-grown onions left. It's been lovely eating ones that grew on the allotment. I lost quite a few to rot because, despite one of the driest years we've had for some time, we had rain when it was time to lift the onions!

Allotment Mushroom

Allotment find

There are some interesting mushrooms growing on my plot in this damp weather. This one had been knocked over so I brought it home to photograph. I don't know whether it has come from the soil or the manure which I spread a little while ago.

I've been trying to identify it but no luck so far. Nevertheless I thought this site was pretty good: Foraging Guide: Mushrooms

Spot the Blackbird

Somewhere...

...there's a...

...shy, young blackbird.

Easily camouflaged! 

Being immature, it has a black beak and blends in, especially with the dark lumps of manure on the asparagus bed. The bird was running about so quickly among the vegetables that I had a hard time getting pictures.

How to Water Plants

Winter Jasmine

I thought watering was a pretty straightforward activity - fill cans with water and pour around thirsty plants. Then I found a useful article: 'How to Water Plants Correctly'. 

It deals with plants in the ground and also those in pots. There are tips on how to encourage plants to develop deep roots so that they are better able to survive short periods of drought. Ideas for different methods of watering include sinking a flower pot or pipe into the soil next to plants so that water can be introduced directly into the deeper levels of soil, avoiding evaporation from the soil surface. Efficient watering of pot plants is also dealt with.

This article (left hand side of the page) together with useful videos on a selection of gardening topics can be found on the Wikaniko Allotment Garden page.

Useful information for next season's growing.

What to do about Whitefly?

Visited a garden centre today to look for a solution to the whitefly that have infested my brassicas. The unseasonal warm weather has led to hordes of these pests setting up home in my purple sprouting broccoli, my cauliflowers and my cabbages.


I looked at sprays including an organic one but did not feel comfortable about spraying my crops. I've bought some yellow sticky strips which I'll suspend just above the plants and see if that helps. The strips are really for greenhouse use but I'm going to try them anyway. The whitefly are attracted to the yellow colour - I hope it works!


Whitefly Images

Tenacious Weeds

Still Growing!

The temperatures are still very mild and battalions of Gallant Soldiers are continuing to push up through the soil! They suit their name. As soon as I hoe down one crop of these weeds another springs up to take its place. 

I'll never win the battle - just have to keep on skirmishing! 

Gallant Soldiers

"The average number of seeds per plant is 2000 but a large plant can have up to 15000...." Organic Weed Management


There were hundreds of plants on my allotment when I took it over -   :-(

Spring Hero Cabbage

Spring Hero

We put these lovely spring cabbages in today and just about had enough chicken wire (kindly donated by a friend) to keep out the pesky pigeons. This variety is called 'Spring Hero', an F1 Hybrid and I'm looking forward to seeing how they do. 

I grew 'Greyhound' for the summer, a very nice pointed cabbage but I should have begun cutting them earlier than I did, the later ones split because they were in the ground too long. The winter cabbages, 'Kilaxy', are hearting-up nicely now and taste delicious both steamed and raw in coleslaw.

Autumn Raspberries

Raspberries in November!

After working on the allotment I reward myself with a few late raspberries that are still ripening even though it's late autumn. My neighbour has already cut her canes down but as long as there's a chance of a few more berries....

This is my first experience of autumn fruiting raspberries and I'm a fan - they are so easy and, as they are growing in a clump, need little support.

This BBC Gardening guide also has a useful video on planting and growing raspberry varieties.

Cabbage Delivery

I've just taken delivery of a dozen spring cabbages - wonderful! Guess what I'll be doing this week-end. 


My kind nurseryman friend has also given me some chicken wire to build defences against the pigeons. It's going to be a busy couple of days. 


The allotments are close to arable farm land and so there is a large population of wood pigeons that feed on the crops - and, when they fancy a change, anything green that dares to pop up a young, fresh leaf.

Improving the Soil

I took a large bite out of the well-rotted...

...and spread it on this newly dug section.

Nevertheless, I think that by the time I've used all I need for the coming year's growing, there will be enough manure left for a third year too! That will work out at £11 a year which is not bad.

How to improve your soil.

Stringing Onions

My onion strings may not be very pretty but they're effective. It was fun plaiting the onions with string for storage in the garage. I haven't had to buy an onion for over three months, although a few of the stored ones have rotted on the strings. 


I should have watched Jack Hargreaves, but now I have, I'll string onions better next year.

Help for Vegetable Growers

Being new to 'real' vegetable growing, I need all the help and information I can get. Forums are useful and good places to go to for help and encouragement. I found help at Grow Your Own The Grapevine and at The Greenfingered MoneySaving Board. 


The Wikaniko Allotment Gardener newsletter is very useful and there are informative videos on the same page.

Last Corner

I'm clearing the last corner of the plot this autumn, the corner that I haven't got round to until now. It's been covered with a tarpaulin and the grass has died off, a couple more hours of digging (with my small spade) and I should be done.

There are so many stones! Think I'll build a cairn.

Couch grass too.....and bindweed......

Green Manure

Mustard

There have been a lot of 'firsts' this year and this is my first ever attempt at growing 'green manure'. We've had another dry spell and it's only just starting to get going so we'll see. I'm hoping it will suppress the weeds, especially that 'always-ready-to-pop-up-and-seed' gallant soldier. 


I chose mustard and now read that this should not be followed by brassicas 'as it could encourage build up of the disease clubroot'. Luckily, I'm pretty sure the brassicas are going elsewhere next year but in future I'll sow something else, like red clover.

Using Green Manures

Rusty Leeks

Rust!

After germinating in abundance, being potted-on and then lovingly planted on the plot my poor leeks suffered from the driest spring and summer we've had for some time. They survived with watering and finally as autumn progressed, seemed to be recovering - only to develop rust! 

Reading various forum posts there are a number of suggestions including spraying with gin...

Royal Horticultural Society

BBC Gardening

Cooking Potatoes - Quick and Easy

A favourite way with our allotment Desiree potatoes.

Prick skin and microwave until almost cooked through.

Cut in half, put onto grill pan and score the cut surfaces in a criss-cross pattern.

Smear a little butter over the scored surfaces.

Grill until golden.

Yum, Yum!!

Potato for Supper

It's so nice to go out into the garage and choose a potato for my supper from the crop harvested at the allotment. So satisfying - why did I wait so long for this experience? I should  have done it years ago!

Planning

Possible planning programme at Suttons Seeds

Rats

Rats!

The birds in our garden have been deprived of food ever since I saw a rat skipping along under the hedge this spring. The photo is from last spring and led to us paying vast sums to a pest controller. He did the job but Ratty was back this spring.

I love to feed the birds and want to help them through the winter so I've moved the feeders closer to the house - but will this bring Ratty closer? Maybe I should put them down the garden...

Allotment Planning

I've been looking at websites with reference to planning the allotment for next year. Is it worth buying a bit of software? It would certainly save several sheets of crossings out....


I might do worse than follow this plan from the 1940s Dig For Victory

Paid My Dues

Am just back from the Annual Allotment Holders' Meeting having settled my bill for the past year. The meeting was well attended, the allotments are clearly valued by their holders.

I'm Learning

Manure Heap!

The outside of my manure heap is hard and dry, I didn't get around to covering it with a tarpaulin and we've had drought for most of the year. When I dug into it on Saturday I was delighted to find that just beneath the surface all is moist and cake-like and looks even better that last year when my ton of 'well-rotted' was delivered. 

I now have a little more knowledge about where to use manure and won't be flinging it far and wide with the same gay abandon as last spring. There will be more serious planning this time with the needs of various crops taken into account along with exactly where they're going to be put. This first year has been haphazard and experimental but has produced enough successes to whet my appetite for more.

Having had time to observe the planting on neighbouring plots I can see that I've wasted good growing space. I'm trying rows this time.

Allotment Birthday 2

Allotment October 2010

Allotment October 2011

Things are looking better this year than at the same time last year. Winter cabbage, cauliflowers and purple sprouting broccoli are coming along well. The strawberries need moving and I plan to make a new bed for them. I've lost some of the leeks but am hopeful that the rest will be OK and the nasturtiums are still blooming!

It's been a year of learning, failure and success.

Failures: carrots, parsnips - seedlings overcome by weeds - couldn't even see them!

              pumpkins - not same plant as as on the packet and weather too dry for resultant         

              plants.
              globe artichoke turned out to be a cardoon


Successes: early and main crop potatoes
                summer cabbages
                beetroot
                butternut squash
                courgettes
                onions
                shallots
                patti-pan squashes
                spring onions
                peas
                broad beans 


On balance I'd say that the year was a success - and the learning goes on. It also provides me with speech material!