Ramblings on the Allotment in mid may

Allotment Observations in mid-May

Well! What a wonderful growing May it has been so far. A good spell of rain to wet the ground thoroughly has been followed by an excellent spell of warm dry weather. The plants are loving it and the ground is still diggable – just! I still have a small area to dig for my leeks which are just about ready for planting out.

Of course, I am growing on heavy clay soil which goes from boot sucking mud to a brick yard within about four to five days.

Yesterday, the plot I needed to dig was just about perfect and a juvenile robin kept me company for most of the morning catching wolf spiders as I disturbed them and cutting up and gorging on the most enormous earthworms – where was this little bird putting all of this food? Perhaps its brothers and sisters were swapping places with it when I wasn’t looking. These little birds can be such good company on the allotment before they are pushed out by their parents who are already sitting on the next brood.

Today when I dug a bit more, it was becoming quite ‘clumpy’. I guess, by tomorrow, it might be too dry for digging and to plant out my leeks I will have to wait for a wet spell or water the ground – which is such hard work.

I injured my back last May [trying to dig a large area when the ground was much too dry and not giving up when the pain started – of course, now I am regretful as it has taken a year and some to be able to look after my plot -  and I am still having to accept help to get it all up together]. Interestingly, having realised I need a bit of help my plot this year is looking better than it ever has. There are still a few corners which need a bit of attention but I /we will get there.

Asparagus this year is good – [though not my best year – I think the weather in April may have affected it somewhat]. I still have more asparagus than I can eat and am giving it away to neighbours. Interestingly, this is a spectacular year for asparagus beetle. I know I go on about this beetle every year but this is the first time I have seen the beetles four to five thick on just emerging spears [ bless them, they don’t know that their eggs will be ‘toast’ within a couple of days! ]  But, do keep a look out for these super destructive bugs [ the beetles don’t do the damage but the abundance of larvae will destroy your crop for next year.]

There has been good germination on beetroot, parsnips and parsley though I don’t think the new parsley will be ready before last year’s parsley has ceased to be productive – pity.

My garlic plot is growing on strongly though has [as in previous years] been affected by leek rust. So far, this disease has not affected the plants too much and I am hoping that they will continue to grow to give me a decent crop.

My autumn sown broad beans have over wintered well this year and are looking very strong. I have already harvested a few – still a little small but oh so tender and delicious. I see already that the ants [which introduce the blackfly] are crawling all over the plants and I expect that blackfly will be the next pest to be dealt with. This is the really big advantage of autumn sown broadbeans – they miss the main attack of blackfly. Of course, that is only part of the story.

I really must continue my ongoing issue with red ants, especially in my polytunnel. I thought mint would be the answer [having tried all sorts of other eradicators – organic and not organic]. I had noticed that there were no ants in that area of my allotment where mint was in control. I planted a root of mint into a pot and put it into an area of my tunnel where I knew there was a problem – brilliant! No ants but mint starting to colonise!

I found another red ant nest in another area and of course  thought let’s do the same again – I potted up another root of mint and planted it in an area I knew had a red ant nest. A few weeks later – the ants have colonised the mint pot !

It has been suggested to me that I might try soaking essential oil of mint onto cotton wool – apparently it works well for mice. I will try it.

There has been an outstanding set on our fruit trees and bushes this year. Probably, I will have to ‘thin’out the setted fruits to allow a reasonable amount of fruit to develop though, now is probably the time to think about netting the most vulnerable harvests. Do think about the dangers of the nets you use for defenceless birds. Being trapped by a net can be a cruel way to die.

Parsley - the Work-Horse of Herbs

Growing Parsley – petroselinum crispum

I do love parsley. It seems like a miracle food although I did read years ago that the gypsies always advised that you shouldn’t eat too much parsley as it was ‘ageing’. I don’t know if this meant one’s appearance or that it had a detrimental effect on the physical body.

Another ‘Old Saying’ which I also chose to ignore was that if you successfully sowed and germinated parsley you would be pregnant within the year. This might be good news for some but, probably not for others. However, I have been sowing and germinating this plant successfully for years and I can guarantee I have not become pregnant !

However, please use this herb generously and not just as a decoration on your Hors d’oeuvre!

Sowing and Growing

Parsley is a biennial which it is grown from seed one year then will flower and run to seen in the second year. However, that doesn’t really mean you can crop it for two years. I do find that I must sow every spring and hopefully the new plants will be just about ready for harvesting when the old plants have put on their flowers and are no longer providing harvestable leaves. It is possible to prolong the production a little by removing the flower heading stems as they appear but, eventually they will win, that is their nature.

Parsley is fairly hardy and in mild winters it will continue to grow slowly which means you can continue to harvest frugally during the winter. I have found that the roots stay alive during harsh winters but the top growth dies back. They should recover in spring.

Sow from March to April or even into early May. Unless it is a very mild spring, I would avoid early March. Parsley is very slow to germinate and can take up to 4 weeks in a cold spring. It can be helpful to soak the seeds in luke-warm water overnight, before sowing, to help speed up the process but the sowing process can then be quite difficult and irritating as the seeds stick together and to your fingers ending up with the seeds sown in clumps.

Sow the seeds thinly in a drill 1cm [½ inch] deep. Cover with fine compost and water well. If you have, as I have, very heavy clay soil where it is next door to impossible to achieve a ‘fine tilth’, try creating a drill and filling with a bought in bagged compost [which usually comes with some fertiliser to help the young plants along]. Cover the seeds with a shallow layer of the same compost. Water well! The downside of the compost is that it can be very dry and is likely to dry out quickly.

Once the young plants are at the 2^nd true-leaf stage, thin them out to allow those left to develop into strong productive plants.

Don’t allow the plants to dry out, especially Hamburg parsley as the root are like to fork [fang].

Parsley can be grown in pots on the kitchen window sill and this can be useful for the winter months – try later sowings from August until February. It can also be grown in large pots or tubs on a patio or terrace where it can be picked freshly whenever needed.

Types of Parsley

·         Moss Curled – of which there are now several named varieties available in our seed houses, is probably the most common, the most readily available in shops and supermarkets [even as the young potted plants for growing on the kitchen window sill], and the most easily recognised from the garnishes used in restaurants. It is a shame as it devalues this wonderful herb except as a source of colour or decoration. It has a wonderful flavour and is absolutely superb in all dishes which require parsley and in many dishes where the herb was never considered.

·         Flat-leaved Parsley – [also called – plain leaved, French or Italian parsley]. This variety has, as the name suggests, flatter leaves and a somewhat stronger flavour. It isn’t so pretty as a garnish but, is excellent in all recipes where parsley is an essential or enjoyable ingredient.

·         Hamburg Parsley – [also called turnip-rooted parsley or parsnip-rooted parsley]. It is usually grown for its parsnip-like roots used as a vegetable and is excellent roasted. The leaves can also be eaten as with other parsleys although it is the only parsley which provides edible roots

Nutritional Value of Parsley

Parsley is low in fat and very low in cholesterol.

A rich source of anti-oxidents

Uncooked it is an excellent source of, particularly Vitamins A, C and K – vitamin C can be destroyed by cooking so the parsley is best added at the end of the cooking process. Parsley is also an excellent source of Dietary fibre, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and manganese.

Parsley is a good source of Vitamin E, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and pantothenic acid and the minerals phosphorus and zinc.

Harvesting and Storing

When harvesting parsley, always choose the greenest and freshest stems – avoid any stems which appear wilted or yellowed. The fresh parsley will easily keep well in a refrigerator for a week – wash, shake dry and put in a suitable plastic bag.

I’m not a big fan of dried parsley. Drying gives the herb a flavour which I don’t like. However, in late summer, I will chop lots of my excess parsley and put in tubs in the freezer. Much of the flavour is lost – though not all, I have to use quite a bit more for the flavour, but most of the nutrients and the colour are available when there is no fresh parsley during the winter.

Uses of Parsley

Use in soups,  sauces and stuffings.

Pasta dishes and casseroles

Omelettes, herb butters and salads

I suppose I must say that it makes a colourful and attractive garnish

May on the Allotment - what should be done

May on the Allotment – what should we do?

Although our winter was outstandingly wet during 2013 and into 2014, it has also been very mild. This has been good for some crops and of course, not so good for others. My asparagus appeared above ground in January, prompting me to ‘earth it up’ a bit in case of late very cold weather. I have now been eating asparagus and giving away bundles for the last 4 weeks. It should be good for harvesting for all of May.

My globe artichokes survived the winter well without cutting back and minimal protection from frost. They have strong heads on already while I will be able to harvest in a couple of weeks. Interestingly, one of my strongest plants, which had three robust stems has suddenly collapsed – all three stems – perhaps the continuous rain got into the root and rotted it. Perhaps the continued dry weather we have had for much of April has upset it. Of course, it was not a young plant and was probably due for replacing, anyway. I’m not desperately upset as I usually have far more than I can happily eat.

My autumn sown Broad Beans have survived the winter well and pods are well set already – no sign of black fly [as yet – this is one of the advantages of autumn sowing broad beans – they avoid the worst of the black fly infestation]. This time I sowed Aquadulce Claudia [as I usually do] but, thought I’d also try something different with Karmazyn [also suitable for autumn sowing, it has a much more compact growth and has pink seeded beans – so far the plants are sturdy and well covered with flowers. I will report back at a later date on how these beans harvest and taste]. As we had a couple of very bitter winters when my broad beans did not over-winter at all well in spite of efforts to protect them, I covered my options and bought a couple of packets of spring sowing broad beans. They can keep for next year.

For the first time for a few years, I have been able to harvest parsley all winter – only a little during the winter as the growth was very slow but my, really quite substantial row across my plot is now keeping up with my demands quite well and I am watching my new sowing very carefully to ensure the seeds germinate – it is slow to germinate. If not I will have to re-sow as it is really one herb I could not do without. I put large handfuls of this into soups, sauces, potato cakes, meat dishes, casseroles, omelettes, quiches, pasta dishes – I don’t put it on my cornflakes!

 See next blog on parsley – varieties, cultivation, nutritional value, etc

Potatoes – they make me ashamed when I think of them – I always try to have them in the ground by St Patrick’s Day, 17^th March. The seed house didn’t send them out until March and they then had to be chitted. My 1^st Earlies [Epicure, a new one for me] was planted on 27^th March and are now appearing above ground. In spite of the very wet winter and early spring, since the beginning of April there has been little rain until the last week of April, resulting in rock hard ground. While I have managed to plant most of my seed potatoes, I didn’t plant my late maincrops [Sarpo Mira] until the end of April. The ground had been too hard for ‘earthing up’ and for planting. However, like with everything else, we do what we can and will deal with the weather which comes to us. I am compelled to say, yet again – each year, whatever the weather, is good for some crops and awful for others. It is important to keep working with what we have.

Maintenance around the plot and in green house or poly-tunnel

– keep established plants healthy and pest free – protect from slugs, snails and birds, especially on newly planted brassicas – cabbages, cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli. As asparagus is now growing well, watch out for asparagus beetle and remove any beetles or larvae as soon as they are seen. Aphids, whitefly [on brassicas], caterpillars can all weaken or eat you precious young plants. Watch out, also, for ants – while they don’t, in themselves, damage the plants, they encourage aphids and will build their nests under plants undermining them.

Watch for red-spider mite on indoor plants – spray the young plants with water regularly – [red-spider mites like dry conditions]. Regular spraying with SB Plant Invigorator [it is organic] will strengthen the plants and discourage pests.

Since I erected it five years ago, I have had ongoing problems with red-ants in my polytunnel. So far, nothing has worked to eradicate them. As I try to eliminate a nest in one part of the tunnel they just move round to a different area and start again. This year, I’m trying something different. I have put a large pot of mint in an area where I know a thriving nest has over-wintered. If this works and it is necessary I will place pots of mint at intervals around the tunnel – more later!

- Keep the plot tidy - cut grass on paths regularly to prevent weeds and grass from encroaching on your plot and to reduce slugs and snails.

- Weeding – keep seed beds, particularly, free from weeds. Hoeing is useful but take care to not damage young plants [hoeing is not very effective in wet weather as the hoed weeds will often re-root].

- Earth-up potatoes as they start to appear, to protect from late frosts.

- Set up support for early sowings of peas.

- Pinch out the tender top growth of broad beans as soon as the first few rows of pods set at the bottom of the plants to deter black-fly [aphids] – particularly in spring sown beans, autumn sown beans, if they survive the winter, are less likely to be attacked.

- Protect strawberries from resting on the naked earth or mud – place straw under the plants or plant matting. Blackbirds do love the early ripening strawberries so netting might be necessary but be careful that the birds don’t get trapped under the netting.

- Remove the flower heads of rhubarb as soon as they start to appear as they will stop the production of new leaves [also some people prize the rhubarb flowers for flower arrangements – the flowers can attract aphids].

- As soon as they are big enough to handle, thin carrots and parsnips – dispose of carrot thinnings carefully to avoid attracting carrot fly.

- Keep fruit cages tidy and weeded – for particularly vulnerable bushes like redcurrants and gooseberries, ensure the cages are secure although do allow an escape hole for those intrepid birds which find a way in, in case of predators – cats and foxes will force a way in to catch trapped birds.

- Compost old plants or those which have finished producing.

Preparation and planning

- re-dig beds to create a good workable tilth - ready for planting out. As far possible, maintain the plan for good crop rotation you created over the winter – sometimes this does not work out as planned – weather, timing and condition of the soil can prevent implementation of excellent plans. Avoid planting root crops where you have added manure or lime.

When transplanting brassicas, it is a good idea to add a sprinkling of lime around each plant if you know your soil is too acid. Don’t add manure at the same time as lime but try to dig in good, well-rotted manure earlier in the season when digging the beds or in the previous autumn if possible..

For outdoor seed beds, ensure the soil has been broken down to a fine tilth. If your soil is particularly heavy or wet and is not breaking down easily - this can difficult on heavy clay soil or after a particularly wet season, it can be useful [especially with small seeds] to dig the bed over then create a shallow trench, fill with good quality compost [ bought-in is fine] and sow the seeds into this medium. Water well.

Sowing and planting

-  under cover [in green house or poly-tunnel] - winter cauliflower, celery, pumpkin and squash, runner beans. Herbs – basil.

– outdoors – [do wait a couple of weeks for the ground to be less cold] – beetroot, brassicas [broccoli/calabrese, spring, summer and winter cabbage, summer and winter cauliflower, kale, Swedes], Beans – runner and French, carrots, courgettes, outdoor cucumbers, Florence fennel, lettuce,  parsnips, potatoes [up to early May – the later the crop, the greater the risk of blight] 2^nd early and maincrop peas, pumpkins and squashes, radish, rocket, spinach and Swiss chard, spring onions, sweetcorn, turnips.

You can now transplant – into a poly-tunnel or greenhouse, young plants which have been raised in a propagator or heated greenhouse/conservatory – tomatoes, chillies and peppers, aubergines, indoor cucumbers.

You can now transplant outdoors – aubergines [only in warmer, sheltered areas], broad beans, French and runner beans, Brassicas – broccoli and calabrese, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers, kale], celery, celeriac, outdoor cucumbers, leeks, peas [if raised under cover], peppers and chillies[only in warmer, sheltered areas], pumpkins and squashes, outdoor tomatoes.

In all cases, harden the plants off well before planting out and do consider the weather. The young plants should be well watered into their final growing spot and continue to water until the plants have established – if necessary.

If you are planning to set up an asparagus bed in the spring, May is the last month for buying crowns though, in warmer areas it is probably too late as established beds are well into their productive season. Of course you can also buy in the autumn which will give you time to create a suitable permanent bed.

Harvesting – May is well into the lean time of the year. With luck and good planning spring cabbages should be available. If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse or poly-tunnel, a crop of over-wintered spring cabbages should be available from late April onwards and should be available until the outdoor crop is ready

Overwintered cauliflower should start to head up now – as soon as the small heads start to show, make sure the plants are well watered.

For salads - over-wintered lettuce should also be ready for harvesting. Spring onion - White Lisbon can overwinter successfully although it will have a strong flavour. Of course, radishes sown under cover or outdoors will provide a crop very quickly. Sow successionally for a constant harvest.

Spinach and Swiss chard should provide a good harvest now – fresh young leaves are excellent in soups, salads, stir-fries, etc.

Asparagus should now be at its best and most productive – check the plants regularly for asparagus beetle.

Globe artichokes should have over-wintered well and should be producing their first heads

Early sowings of peas – if sown under a cloche should start to provide an early crop in late May.

Autumn sown broad beans will have started to develop good bean pods – these can be harvested and cooked like French beans though do leave lots for growing on.

Young turnips, sown under cover in early spring should now be available for harvesting.

Although it is past the leek season, I still have some late planted leeks which have not started to bolt [run to seed!]. As with parsnips, it can be useful to have an early and a late sowing to extend the harvesting potential.

Rhubarb this year is well ready for picking [don’t forget that the leaves are poisonous].