Late February on the Allotment

Late February on the Allotment

The last time I wrote a blog was a couple of weeks ago. While I have sown seeds I am still trying to hold back as our weather here turned bitterly cold with hard frosts and damaging winds. We did have a few flakes of snow which lay overnight but, disappeared the following morning. It’s a pity as, many of the plants which had survived the ‘real’ wintertime were seriously affected by this late cold-snap. As always, we will take what the weather throws at us and work with it.

I have been most dismayed to learn from our News that there has been so little winter rain [when we expected it to refill our reservoirs and rivers] that we are in a potentially drought situation for the coming spring and summer months. I suppose I should be relieved that this doesn’t affect the South West – yet! We have had a lot of rain during January. However, for the East of England and swathes of the Midlands where a large proportion of the crops which supply the shops and homes in this country are grown, this will affect the cost of products to households that are already hard-pressed financially and, to the growers who have also had damaging set-backs during the last couple of years from harsh weather. We must hope that these concerns don’t become a reality.

I have planted my first early potatoes in my poly-tunnel last week. This year I’m trying Vales Emerald from Thompson & Morgan. The Potato Council says about this potato:-

An outstanding early bulking variety with attractive appearance on the shelf and excellent flavour. With 25% higher yields than existing punnet varieties, Emerald is proving to be extremely popular with growers and retailers alike.

In previous years I have grown and enjoyed Accent as my First Early of choice but, this year I was unable to find the seed – pity! I did like them.

I have only planted half of these seeds in my tunnel. The rest will be sown outdoors from the middle of March – weather allowing! For the first time, I still have some potatoes left from last year’s cropping which will almost last until the new crops are ready. I did give a couple of bags away, perhaps I will be meaner next year. I have been quite disappointed in some of the supposed ‘maincrop’ potatoes I grew. While Sarpo Mira and Sarpo Axona have continued to live up to their reputation on all fronts, British Queen kept poorly and the last half bag of them has been dumped. This was a new one for me to try and I won’t try it again though, perhaps I lifted them too early and the problem lay with my treatment of them.

I have taken a risk with sowing a variety of seeds in my propagator during February. Of course, the issue is not that of providing enough heat to encourage the seeds to germinate but of providing enough light with adequate heat once they have germinated. There would be no problem if I had a heated greenhouse or conservatory but – I don’t. I have been very pleased this year that all of the chilli seeds I’ve sown. 100% germination - 10 out of 10 seeds sown [Joe’s Long from Dobies, my favourite variety]. You don’t get many in a packet and it is important that at least some of them germinate. Last year my first sowing gave me 0% germination and my second sowing a mere 25%. I don’t think I can blame the seeds. I think the level of heat I provided was too great so, this time I’ve set the temperature in my propagator to 50%.

Now, of course, I must find a way of providing enough light until it is mild enough to move them to my poly-tunnel.

I have, already, moved my leek seedlings [Musselburgh from Dobies] and my early lettuce seedlings [Cos – Vaila, Winter gem, from Dobies] to the tunnel. Both should be hardy though, maybe not hardy enough to be planted outside just yet. Last year my Winter Gem lettuces were outstanding and stood over a long period – I seriously recommend them. I intend to plant some out in my ploy-tunnel for early consumption and a few more outdoors next month for later. They can, of course be resown to extend the harvest time. Like all ‘Cos’ type lettuces they are a robust crunchy type of lettuce. I’m not much of a fan of the softer varieties.

The leek seedlings are in a fairly deep tray but, will probably need to be transplanted to a growing-on bed before planted out to their final bed. Last year’s disastrous germination, which resulted in me begging seedlings from neighbours and from my daughter have, in the long run, provided me with an outstanding and very excessive crop of leeks which I’m now struggling to give away. Still, winter is not over yet.

On my trip to my allotment this morning, mostly to feed the birds, I see that my white sprouted broccoli are starting to shoot at last. A few, very raggy purple sprouting are also starting to sprout but, I have not covered them and I see that the resident pigeons are enjoying the leaves – I might leave those plants for the birds.

I do see Spring on the way. My ‘no-dig’ area where I keep my spring bulbs is already showing encouraging signs of spring.

It's Early February - Time to Start Sowing Seeds

Plot early February – sowing seeds!

Well, I’ve managed to restrain myself this year from sowing too early though, in spite of the very mild spring-like weather I’ve been sorely tempted.

Just as well as early February has turned bitterly cold and wintery and, I really didn’t think it would happen! Really, I don’t think it will last too long so I’m getting on with spring!

Each year I waste about three packets of seeds by sowing on the outside edge of what is possible for the species and varieties though, that said, in co-operative years it can work. This year though, I’m being hustled by my son who took on his allotment last year and lives in the ‘cold north’ but, he is showing me how it should be done and putting me to shame. I keep saying he is too early but, his conditions are different from mine. He has better growing conditions in his house and has a glasshouse. Last year, in spite of being in the North East he had tomatoes ripe at least, a month before mine. I think he should be writing this blog!

Seed packets say we can sow parsnips from February onwards and, in the past, [mild winters], this has worked well for me. Similarly, early sowing varieties of carrots can be sown from February onwards – this has never worked for me!

This year, for both of these vegetables I will wait until March for sowing.

But, today I have got out my seed packets and sown chillis [Joe’s Long – my favourites]; leeks – Musselburgh; tomato –F1 Fantasio and Alicante seeds. I have put them in trays in my propagator which is wonderful but always gives me a problem with providing enough light as soon as the seeds have germinated.

Today, I took my germinated sweet-peas to my poly-tunnel. These should have been sown in November for best results but, this year I have sown them at home during January. They are very hardy plants and, in the past, I have sown them in pots at home in November before taking them to my cold poly-tunnel as soon as they had appeared – even last year when it was so bitterly cold. They were then planted out as soon as the ground allowed me to dig holes to plant them in and to raise the 8ft cane ‘wigwams’ for them to climb up. I’m being more cautious this year. They were okay last year and were fairly productive but, I’ve had better.

Of course broad beans should have been sown in the autumn to avoid black fly and to achieve an early crop. I chitted my seeds then planted into pots as soon as they had sprouted in the autumn which were then planted out in November. This can be a really good ploy though, last year it was not great. Of course, the winter was particularly harsh and although I did have a crop, it was disappointing. I have done much the same this year except that I have included a spring sowing to cover my options. I covered the autumn sowings with fleece to protect them from the forecasted very harsh winter which has not, so far, materialised. It then seemed that slugs were enjoying this protected environment and were happily noshing on my bean plants. So, I removed the fleece in time for the early February frosts. While this has knocked the plants back somewhat, I think they will recover. And, covering my options, today I have sown more broad beans straight into the ground. My children say they have no problems with germinating beans from direct sowing so, this year I will follow their advice!

The ground on my plot is still a bit on the wet side and is too wet for digging though, on various occasions over the winter, there have been good opportunities for digging and I now feel that I am, more-or-less, on top of the digging to go into spring.

Over the last few weeks I have been sorting out my fruit cages; tidying; removing overgrown or finished brassicas; making sure my poly-tunnel is ready for the spring [this involves scrubbing the algae growth from the inside and outside of the membrane, patching where vandals had damaged the membrane, watering the soil regularly to ensure it doesn’t dry out, fixing the door where storms have damaged it]. I think I might have to buy a new membrane for it next year as the present one is becoming quite damaged though, if I can, I will patch it to make it last another couple of years. I find this concept quite peculiar as, where I had lived before in the west of Ireland, we had expected to replace the polythene for most of our tunnels every year following severe storm damage.

Here in the gentle south west, how could I possibly complain?