Late May - developments on the allotment

Okay then, it’s been a week or more since I last Blogged. Our weather had been particularly wet – the wettest April on record, which has been followed by unrelenting sunshine with easterly winds. Not that I want to complain or anything but, a bit of nice, kind, southwesterly weather with lots of heat and sun with the odd shower, would have been good.

As always, in spite of the difficult seasonal conditions, I’ve made my share of mistakes – or maybe, more than my share. And really, it is good to see the sun - constant rain can be quite depressing.

My squashes, pumpkins, didn’t germinate in my propagator – what have I done wrong. Too hot, too cold, too moist, too dry? I don’t know. I was so desperate, I went online and bought a few, and I pleaded with my daughter who gave me a couple of her pots which had two viable seedlings in each – Baby Bear [my favourites – prolific , small fruits which are tasty and store well]. Today, I planted them out – four in a raised bed [lots of manure and watering – they are gross feeders and require lots of nutrients and water]. Perhaps I’ve put too many in this bed but I hope to direct the growing stems down the paths between the raised beds if necessary. This might not work but I will get back on this strategy later. I still have so many plants over. I find I’m approaching neighbours who, I know, will appreciate the plants, to find homes for many of my squash and pumpkin plants. And I’ve been looking around my plot for corners where they might be acceptable and grow on well.

There is an area which I had planned for a further transplanting of brassicas – that might take four or five with a couple of loads of manure.

I will harvest my early potatoes shortly – this will provide another area for, perhaps four plants. Perhaps I could find a couple of spots among my perennial/ flower/ herb area. But, you get the picture!

Magically, and there is always a magically - today one of my plot neighbours who keeps bees, invited me to join him on his checking of the hives.

There was a couple of swarm hives from recently recaptured swarms – amazing! I didn’t count the number of established colonies in hives but, this is a real bee city. And, all of these bees are pollinating our very needy plants, which would not exist without the support of our bees. I have suggested to my beekeeper friend that he might like to have a few squash/pumpkin plants when he has some ground ready. He readily agreed.

On the potato front – slugs had eaten the top growth of all of my Mayan Gold seed potatoes. I’ve never known this to happen before and have been somewhat upset that it has happened like this. I have now re-planted.

As always, the insect life will create their own habitats, left to their own devices. When I entered my poly-tunnel this morning I was instantly aware of a tomato plant looking sickly. The droopy plant and the ‘fine’ compost on the surface of the plot immediately alerted me to the presence of a red ant nest – yet again! As before, I have sprayed with Py liquid compound. As I have said in previous Blogs, this is an organically approved, contact spray but, the little bu**ers are still with me. And I am still on their case.

My broad beans should be ready for harvesting in a couple of weeks. In spite of the dry conditions they are growing on well.

Other beans are not looking so good. Eventually the young plants are appearing above ground and I am trying to give them some water occasionally, although, I know, that the ground where they are sprouting is still quite moist. Their appearance is so slow that slugs are ‘picking them off’ so I’m obliged to put out slug pellets along with my new [beer fed] slug traps. I’m still not convinced about the effectiveness of this method of slug control.

Although it is suggested that sweet-corn is planted outside in June, I decided that my earlier sowing of sweetcorn [Dobies F1 Earlibird] – already potted on twice, should be planted out. It is just beginning to root into the compost of my poly-tunnel. I had to soak the ground thoroughly before planting, in spite of having being dug a month or so ago, as it is so dry. This year I’ve planted them much closer together as I’ve had problems in the past with pollination – yes, I know they should be planted fairly close and in squares as they are wind pollinated but, I’ve still failed, in the past, to have my sweetcorn properly pollinated. This year, I’m planting the young plants 20cms [ 8in apart]. I hope this will work better than my previously generous planting space of the past.

More later!