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.

North Somerset Agricultural Show - 2014

The North Somerset Show 2014

It always amazes me how much this really agricultural show is supported by the close yet, essentially urban environment of the city of Bristol. Just outside Wraxall and no more than 10 minutes from the south Bristol suburb of Long Ashton it is held annually in a superbly bucolic and very beautiful site in what I believe is a dedicated showground.

This year I went with all of my family which included two little boys – the elder 17 months and the younger celebrating his first birthday. I think at times the noise and serious crowds of devotees of all things farming was a bit much. Although my elder grandson is used to a city farm close to his London home, the animals there are so much quieter. When a particularly obstreperous ram ‘baaed’ very loudly at him, he was really quite dismayed and our enthusiasm for the livestock didn’t quite persuade him to get 'up close and personal’.

We arrived fairly early as the judging starts and finishes during the first few hours and it is one of the aspects of the show we enjoy most. Among a plethora of seductive food kiosks, a particularly tasty Hog Roast tempted many of my party to indulge early. As some of us had eaten a fairly hearty breakfast before we came to the Show, the best I could manage was a bite from someone else’s portion – it was delicious and I almost wished I had arrived hungry.

Of course the animals are the best bit. Such wonderful varieties of pigs, cattle and sheep – this year I didn’t see any alpacas or llamas – a pity! I was told there was a poultry section but, yet again I didn’t get to see it although this year I did manage to see the show-jumping.

A really big hit with my grandsons was the tractors section – wow! What machines available these days! And to my grandson’s delight a stall where toy replicas of the monster machines were being sold – how could we resist?

Of course, little boys still need their afternoon sleep and after some very tasty snacking in the marquee where a wonderful selection of foods was available to buy we had to go home and as the main crowds were still queuing up to get in.

Although the weather forecast had suggested there might be some heavy showers, it stayed dry and sunny and by midday everyone was shucking off their coats.

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