Almost winter
It really is starting to feel like winter is almost here, we have had several frosts and when I get out of work it is pitch black. This means no popping to the plot after work to do a few odd jobs, so this afternoon was the first time I had visited for a few days.
However I can spend the evening planning about what I want to and ordering things that we need. After Tuesday’s trip to the allotment my right foot was soaked, my wellies are leaking, also my gardening gloves have seen better days. So I have ordered new ones
I went with pretty wellies, they are fleeced lines and very cosy so will hopefully keep my feet warm over the winter. The gloves are also supposed to stay very flexible even when wet, so will see. Being cold and wet at the allotment is miserable so hopefully these will keep me warm and dry.
I also have purchased grease bands for the fruit trees, the are supposed to stop pests climbing up the trunks of the trees and causing problems. We currently have plum, cherry and fig trees at the allotment, with an eye on getting a pear. I have a plum and apple tree in my back garden too.
Autumn is the time to plant garlic, so have ordered a strong spicy variety and have some bulbs left from last years harvest to plant. I read that saving and re-planting your own bulbs can help the garlic become accustomed to the soil that they are grown in and will grow larger and more successfully. So we will experiment and see if this is true.
One of the things I would really like to grow on Plot 82 is asparagus, as it’s so tasty to eat fresh, is quite expensive in shops and once grown the fern type leaves it produces are very beautiful. Asparagus is also a favorite of the little pickle. You can grow asparagus from seed but it’s most common to grow it from a root system, called a crown. I have ordered 5 crowns and have been looking up how to grow them. They take up to 3 years to produce a good crop but can then produce for 30 years!! So deciding where to plant and preparing the bed is extremely important. I will have further discussions with Kate about the bed position.
As I was on the garden centre website ordering things I also ordered some seeds. I have been put in charge of the cauliflowers and so have ordered the seeds that are described as easy to grow, as frankly cauliflowers are not an easy vegetable. Though Keith the Warden does seem to have some very nice ones growing on his plot. I also ordered some bright rainbow chard seeds. As chard is quite tasty but they look so pretty on the plot.
Today at the allotment I took up some breeze blocks to replace the rotting wood that borders the beds. Kate was also up and has started to dig one of the beds and assess the cherry trees. They are covered with netting which needs to go to allow us to remove the leaves collected on it, however we don’t want to cut it out as we want the netting for the next fruiting season. Pruning the tree is an option to get the netting off but it is the wrong season to prune. We will see what we think in the morning when we return. In the soil that Kate dug she found lots of bulbs, which we will replant along the edges and in a bulb area to make the plot look beautiful in spring.
Excited for tomorrow!
However I can spend the evening planning about what I want to and ordering things that we need. After Tuesday’s trip to the allotment my right foot was soaked, my wellies are leaking, also my gardening gloves have seen better days. So I have ordered new ones
I also have purchased grease bands for the fruit trees, the are supposed to stop pests climbing up the trunks of the trees and causing problems. We currently have plum, cherry and fig trees at the allotment, with an eye on getting a pear. I have a plum and apple tree in my back garden too.
Autumn is the time to plant garlic, so have ordered a strong spicy variety and have some bulbs left from last years harvest to plant. I read that saving and re-planting your own bulbs can help the garlic become accustomed to the soil that they are grown in and will grow larger and more successfully. So we will experiment and see if this is true.
One of the things I would really like to grow on Plot 82 is asparagus, as it’s so tasty to eat fresh, is quite expensive in shops and once grown the fern type leaves it produces are very beautiful. Asparagus is also a favorite of the little pickle. You can grow asparagus from seed but it’s most common to grow it from a root system, called a crown. I have ordered 5 crowns and have been looking up how to grow them. They take up to 3 years to produce a good crop but can then produce for 30 years!! So deciding where to plant and preparing the bed is extremely important. I will have further discussions with Kate about the bed position.
As I was on the garden centre website ordering things I also ordered some seeds. I have been put in charge of the cauliflowers and so have ordered the seeds that are described as easy to grow, as frankly cauliflowers are not an easy vegetable. Though Keith the Warden does seem to have some very nice ones growing on his plot. I also ordered some bright rainbow chard seeds. As chard is quite tasty but they look so pretty on the plot.
Today at the allotment I took up some breeze blocks to replace the rotting wood that borders the beds. Kate was also up and has started to dig one of the beds and assess the cherry trees. They are covered with netting which needs to go to allow us to remove the leaves collected on it, however we don’t want to cut it out as we want the netting for the next fruiting season. Pruning the tree is an option to get the netting off but it is the wrong season to prune. We will see what we think in the morning when we return. In the soil that Kate dug she found lots of bulbs, which we will replant along the edges and in a bulb area to make the plot look beautiful in spring.
Excited for tomorrow!
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