What a month. I only had a few days at the allotment but
going by the pictures (because I absolutely cannot remember) it was a very
productive few days!
I have sown more seeds (carrot, parsnip, pea, beans, turnip,
radish, spring onion), Momma P and I have mown and strimmed and strimmed and
mown, we’ve listened to and seen the blue tits nesting in the box on the side of
the shed (yay!), and I’ve pulled and weeded lots of bindweed and mares tail. As
always.
I have direct sown my peas – I’m well late – but they are protected by some chicken wire for now to stop the birds, and when they’re big and strong enough I shall remove the wire cloche and install cane tepee jobby whatsits for them to climb up.
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| P |
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| Carrot and Parsnip |
The courgettes that were looking good in the polytunnel have been slugged, so I’ve got no courgette plants this year.
I’ve harvested loads of things for drying (of course I did) and dug up more teasel and thistles to bring home to plant in the garden. I also dug up and brought the weeny blueberry bush home to put in a big pot by the front door.
These two currant bushes are cuttings from a huge plant we had at one of my work sites last year. We pruned it rather harshly and took cuttings at the same time. Bunged them in a pot and they’ve taken!
I have three almonds on the tree which I’m very happy about. It was covered in blossom so maybe next year I need to tickle with a paintbrush, but I’m pleased with three as it had none last year due to transplanting it.
I have planted out four sprouts and four purple sprouting broccoli. The sprouts should be ready to harvest for christmas and the psb should be ready in February. In it for the long haul! I did say I wanted more plants that could be left to their own devices this year.
Strawbs are looking good and growing well. I need to make a strawberry planter wall at home I think.
Cake, because cake.
David came up and helped me put in a couple of tree stakes for the pear and apple trees. Work were throwing these away so they’re super chunky, far too big for the trees, but they were free.
The brassica cage has been partially made, I need to get some enviromesh to cover it now. This blue tubing was also being thrown away from work.
I picked a load of calendula to hang to dry, I don’t know what to do with dried calendula. Any suggestions?
I planted out the artichoke and borage seedlings, though writing this, I suspect I have more to plant out.
A busy little month really!!
Aims for the allotment from the April blog:
·
Empty and tidy shed
·
Cut back bramble
·
Sow more seed – carrot (out), parsnip (out),
flowers (out), peas (out), beans (out), squash (in), sunflowers (out – am going
to direct sow and see what happens).
·
Dig out blueberry into a pot and bring it home
·
Weed smaller beds
·
Pick more chard I guess
The chard was all pulled out and added to the compost heap
as it was all starting to bolt. I did sow more seed, and next weekend I shall
sow more. None of the parsnips have germinated thus far so it might be a
parsnip free year, which is not what I wanted. I did dig out the blueb, I did
not weed the smaller beds. Swings n roundabouts.
June to do list:
·
Weed small beds (heh)
·
Sow more seed – spring onion, carrot, parsnip
probably, beans, peas, flowers
·
Cut back bramble by shed
·
I think I might pull the onions and garlic because
that’s another huge failure for this year, so I might just cut my losses and
clear the bed. I need to make this bed deeper over winter and try harder/more
techniques to rid it of mares tail, creeping buttercup, and bindweed. No dig isn’t
going well.
