A generous gift

Welcome back to Reads Allotment Retreat. During a recent visit to the plot, one of my fellow plotholders was taking down her bean plants / canes as she tidied up for the winter. I was amazed and surprised to see the old plants going straight to the compost heap, complete with a bounty of pods still attached. I enquired as to whether i could pick some pods to dry the seeds for next year, and was greeted with the comment "do people really do that ?". Erm, well yes! The lady in question has had a bumper crop this year, and as such I expect the seed will be good too. I didn't hang around long enough to ask what variety they were, I merely collected enough for me - and maybe some to share, and was on my way.
To me, this is part of what allotmenteering is all about.

Back soon folks,

TTFN.

Midweek Harvest

Welcome back to Reads Allotment Retreat. Crikey, that was a quick week! We had a visit from "Nana Pops" from Monday - Thursday, and we had a really great time - cramming a lot in. On Wednesday we all popped up to the plot to "show off " our allotment - mum was suitably impressed whilst suitably shocked at just how much work we now have in coping with all 3 allotments. As always, she didn't leave empty handed - managing to acquire one of our small pumpkins. Pictured here is our small harvest from the day before, including a Marrow, Pumpkin, some Zucchini, Maincrop spuds and a mixture of climbing beans including Borlotti, Runners, and Purple podded French beans. We have to say; the maincrop spuds (v.Cara) tasted delish. Also this week, I managed to start digging and weeding the new beds. Next year we will grow some of our spuds - probably the First Earlies - where the Runner Beans etc are this year, thereby taking advantage of the nitrogen now in the soil. The Runner beans themselves are going great guns - a late flurry of flowers should give rich pickings in the very near future.

Next week will probably be a tad quieter and we should be able to get a bit more done on the plots. Hopefully you'll pop back soon and check for more updates.

Don't forget our new venture : Reads Recipes. Jen has been busy in the kitchen, and has added more recipes. Go on, take a look ?

I hope you're still enjoying your plots as much as we are, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Take care all,

TTFN.

I love it !

Isn't it great being able to just nip up to the plot and grab a handful of veg for dinner! It's a great feeling, it's like this massive store cupboard we can go to just when we need to ! Wifey is cooking up a treat tonight, and my tum is rumbling in anticipation! The runners are cropping very well this year, whilst the french beans seem to be struggling just a little. Next year we are planning to prepare the ground better, with the addition of plenty of horse manure, which we we are starting to stockpile at the plot.
On the way out the gate from the allotment, we couldn't resist stopping to pick these Blackberries that were growing wild in the hedgerow. Now then, are we thinking jam, or maybe a crumble? Time to lean over the fence at home and scrump some apples!

Hopefully this week, we'll be able to grab some more manure for the plot, as well as spend a bit of time watering and weeding the plot.

Hope you are all enjoying your plots, and harvesting wonderful fresh grown veg.

Take care all, we'll see you soon.

TTFN.

Rich picking's 9th July

Welcome back to our allotment retreat. Isn't July a lovely time of the year - everything is starting to look great, the hours/days/weeks of care on the plot are reaching fruition and it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. These runner beans(v.Scarlet Emperor) made a lovely accompaniment to dinner last thursday evening, and were joined by a handful of peas(v.Victorian Colossal) as well as some First early spuds(v.Maris Peer). The taste alone makes it all worthwhile, not forgetting of course the sheer joy of harvesting your own food!



The rest of the climbers are still putting on great growth, and are nearly all at the stage where the tops need to be pinched out. While Huw was here he suggested nipping the tops out much sooner, but I prefer to let them grow on till they nearly reach the top of the canes, and then trim the tops. I find you get a greater yield by letting the plants establish fully. We have quite a few varieties growing here, and each plot visit gives us more hope of big crops. There's plenty of blackfly present - a bain for all the allotment holders, but the plants are strong and coping well.

As detailed previously, our recently moved Rhubarb crown(v.Victoria) is putting on some good growth, seems like it likes it's new home! Cant wait till next year when we get to harvest from 3 different crowns! Wifey is currently planning a batch of Rhubarb & Ginger jam, if we can accumulate enough Rhubarb before we stop harvesting it the end of this month.





Here's one of our Marrow plants which is looking good. I think the variety is "GreenBush", but having lost the tag, it's hard to say for sure! The second plant that was planted on layers of compost/grass clippings is also doing well. We are hopeful of a good harvest here, as all the courgette plants at Reads Retreat have succumbed to the dreaded slugs, but there seems to be a lack of them at the lottie - we're not complaining. I have one more Courgette plant to go out, and may plant it at the plot?

The Butternut Squash(v.Waltham Cross) that are planted atop the compost bin are also starting to put on good growth. Quite pleasing really as this growing site was a bit of an experiment! Not sure if the heap is warm/damp enough for growing these - time will tell though.




That's about it for todays update, but with another plot visit planned for today, there's sure to be more pics to look at soon. We hope you'll pop back and have another look later!

Till then, take care all and enjoy your gardens and plots.

TTFN

July already, and all's going well!

Welcome back to our allotment retreat, where all is coming along lovely. Pictures for this weeks update were taken on the 28th June so are all fairly current. This beautiful Marrow flower greeted me, and doesn't it look healthy. We now have 2 of these planted up and both are looking great. The second plant was planted slightly differently, on the advice of Bill: I dug a hole about 18" deep, and filled with alternate layers of soil/garden compost/grass clippings. The idea is that the layers will heat up as they rot down, creating a hot base for the marrow to grow in. Sounds good to me !

I recently moved our Rhubarb Crown(v.Victoria) from a "Path" area to its new how in the newly created fruit bed. Although not showing in this picture, the crown has already sent up new shoots, indicating to us that it is happy in it's new site. At least now it won't get trampled underfoot so often! In all, we now have 3 good crowns on the go, 2 back at Reads Retreat, and this one at the plot. Yummy, looking forward to bountiful supplies of jams and crumbles.


We're amazed on a daily basis at the growth rate of the various climbers planted up at the plot. We were a tad worried a month ago as the growth rate was so slow. The plants we had started at home and later transplanted on the plot had all died off, leaving us the only option of planting seed straight into the ground. Our fears that have been allayed, the only problem now is remembering what we planted where! There's a mixture of Runners(v.Scarlet Emperor), Beans(v.Borlotti), French Beans(v.Blue Lake), and Climbing Purple Podded Beans. We'll have to wait and see!

Our planting's of Chard(v.Zilver) are all growing well, so well in fact that they will have to be thinned out soon. At least that will give us some young leaves for the kitchen! Elsewhere on the plot we have more greens planted in the form of Spinach & Curly Kale, and we're trying to think of what to grow next. Land is becoming free as we take harvests of new potato's, and we don't like to see ground go to waste.


Final pic for today's quick update shows the view looking back over the plot. Bottom left is our First Earlies(v.Rocket) bed, and as of yesterday, this space is now clear as we have harvested a bounty of spuds from there. See separate post for details.
All in all, it's looking lovely, though still plenty of work to do.

We hope you'll join us again soon for more news from the plot.
Till then, enjoy your gardens and plots. Take care,

TTFN.

Crikey - Where has the time gone ?

Welcome back once again to Reads Allotment Retreat. Has it really been that long since I last posted an update ? I guess it has ! Its been a busy month, and there's loads to update you all on:You probably remember that I planted out all my climbing beans / peas etc on the 30th April, trying to get an early crop! Sadly the attempt failed, due mostly to the battering winds that sweep across the site, which demolished the young seedlings. Not giving up at the first hurdle, i set about acquiring some sheets of plywood (from a skip!) which i then erected both sides of the cane rows, in an effort to limit the damage from the winds. Next , I planted the seeds straight into the ground and waited for the appearance of new seedlings. As this picture shows (taken 29/5/09) we have been somewhat successful. As always, getting to the plot to tend the young plants is always an issue, especially when trying to juggle shift work and family life, but at last we are making progress, and with a concerted effort am now finding more time to get to the plot. After all, with summer upon us, this is when we need to be there! Just this morning i got to the plot, spent ten minutes watering, and was away. A quick visit but none the less , worthwhile.
Making good use of every available spot of land, we have adapted the top of the compost bins, one of which is now home to our Squash plants. We've planted a few varieties, and as its our first attempt at growing them, would be happy if we got just one fruit for our efforts. Loads more would be good too, but like everything else, we'll have to wait and see! As usual, we've planted through holes in either black plastic sheeting or weed membrane fabric. This will help to warm the soil as well as prevent light from reaching the light hungry weeds.
A fair few of my regular readers have been asking how my spuds are getting on ? We planted our first earlies back on the 7th April, and our second earlies / maincrop went in about ten days later. The most common question was "do they grow through the holes ok ? " and the picture above shows that yes they do. Occasionally a side shoot veers off under the sheeting and has to be "Re - routed" but on the whole, they have been left to their own devices. In all, we planted approx 180 seeds, and about 160 of those are growing on strongly. I noted on my brief plot visit this morning, that both the first and second earlies are now starting to flower. A sure sign of good things to come. The other main question is "How long do they take to grow ? " . Well, how long's a piece of string ? ( Twice the distance from the middle to the end - ha ha ) . Growing time will always depend on a number of factors: Soil condition, watering, weeding, time in sun, etc etc. , so it's always hard to give an exact length of time. However, give or take a few days, the following acts as a rough guide to sowing / harvest :

• First Earlies - 70 - 80 days
• Second Earlies - 80 - 100 days
• Maincrop - 100 - 130 days.

I'll probably get lots of comments about this, but experience tells me that this is about the right time frame. Others will tell you to harvest at different times, i.e. when the flowers die off. Each to their own ? Simply the best way is to lift a plant gently and have a look!



We've successfully planted up a bed of leeks, as well as a single row of Parsnips, the latter of which should be lovely for Christmas dinner. We had hoped to get the raised beds in and constructed by now, but time and money has sped past us, and we are yet to get round to it. The Leeks will need earthing up later in the year, and we'll try to get the "construction" done at about the same time. Otherwise, we can just leave the bed to its own devices. Just the occasional weeding should suffice.
And finally ( for today anyway) here's a pic of our overwintered onions. A few of these have already graced the table at home, and there's plenty more where these came from !
Once again, I've run out of time, off now to make sandwiches and then to work.
I hope you've enjoyed this update, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon here at our allotment retreat.
Keep those comments and questions coming, and we'll get back to you soon.



Take care all, and enjoy your gardens.

TTFN

Beans & Toms

Welcome back to our Allotment Retreat, our blog diary for the new Allotment. As you are probably all aware, we erected our bean poles a couple of weeks ago, in readiness for the large quantity of climber seeds we have been growing at home. This pic shows 1 of the 2 trays we have planted in loo rolls, and kept in our unheated growing area.
There are: Runner Beans(v.Scarlet Emperor), Climbing Peas(v. Victorian Colossal) sourced from Victoriana Nurseries, French Beans (v.Blue Lake), Purple Podded Beans(v. A Cosse Violette), and Borlotto Beans (v.Firetongue). As usual, we have grown these in loo roll inners, as these make a fantastic substitute for the more expensive root trainers that are available. The added bonus is that the loo rolls can be planted straight into the ground; so the roots are left un disturbed, and the cardboard just rots down in the soil. NB Simply click on the underlined description to take you to the retailer! I must give an extra mention to Premier Seeds Direct, I have purchased a large amount of seeds from them by Mail Order (via their Ebay store) and have been very impressed with their customer service. Its got to be worth a look?

Also, when i got home from work last night, i was pleasantly surprised to find that Jen & Ruby had potted on 22 Tomatoe seedlings into 4" Pots. Especially nice to know that Ruby helped, what a darling. Pictures to follow!

That's all for now, take care and enjoy your gardens & plots.

TTFN

Seed sowing has begun....

Welcome back to Reads Allotment Retreat. As you are all aware, I was not able to get to the plot today, so decided to make a start on the seed sowing. I've held out as long as I could, not wanting to start too early as in some previous years. Also, Ruby was very keen to help. After she had covered herself in fresh compost, we managed to also fill a couple of dozen toilet roll tubes too, before planting up our first batch of Parsnip (v.Hollow Crown). Somebody asked me recently why I stick to this variety, when there are so many to choose from. Its simple, these grow great and taste delicious. The runner beans in the pic wont be planted for a good couple of weeks yet, you never know how late the frosts will be! That's about it for now. Drop back soon for more updates.

Till then, enjoy your gardens / plots.

TTFN.

It's the end of the year as we know it! 31.12.08

Welcome back to Reads Allotment Retreat, our guide to growing your own veg. As you are all aware, the current cold spell has temporarily halted progress on the plot, but that doesn't mean we have stopped shopping! Yesterday we picked up some more seeds to compliment our stock! I always save my own Runner Bean seeds, which can find their roots from my Grandads original stock , and this year is no exception. The only difference for next year is that we will be planting on a much larger scale! With that in mind, i purchased an extra pack to mix in with those that I have saved from previous crops. I chose the variety "Scarlet Emperor" as these always get good reviews from other growers. It's easy to spend a small fortune on seeds, but this pack of 40 were just a quid from Wilkinson's. That to me seems a very good price, and the quality from this High Street store is usually very good.
At the same time, i purchased a new pack of Parsnip seeds (v.Hollow Crown), as i keep reading that these seeds do not store well year to year. At 50p for 500 seeds, again it's hard to go wrong.

We are always keen to try something new, and this year we have decided to grow Climbing Peas. The variety "Victorian Colossal" were sourced/ordered from Victoriana Nurseries.
Victoriana is a place that I recently discovered in Challock, Kent, having previously scoured many of their adverts in the gardening press. Its the sort of place thats getting hard to find; A nursery where you can talk to knowledgable staff who know what they're talking about. They grow their own veg for their own use and also for seed sales. Their stock is vast and the prices seem very reasonable too. What really made a visit worthwhile for me though, is that when you walk into the place, it smells right! Know what I mean ? There's no annoying Cafe, Gift Shop etc, just veggies and trees and all the other stuff that you actually want. Pay them a visit if you can, I know you will enjoy it!

That's all for now. I'd like to thank all my readers / contributors both here and at Reads Retreat for their time this year, and wish you all a Happy & Prosperous New Year.

TTFN.