Brave Decisions & water conservation

Sweetcorn interplanted with butternut squash.

As you can see I have built a "wall" around them to keep the water in the area

These are baby sweetcorn which can be planted in rows, again within a "wall" to conserve water

The canes are ready for the dwarf french beans

and the first lot of beans are put out on the plot

Inside the Greenhouse the 3 lots of 3 varieties of Tomatoes have been potted on

Back outside on the plot - a last minute "gift" of Primo Cabbages - i found a space next to the baby sweetcorn and Junior's plot for them to go in (running out of space)

My brave decision - to plant out the 3 lots of 3 varieties of Tomatoes - The yellow you can see are yellow pots that I have sunk into the ground by each plant to conserve water.

To the left of the picture are my courgettes & marrows - all under cloches and all "walled"

I spend 90% of my time at the allotment, watering my plot and little else these days as we haven't had rain for over 2 months now!

Phew!

Earthing up!

Yes I spent the morning earthing up all 8 rows of my main crop potatoes on plot 121.  As I earthed up, I also weeded as this was a big downfall for me last year - I just left all the weeds in and they pretty much took over, so by the time I came to digging up my little golden globes of loveliness, I had a war with weeds too - so this year I am NOT making that mistake!

Pictures from my Greenhouse and plot 144....

Tomatoes - 3 varieties - Money Maker, Cherry & Roma

Cucino - baby cucumbers

Sweet Peppers & Chilli's

Sweetcorn

Beetroot

Baby Sweetcorn

Leeks in individual toilet rolls (just in case you were wondering)

Courgettes

Salad leaves in an old wooden wine box

Carrots - could these be my first ever crop?

Cos Lettuce

Butternut Squash

Broad Beans (on Junior's plot)

Peas

Cos Lettuce

Parsnips

Spinach

Cauliflowers (forward) Cabbages & Pak Choi to rear

Onions (right) & Broad Beans

Peas

1st Early Potatoes

Onions & Garlic (over wintering)

Spring Onions & Broad Beans

Runner Beans

& finally Strawberries!

Another visit to the greenhouse .......

These are Baby Sweetcorns - you know the ones you find in Chinese Stir Fries?  I haven't grown them before so it will be interesting to see what happens.  Not only have they been in the greenhouse, but I was advised by the writing on the seed packet to put a cloche over them, and this is what the result is so far!

Yesterday I found one carrot seed germinating, but today there were mor than a dozen in the hessian sack that I have bought especially for the reason of growing carrots, as I have had no luck with them at all outside!

These are the Sweet Peppers & Chilli's (on the right) and the leeks in toilet rolls on the left

Here are the "normal" sweetcorn - I am not sure whether I should block plant them or put them in a row again?  I did one of each last year and under the block I put in butternut squash which worked well, so I might try that again.

Now compared to yesterday I am really impressed witht he progress of the Butternut Squash plants - amazing how much they grow in one night!

Strawberry & Seedlings!

It was such an exciting day today as I popped in to water the plants in the greenhouse, as I saw lots of germination going on!  It's all thanks to this nice warm weather we are having....

Butternut Squash

 Cucumbers

Cucino

Carrots (it's the little green thing to the left of the picture)

Marigolds

& a Strawberry!!



I had a plan!

And that plan was to find Junior a job or two to do, so that I could get stuck into thining out the parsnips, and even transplanting a few..... 

The row went a little wonky but nothing that can't be gently coaxed into place next time

I also got the row of spinach ship shape

And whilst I was doing all of this, I got Junior to water his plot and my triangle of peas + I had the brainwave of getting him to collect some woodchip from further down the site, trolly it (in the bike trolly) back to plot 144 and distribute it over the exisiting wood chip - I didn't really need any more put down, but it kept him busy and he enjoyed it so much that he asked if we can do it all over again tomorrow!!

Here he is in action!