Allotment Diary April 2006

Sunday 30th April
Mum and dad weeded the bottom plot some more.
In the evening I prepared some of the garden plot at home for some seeds to be planted. Planted 1 row of radish - Scarlet Globe, 1 row of radish – French Breakfast and a 3.5” wide row of mixed salad lettuce leaf from Suttons. It’s meant to rain so I will let that water them in.
The pumpkin seeds are showing at last!!! I was beginning to wonder if they would come up or if the window sill was too cold. It has taken 8 days, which is about right according to the packet.

Saturday 29th April
Me, mum, dad and Sarah went to the plot in the afternoon for about 3-4 hours. Mum and dad weeded on the bottom plot while me and Sarah planted some seeds. We planted 10 Lettuce – Balmoral in pots, 10 Lettuce – All The Year Round in pots, the Sturon onions that had been started off in peat plugs, 2 half rows of Carrot – F1 Eskimo, 2 half rows of Carrot – Autumn King, 2 half rows of Carrot – Early Nantes and 2 half rows of Parsnip – Lisbonnais.

Friday 28th April
Mum and dad went in the afternoon and weeded on the bottom plot, the fire was still burning today!

Thursday 27th April
Mum and dad went in the afternoon weeded on the bottom plot and lit the fire (giant pile of weeds).

Wednesday 26th April
Mum and dad went in the afternoon and moved some of the matting from the bottom plot cover some of the weeds on the top plot. Then they started weeding where the matting had been on the bottom plot.

Tuesday 25th April
Mum and dad weeded top plot again. Raked out area for carrots and parsnips. Watered seed trays in greenhouse. Brought home bag of rubbish.

Monday 24th April
Mum and dad weeded top plot again.

Sunday 23rd April
Decided to buy some organic pelleted chicken manure because there is very little horse manure left at our allotment site. Planted 2x 30ft + rows of potatoes with mum and dad and did some more weeding and tidying around between us. About 26 Cara (main crop) and 20Wilja (second early). Cara got horse manure while Wilja got chicken pelleted manure; we will see what comes best (not a fair experiment, but it is a start).
Mum and dad planted a rhubarb plant to go with the 3 that were on various parts of the plots when we took them over. This one is Timperly Early and is on the left end of the row of rhubarb as you face the back of the plot with the shed on it. It’s an early variety and should be harvestable from April to July next year. We put manure in the bottom of the hole to give it a good start.

Saturday 22nd April
Went to plot to water seedlings and to thin out any that I had put two in by accident. Mum and dad sorted out the composting materials from home and harvested more purple sprouting Broccoli. Later on mum blanched and froze the broccoli . I planted pumpkin seeds (hundredweight) and the tomato seeds have now all germinated and got to more than 1” tall.

Wednesday 19th April
Purchased some more seed potatoes, second early Wilja and maincrop Cara. Half price at £1.74 each. Harvested some more broccoli and blanched and froze three bags. All tomato seeds have appeared now 100% germination.

Tuesday 18th April
Mum and dad finished second weeding of top plot where potatoes going. Dad barrowed up two more loads of manure. Weeded a bit more on top plot but soil was sticking to weeds. Cut off flower stalks from rhubarb. Dad lit fire again, it burned slowly. Mum popped back some onion sets that had been pulled out. Watered seeds. Took home another bucketful of rubbish.

Monday 17th April
Dad lit fire it steadily. Mum and dad weeded. Mum started second weeding for next two rows of potatoes on top plot. Dad chopped back some weeds close to flowering and weeded on bottom plot.

Sunday 16th April
I dug a 33’ trench for potatoes and shovelled manure that mum and dad had brought up the other day. I then added grass clippings on top of the manure with dad and then I put the main crop potatoes (Desiree) in 12” apart from each other. I then put in 3 short rows of onions while they had been weeding all the time I was doing these other things. The seedlings in the greenhouse are coming on well and were watered again. I then harvested purple sprouting broccoli so that we can have a go at blanching it and freezing it.
At home the tomato seedlings are coming on well. The broccoli has now been blanched and put into the freezer in 4 bags :o)

Friday 14th April
Mum and dad went down and weeded for a few hours again! Mum planted some pansy seeds in the greenhouse to see what happens.

Thursday 13th April
Mum and dad went down and weeded for a few hours.

Wednesday 12th April
Me and dad dug a trench and put the manure into it (36ft long or so!) This is the width of the top plot! We planted the early potatoes (Pentland Javelin) 1ft apart in the top of the manure and filled in the trench. We then raked the soil into a ridge over the top of the row. While we were doing this mum weeded some more on the top plot.
Went again in afternoon with mum and dad, I burned the weeds and did some light weeding in the beds that were prepared last year. Mum and dad weeded in the beds prepared from last year. To get the fire going today we used methylated spirits and some old pyjamas. Much more effective than the paper was in the high winds yesterday when the weeds wouldn’t catch!

Tuesday 11th April
Me and dad shopped around for wheelbarrows and bought one eventually on our second trip out! Took it to the plot and moved some manure up from the car park area onto the plot where potatoes will be going.

Monday 10th April
Me, mum and dad went to the allotment. I planted leek (autumn giant), Sweetcorn (miracle f1 and applause f1), courgette and purple sprouting broccoli. Mum and dad weeded lots and then I did some weeding with dad where the potatoes are going to go in.

Friday 7th April
Went to Shelley garden centre to see what was there and bought some seeds. Tomato – Gardeners delight (cherry) and Ailsa Craig, Carrot – F1 Eskimo which should over winter in the ground till March, Calabrese – F1 Hydra (Broccoli) and Leek – Autumn Giant 3 – Albana. Planted 6 of each tomato seed into 3” pots on the kitchen window sill, hopefully they will like the warmth in there!

Tuesday 4th April
Mum and dad weeded on top plot again. Took home a bucket of rubbish. Assembled poly-greenhouse racking and put it in the greenhouse, also moved wooden racking around. Filled some more pots with compost ready for seeds. Planted some bulbs found in heap on top plot in a pot in the greenhouse. Took down lawnmower, poly-tunnel, peat pots, onion sets and large black tray + two smaller green trays. David tidied raspberries on bottom plot.

Monday 3rd April
Me and dad watered seed pots in greenhouse.

Sunday 2nd April
Me, mum and dad took compost down and planted seeds in the greenhouse. 12 pots of Leek Musselburgh, 1 pot Leek Autumn Giant 3 Rami, 4 pots Cabbage Greyhound, 4 pots of Cabbage Golden Acre Primo 11, 4 pots of Cabbage Capricorn F1, 3 pots of Spinach, 10 pots of Sweetcorn Applause, 10 pots of Sweetcorn Miracle, 5 pots of Turnip Golden Ball, 5 pots of Kohl Ravi Lanro, 5 pots of Cauliflower Andes and 5 pots of Brussels Sprouts Bedford Fillbasket.