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Allotment Diary April 2009

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Tuesday 28th April
Mum planted sweetcorn in pots and some pansy seeds in a tray.

Sunday 26th April
We all spent time preparing the ground and then planted 1 row of autumn king carrot and around 400 silver skin onions. We harvested some more leeks and rhubarb and put any waste into the compost.

Saturday 25th April
We planted in pots in the greenhouse:
Sweetcorn Kelvedon Glory whole packet
Courgette Green Bush x3
Courgette Black Beauty x2
Courgette Grusette de Provence x2
Cucumber x5 (not all came well last year)
Purple Sprouting Broccoli x5

Thursday 23rd April
Mum and dad lifted the last of the parsnips and salad and composted anything that was not worth eating. Dad touched a light to the weed pile and it smouldered for quite a while and they both weeded some more.

Sunday 19th April
We went down and planted the remaining potatoes. In all there was 5½ rows Desiree, Romano, Pentland Squire, Markies and Sarpo Mira.

potatoe planting arrangement
Growing in greenhouse seeds and salad Tomatoes in greenhouse Tomatoes in greenhouse Chickens in run Potatoes planted at allotment Onions growing well and raspberries in leaf Purple sprouting broccoli growing Fruit bushes in full leaf Rhubarb in leaf and seeding Strawberry bed and bottom bed ready for carrots and parsnips

Saturday 18th April
I planted some herbs in the garden the same varieties as I put in at the allotment last year. They should be easier to use in the kitchen when you want to as they are close by.

chickens with chris (me) chickens with chris (me)

Thursday 16th April

chickens with dad chickens with dad chickens with dad chickens with dad

Wednesday 15th April

Warrens perching Warrens perching Warrens perching Chickens in run and perching Warrens perching on dad Warrens perching on dad Warrens perching on dad Warrens perching on dad

Tuesday 14th April

Posts for peas and beans painted and chickens with divider chickens with divider

Monday 13th April
We planted the rest of the second earlies (Nadine), put a rhubarb plant which was too old on the fire pile, planted a row of parsnips using last years seed (we will have to see how well they germinate later). Put 3 new rhubarb plants at the allotment ready for planting out and did some hoeing and weeding.
Moved larger tomatoes out to the greenhouse which will need potting on this week.
Today the new hens were getting more adventurous and the older girls are getting a little more used to them. Still some quite vigorous pecking and the odd feather flying but they have been doing a better job of sneaking out for a quick snack or drink.

Sunday 12th April
Stayed home to watch for the new hens settling in. They were not really venturing out so twice during the day we ensured they got food and water by enclosing the older girls in the shed.

Chickens in run enjoying sun

Saturday 11th April
I planted some seeds in the greenhouse... leeks in a trough for the root depth, cabbage January King and Primo II, Cauliflower All The Year Round and Andesm, Brussel Sprout Trafalgar F1 Hybrid, Calabrese F1 Hydra, Celeriac Monarch and some sunflower taiyo and a few more Rhubary Victoria.
Decided to neck the largest, noisiest and most aggressive hen who jumps up at you violently quite often. She made a better meal than yesterdays as we slow cooked her for a few hours. We then went and got 3 new chickens from Storrs poultry in penistone (north of Sheffield). They are Warren at point of lay which are often used in the battery industry but have been raised in a large shed and are very placid and come following you around.

Chickens in run Warrens in run Tiny perching on dad

Friday 10th April
Today the sussex which had been in isolation got injured again and the bleeding from her vent was so bad I had to put her down. Luckily necking her wasn't too bad in the end as it was better than having her suffering. She was a little tough and should have been cooked a little longer!

Tuesday 7th April
Mum and dad went down for a couple of hours and started preparing for parsnip planting.

Monday 6th April
Mum weeded between wallflowers on top plot road edge and planted some new wallflowers where some of the old ones had been pulled out. Dad weeded and used some weed killer. We all went down in the evening and burnt the cuttings from the corner where the raspberries were.

Sunday 5th April
We all went down and I weeded in between and around raspberries and helped dad chop down grass, weeds and raspberries on the back corner of top plot. Dad took nails out of timber he got on Thursday. Mum weeded strawberry bed and adjacent to it.

Middle plot starting to grow Brassicas growing Wall flowers getting going Strawberries growing Rhubarb in full flow and currants greening up. Blossom on tree Blossom on pear tree

Thursday 2nd April
Mum and dad weeded on top plot and dug up some spent cabbages and the kale. Harvested leeks, parsnip, cabbage and the last of kale.They got some timber from another plot holder.