Spuds and Pots

Now I bet you're thinking aren't those the same thing, he's got it wrong!! Fear not readers, the pots I'm referring to are the plastic kind, not the sprouting kind.

This years spuds will be Rocket for earlies and King Edward for mains. Last year I planted Foremost early and Harlequin salad, and didn't have room for mains, which wasn't ideal for later in the season. In fairness Heather did warn me. So this year hopefully I've got it right with 2,5kg of each and there won't be too much overlap. That said I've only recently finished the Harlequins.

Usually I'd buy the seed spuds from one of the usual online retailers, but because of the weight the delivery charges seem a bit steep, so this year it was the local B&Q. There were quite a few varieties on offer at a good price (2 bags for £6). I visited Homebase the other weekend and they seem to offer even more varieties, including some less mainstream. I was tempted but really don't have the room.

These will be chitting under the bed where they get a bit of light, not too much heat and are easy to check on.

The pots part is a self treat, a 2 tier greenhouse just the right size for these pots trays. Last year the kitchen window sill got a bit overloaded so this should help. It can stand inside the patio door then go outside when it warms up. As its a low height hopefully the wind won't batter it, but B&Q do do replacement covers. 80 pots should be a good start.

The Seeds Arrive - So how much did you spend?

I got home to find two well stuffed Jiffy bags on the mat on Tuesday, the unmistakable arrival of the seed order. Somehow it always gives me the urge to start planting but a quick look at the weather and the fact we haven't yet bought a bag of potting compost soon puts  stop to that idea, as the accompanying "Success with Seeds" booklet says, don't be in too much of a hurry to get things started, wait for the weather.

If you add this little lot to the leftovers from last year, (see 4th Jan), and the 2 bags of seed potatoes in the garage and it could be a busy year.

This years seed bill was a higher one, mostly because we dumped a lot of old seed and decided to try some new varieties, a total of £57. Heather is thinking of cataloguing our produce this year to see how much we make back. The asparagus certainly pays for itself lets see what else does.

So how much did you spend and have you added up how much your crops are worth?

The Good Life

There are 2 reasons I got into veg growing, firstly when I was a kid half our back garden was my dads veg plot and I watched as he managed to grow huge amounts of veggies, and secondly I used to love watching 'The Good Life', for the gardening and the comedy.

Heather had heard of the program (she's from the US remember) but had never seen it which prompted me to try and find it for her. A quick Google later and success, the whole lot on 5 DVD's for the princely sum of £11.99!!!

It's still as good as ever, perhaps I even appreciate the comedy more now, there are some great one liners in there.

Any else a fan?

The Current State of Play

The best way to describe the plot at the moment is ‘ cold, soggy, boggy and foggy’. As the pictures show it all looks a bit sad down there at the moment.

 

That said, the site of the autumn planted crops slowly doing their thing while covered in frost does remind you that things are still moving along. The warm autumn here gave them a good start and the broads in particular look like they stand a good chance of a decent crop next year. Hopefully the garlic will produce a decent sized bulb too. We do get a bit of a ground frost as we are in a dip near a river.

     

There’s not a lot we can do at the moment but we pop down with compost, check the crops/covers/shed and pick a few bits and pieces. This was the first winter veggie haul. Some of the leeks are still a bit small, as are the sprouts, I’m putting that down to the hot/dry summer last year. The parsnips have done quite well when you consider these weren't planted until May, the first sowing having been washed away in heavy rains. 

We spent a long time getting the plot ready for winter, my poor old car hauled lots of boxes of manure from the local stables (much to the delight of the local valeting centre) which was tillered in before covering up for weed control over winter

Roll on the covers coming off in the spring!!

Those Crafty Seed Companies

I was working at home between Christmas and new year when with an almighty crash something large came through the letterbox. I wasn't expecting anything and to my surprise I found not one, but two seed catalogues on the doormat. Heather got an excited email!

The competitors for the seed fund

 How do they know that I was just thinking we must do next years seed order, did they communicate to have the catalogues arrive together in such a timely fashion or did they just draw in some kind of race for our cash. To be honest I didn't care, it prompted me to dig out the seed tin, open up  a new spreadsheet, I know it's sad but I'm a techy, and start the annual seed order.

The contents of one seed tin. There is another just like it

I'm sure we aren't the only ones here who get all excited and start marking off everything in the book like a small kid with the Argos catalogue at Christmas, or that we are the only ones who suddenly realise that we may have gone a bit over the top, especially given the stock seeds from the previous year and the fact we are not trying to replant a rain forest here.

There are a few changes for this year based on last years successes and failures, likes and dislikes, we settled on purple dwarf beans, different cucumbers with a better skin, French beans that you can use as haricots, and by the way of new varieties cape gooseberry, celery, chocolate cherry toms and fennel. Really this year is just a tweaking of last years varieties. With practise and experience we'd like to go a little off piste with some crops, heritage varieties etc.

One tip is compare the catalogues carefully, look at the price and number of seeds you get, from each supplier. I found that this way you can make some good savings and get more seed. Don't forget the pesky delivery charges though.

Roll on planting season!

Guardian Gardening

Happy New Year!!

While doing a bit of general gardening reading I came across a whole section on the Guardian website. Googles fault, I don't normally read it.

There are some really nice pics and articles in there, but also some worrying ones regarding changes to the rules that allow councils to apply for permission to build on our plots.

Maybe its only the larger city sites that would be in danger but the stats on the number of approvals from government to do this are not encouraging.

Worth a read!    Click >>  Guardian Allotments Article

Courgette Madness and Other Squashes

Alan Titchmarsh reckons that the average family of four needs two courgette plants to keep them in courgettes for the season........ so why then did we plant seven!!.

Don't get me wrong I like a courgette, I think they are a tasty and flexible veg and we use a lot of them, but the spreadsheet Heather kept (Yes I know!) shows we nearly hit the 100 fruits mark.

It comes to the point where you can't give them away, friends and family hide when they see you approaching with one and the only solution seems to be to pick them while they are still small enough to shove through a letterbox. Eventually your fridge looks like this!

The number of fruits one plant can produce never ceases to amaze me and we had a good year as you can see.

 

 

Add to this the range of other squashes such as pumpkin, marrow, spaghetti squash and the ornamental gourd and you start to see the scale of the problem we are dealing with here.

We will cover the spaghetti squash separately at a later date as they are an interesting one, by what about those gourds.

You can't eat them, so why grow them. It's an American thing, Heather is from the US of A and insisted on them, here what we ended up with.

We gave them away to  local schools and churches for harvest festival and used them to decorate the front garden for Halloween. They actually went down rather well, but maybe not so many next year.

The pumpkins were shop bought as we only grew small more edible ones, but I kept some seeds to grow my own next year.

Calling Fellow Veggie Bloggers

My list of other peoples blogs to link too not surprisingly got a little out of date in the 9 years this wasn't updated. If you are a blogger with a similar site, or a keen veggie cook then please send me a  link so I can link to you and feel free to point your readers here.

Thank you

We Are Back In The Farming Business!!

After a break of 9 years Dickys Farm, now known as Dicky and Heathers Farm, (there is a fellow keen gardener with me), is back in production.

In fairness it never stopped, following a few life changes I handed it over to my dad to run and never blogged it. Now with it all getting a bit a bit much for him, and with a very knowledgeable partner in crime it's time to pick it up again.

We started last year but never blogged it (the power of Facebook prevailed), but I've decided to start posting again.

When we started again we were a little on the back foot as my dad hadn't been able to clear up as much as he would have liked the previous year, the dangers of getting old he tells us. We had a lot of digging, weeding, clearing and sorting to do although the soil was in  great condition thanks to his hard work.

Here is what we started with, generally it just needed clearing, weeding and digging over.

A very over grown strawberry bed during its clearance. Heather dug to China after that bind weed. We took runners and will start again with them next year.

The Rhubarb and Raspberry's got a  bit "grassy" over the winter and still need a bit of work. Less canes and a herb garden is planned.

By shoving the Mrs up on the shed roof you can get some aerial shots. Things are just getting going here, lots of bare earth still to be seen.

Aerial 2  - Early days for the beans, wind nearly got them but they hung on bravely.

When your back aches from digging, even if you cheat and use machinery, there are some things that make it worth it. Here's couple of shots of our hauls. Hoping for even better next year!

Once I've sorted the rest of the pics from last year I'll post some more along with the current state of play.

At Last It's Raining :-)

It was the few showers and the promise of more, along with some reasonable temperatures that made me decide it was time to plant out the sweetcorn, that and the fact they were trying to escape from the bottom of the peat pots!!!! The beans are getting the same way so the last of the leeks and parsnips will come up this weekend to make room for the canes and planting out. It's a little early for my liking but I can always get the fleece out. One plot holder has risked putting out tomatoes plants already.

Elsewhere thinks are cracking on, all the spuds are up, the cauliflowers are holding their own, lettuces look good, the flea beetle have had the Pak Choi and there is even evidence of some carrots coming through.

Not a lot harvesting right now, parsnips, radishes and leeks are about it. Hopefully the lettuce will be coming through soon.

The Radishes and The Flea Beetle Bitten Pak Choi

The Cauliflowers and The Lettuces

First Crops of 2007 !!!!!

The title sounds a bit dramatic for a few radishes but they are the first thing to come off the plot that was sown this year, very nice they are too.

Elsewhere, the PSB has finished now, the little warm spell made it flower nicely, the lettuces are coming on, the main spuds are in and the beans and tomatoes are just emerging in their pots, one cauliflower didn't make it.

Only really the squashes and main carrots to plant now and then keep the replanting of others going.

It's taking Shape - But Am I Behind

Things are starting to move on the plot now, thanks to the warmer weather. As you can see it looks like a tent village at the moment, with early lettuces and the like hiding under cloches. Our plot is near a river and the temprature there is always a couple of degrees lower than at home.



The PSB is producing loads and already more than paid for the time investment, first time I've had it, very impressed, will be doing a summer variety this year. Don't think it will last much longer though.



My first lettuces are sheltering under the cloches tunnel and are growing nicely, these are Sangria, Little Gem and Counter, already planted more to follow them up.



The Candid Charm Cauli's have suffered some transplant shock, could be the cold, could be I didn't water them in very well, could be the shock of going into limed soil ???? I think they will be OK but will plant some spares in case.



Two rows of radishes (French Breakfast 3) and one of Spring Onions (Ramrod) are in the cold frame and doing OK, might have to fill in some gaps in the onions though.




And finally this contraption is sheltering my carrot, parsnip and beetroot seeds in case it rains and causes the clay to cap over too much, they were planted in well watered trenches and covered with well raked, dry soil so fingers crossed. The ends are covered now so might alos help with carrot fly. The rest of the bed will be spuds, 4 rows of earlies are in, the mains will follow this weekend.



And finally here are all the plants growing on the bench at home. there are more indoors that I planted this weekend that will go in here once they germinate.

It's Getting Warmer !!!

It’s that time of year again, slightly lighter evenings so you can visit the plot without breaking your neck and ankle and a hint of warmer weather that makes you reach for the seeds and compost J

I’ve already been to the garden centres, over bought everything I think I’ll need and started planting, I just wish the rain would give it a rest now and let me get on with some digging!!!!. I’ve made a start and re-cut the edges of 3 of the beds and trimmed all the grass, I’ve got one to go but its way too wet, the soil has the sort of consistency that would make a good mud wrestling ring!!!!

Still growing from last year are leeks, parsnips and suedes, all very nice, once again though my broccoli has been the victim of a bit of bad luck (and a savage high level attack!!!), I thought I was doing well, not a single sign of pigeon problems was I having, until it snowed and the buggers stripped all the purple sprouting!!!!!. Luckily it has recovered and was worth the wait, it's now producing a good few meals a week, will be netting it next year.

Here's some pics of my planting this year




Cauliflower seedlings

I have planted some onions from seed (Bedford Champion), (I wouldn’t be growing many this year), leeks (Musselburgh), cauliflower (Candid Charm), Spinach (Tornado F1) and lettuces (Sangria, Little Gem and Counter), Cabbage (tundra F1, Walking stick) all in cells ready for planting out in situ under cloches. I've dragged the cold frame to the plot and planted radishes and spring onions direct. Sweet corn,, chillies, peppers and auberines are warming nicely in the airing cupboard.


Happy Gardening for 2007!!!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Apart from regular visits to top up the compost bin there isn't a lot doing on the plot at the moment, the ground to wet and heavy and it sticks to your boots like a bugger.

As you can see below my last post on the parsnip potential proved right and we got a couple of lovely specimens for the xmas dinner table, lovelty and sweet after the frosts. The leeks were good and strong and I'll be trying a new creamed leeks recipe this weekend and some mashed swede I think.



The sprouting brocoli is doing well, a bit pushed over by the wind but none the worse off for it.I never got round to taking the cold frame down so no winter lettuce's for me.

The seed order for next year is already here and I'm eager to get planting, seed spuds this year I'll buy local.

Roll on the warmer weather!!!!!!!

All Sad

I'm now in the process of covering the lottie for the winter, there are still a few things growing, leeks, parsnips, swede, lettuce, purple sprouting brocolli and carrots.

I haven't pulled a parsnip yet but I had a dig around with my fingers and they feel like they have grown nice and broad. Think I'll wait for the first frost before I try them. Will leave the leeks a bit longer yet as well.

Cheeky buggers at the council sent me a letter saying I wasn't keeping it up and did I still want it. I hope for their sake they are confusing my plot with the unkept one next door and not including the unkept path of theirs which i'm not allowed to touch. Words will be had.

One the plus side I get to have a big fire,all blokes like poking a fire with a stick and I get to carve my pumpkins for halloween.

Soon it will be all plasticed over again waiting for next year, now wheres that seed book !!

That Seemed Like A Very Short Season

I was thinking when I visited the plot last week after being away for a week and all the squashes were finished, the tomatoes looking sad and beans lacking flowers that it had been a short season. Then I realised that I haven't bought any veg or salads from the supermarket for months and that really, I hadn't done bad.

I've collected my squashes, strung my onions (as you can see) and have a sack of spuds in the garge for the winter (hope it's not too warm in there). There is a pile of plant debris to burn and a lot of bare spaces on the plot. Now the digging manuring and reclaiming of edges can begin before covering up for the winter.

All thats left is the winter stuff, leeks, parsnips, carrots, PSB and swedes, I got to get my over wintering lettuces down there soon.

Like many I'm already planning for next year, what will go where, what new stuff do I want, what won't I bother with and eagerly awaiting the seed books.

It's been a fuuny year with the weather and hopefully next year will be better, my brocolli has come to nothing so far and pak choi was a no-no, next year I'm growing them under fleece from day 1.

Where Did The Sun Go?

Well that's the end of summer then......

At least with the return of cooler weather the lettuces, radishes and cucumbers are surviving better and worth planting again.

With the rain everything is looking pretty healty, the runner beans are getting a second flush of youth, lb's and lb's of them so far, and as a bonus, I no longer have to lug 30 gallons of water around nearly every night.

My pumpkins seems nearly ready, the big one is actually the same variety as the other, but it grew wide and they grew tall, very strange.





I thought the butternut squash were doing nothing, that I had planted them too close to everything else, but now there are squashes appearing all over the shop, mostly nowhere near the mother plant



I have an epidemic of flea beetle, they attacks the radishes, then the brocolli and I had to give up on Pak Choi completely. Once I uncovered the swede they have made a start on those too.

I have covered any heads of brocolli with fleece now to try and protect them, as you can see they wreck the heads, but at least there is is no club root.

Let The Courgette Battle Begin

No Picutures again, not very good at this am I.

The current picking list is:

Lettuce: Sangria, Little Gem, Red/Green Salad Bowl
Radishes: French Breakfast 3
Spring Onions: Ramrod, Ishikura
Spinach: Pass, it's green, it's taking over the world
Potatoes: Foremost
Courgette: O'Reila, Nice De Round (loads of them)
Beetroot: Detroit 2
Runner Beans: Best Of All
Carrots: Early Nantes
Tomatoes: Gardeners Delight, Gartenpearle and Golden Sunrise
Onions: Sturgeon, Red Baron
Garlic
Cucumber: Marketmore

Peppers and Chillies are doing nicely, the pumpkins are even starting to go orange as well as growing nicely, sweetcorn is nearly there and some of brocolli has started to form heads.

But the heat isn't all good, I've given up planting any more radishes in the open, they go woody before they get big enough in this heat or the tops get burnt off them, I've got some under fleece with swedes and they seems to be coping now. Pretty much all the salad bowl lettuce has bolted, but others are coming along to replace them.

It's still good to be able to pick a decent size bag of produce a day, I'm paying my dad with it for services rendered on DIY on my house and just about managing to get rid of all the courgettes.

I have some blank spots now as spuds and onions are coming up so I'm looking for replacements already.

More On The Harvesting List

Things are going mad, bit of rain would be nice, but the currently picking list has grown :o)

Currently Picking:

Lettuce: Sangria, Little Gem, Red/Green Salad Bowl
Radishes: French Breakfast 3
Spring Onions: Ramrod, Ishikura
Spinach: Pass, it's green, it's taking over the world
Potatoes: Foremost
Courgette: O'Reila, Nice De Round
Beetroot: Detroit 2
Runner Beans: Best Of All
Carrots: Early Nantes
Tomatoes: gardeners Delight, Gartenpearle.

Cucumbers are going to start this week I think, brocolli is starting to form heads as well.

I have to rig up some shade in all this sun, I have used the space vacated by the first row of early spuds for more beetroot and swedes, but as soon as they come up the sun burns them and kills them. Same with lettuces planted out, running out now as they seem to grow at very different rates per batch, never quite getting the hang of them.

Any way heres a couple of update pics



I'm growing these for a halloween party this year, 6 on 3 plants to get them nice and big.



The onions are harvested, seems very early but they had folded over etc. Only a few had rot in the end and gave them away straight away.



The first carrots, just started to show signs of forking as they reach the bottom of the sand/peat holes I dug out.



growing nicely under the netting, Marigolds seem to help with the white fly, will be growing more next year.



The runners, sweetcorn and squashes, a busy bed this one.