Anyone with an allotment?

I’ve been thinking about water for the tunnel, the one we’ve gone with has a gutter fitted down one side was considering a small water butt and use the unused drip feed system we inherited from the last plot holder.

Lifted most of my remaining beetroot today, lots of tiddlers but should pickle ok I hope.

Turnips too, only these grew out of a large patch.

Planted Garlic, Onion Sets, Broad Beans, Peas & Winter Cabbage. Finished in the dark.

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Lovely. Put some onion sets and garlic in a couple of weeks back. I have some broad beans to sow in November, any tips? I’ve not done it before.

I have some broad beans to sow in November, any tips? I’ve not done it before.

Stick them in a couple of inches deep and 6 inches apart. I grew Aquadulce last year and they needed very little care.

I watched this video last night, going to try get my planting as good as this in future.

https://youtu.be/c70QKyprTfA

Can winter peas go straight in the ground now or should I start them off indoors using the loo roll tube technique?

Mine said sow direct but be prepared to use cloches if it looks a grim winter. I think loo roll ones would be started Feb time iirc.

I really want to grow peas this year.

So straight in the ground

Interesting. Don’t have any cloches but presume they’d be loving it in the poly tunnel? Once I finally build the damn thing....

If you get some bamboo chop into about 30cm lengths

Then get the blue water pipe from screwfix cut into 60-90cm lengths and then get lengths of plastic you’ve nearly got a cloche

Some of my potatoes are ruined

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Any idea how to avoid this in the future. They were planted about 6” down

When did you lift them?

I’m going brave the weather tomorrow and try and get the tunnel up.
Wish me luck

Do you know what it is? Working out what caused it will help in working out how to stop it.

Slugs

I’ve been thinking about getting to nematodes for a while and this will give me the push to do it.

I’ve also read that there are certain species that are resistant. How is a potato resistant to a slug

How is a potato resistant to a slug

Hiding in a crisp bag?

How is a potato resistant to a slug

I think you can breed resistance to most pests. If you keep the spuds you are going to leave longest in pots you can do more to stop slugs getting to them. My main crop were looking a little munched in august so we’re all out by the end of aug.

Plant crisps Ftw

Another way to prevent slug damage to seed potatoes is to choose slug resistant varieties such as:

Arran Pilot
Desiree
Sarpo Mira
Lady Rosetta
Golden Wonder
Romano
Pentland
Charlotte
Kestrel
Estima
Growing early potatoes is also a good way to prevent slug damage as these are harvested before the august onslaught

Nice clear windy day of shovelling shit and digging in bed no.4 today. Still haven’t settled on where to site the poly tunnel yet and still more scalping to go. But was chuffed to get a 10x10ft area scalped and covered with turd over the weekend(now covered with our inherited trampoline).

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The gardenclaw ™ which we found in the communal hut really is fantastic. I remember the ads always being on during cartoons as a nipper.

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Lockdown 2.0 Furlough day 1. I've made a corner table/shelf thingy from old Pallet wood for my shelter.

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fucking about with pallets is an absolute prime allotment autumn pursuit. I made a staging/table today.

Seems with a bit of feeding and hammering the ground around the base to firm it up, my sprouts have largely recovered. Snails and slugs seem to be enjoying them a bit, too.

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