Anyone with an allotment?

Harvested our first pot of Ratte spuds the other day. A couple of weeks before I wanted to but my lad loves me emptying the pots out. Had them roast, they were superb! Will be doing them again.

Anyone grown Oca? Got given some peaky-looking things by a school parent and might give them a try if I have space.

Also looks like I may finally get a reasonable crop from my apple tree.

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I've grown ocas in potato bags before and I'm doing it again this year. Just don't harvest them too early, they take ages.

Thanks! Bit worried it’s quite late to do them. Least I can grow a crop for next year. How many did you do per bag?

I had plug plants so just did one to a bag, they get quite bushy

Just been over to the plot, french beans, dwarf beans and some broccoli all ready. Plus we have squashes, didn't even mate these ones. All the ones I've manually done have failed so far.

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Absolutely loving this rain, 🙏🏻 to the rain gods.

Beans, spuds and corn’s a coming.

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Pulled up the elephant garlic today. Big ol units.
Lots of little tiny bulbs clustered around the roots, what’s the deal with them? Plant them straight away?

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Think they’re called corms. They definitely grow into something. Not sure if it’s a full plant or not.

Oh cool.
From a quick google it suggests they might grow(but not great germination rate) and form a single clove plant in the first year. This can be eaten or replanted to form a proper one in its second year.

Think I’ll just pop them in pots on the balcony and see what happens.

Anyone grown Oca?

I forgot I did 4 years ago - unmemorable eating but interesting lookers ...

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Ta, might give em a go.

Lifted a seriously disappointing crop of garlic, and one of my elephant garlics which probably weighed nearly as much a all the regular garlic crop put together. Few bulbs had white mould on them and had be chucked but they were all pathetically small.

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How do you know when elephant garlic is ready to harvest.

I guessed. Not far off the time I lifted it last year and the bulb is starting to open up a bit which you don’t really want so I lifted one and left the other.

Raspberries and Blackberries in. Those beds were lawns of weeds this morning.

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Lifted a seriously disappointing crop of garlic,

Could be "white rot". We have it and I have to harvest the garlic early (and small) so they don't rot. Doesn't seem to affect the leeks in our case though.

On strimmers, I gave up using one 6 years ago in favour of a grass hook/sickle and haven't looked back. I think it is almost as quick as a decent strimmer and the cut material is easier to rake up to compost. Also fits in a pannier, doesn't need petrol, and isn't noisy (something I only really noticed after having kids and taking them up to the plot only for someone to start up a petrol strimmer next door for an hour)

Tied up some of our garlic t'other night. Not neat at all but the porch where it hangs is now a vampire free zone.

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My tomatoes are looking a bit leafy. I’ve taken off the side shoots but can more of the foliage come off?

Wife takes off any leaf that might be casting a shadow on the fruit. Plants look naked!!

I’m also trying to create some order to my raspberries. Is it old canes need to go?? I’ve just let it go and it’s productive but a night mare to pick from

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Some fruit on last year's canes and some on this year's..... Wouldn't go at it unless you know which is which. There are also some rules about how many you leave and how high you cut them the last time it cropped up on Beechgrove Gardens.

Some of the canes have been there years. Either way I really need to create a path so will try and transplant the ones that are in the way elsewhere.

Chillis going well

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Anyone using hay as a mulch? Seems there's some downsides but much cheaper than alternatives like woodchip. Dug over a big bed and this rain is making me nervous about weeding.

My tomatoes are looking a bit leafy. I’ve taken off the side shoots but can more of the foliage come off?

Once the fruit start to ripen I would thin some of the leaves up to the first truss, especially as these are often beginning to yellow and flag anyway. How tall are your plants? I tend to find they can be pretty much leaf for the first two or three feet before the fruit start and then they thin out. As mentioned, towards the end of the season removing leaves to allow the toms to ripen is a good idea.