6-17 Nov 2012 - Asparagus beds

We may have left this a bit late to do - when I say late,



I mean literally..... we finished it with the help of a Zen Buddhist Monk & his head torch!  It was pitch black by the time we left, but we were determined to get it finished!

We've made these permanent beds and although we started this on 6 November, I'm writing this on 21 April (cos that's how I roll!) and I've now edged and fenced off one of the beds from longtails and rabbits.

Here's a few pics of how it went.....

Scared me silly when I found this in the rhubarb!

Not sure what beetle this is, but hope it's a good'un

 

6 March 2013, one now fenced off

22 July 2012 - how it's going so far!

Me & my turnips!

Mike & his snack

Amaranthus Calaloo

 My plan for putting toilet rolls round each seed so I'd know when an experimental seedling has come up - got a big FAIL - here's the 4 different types of seedling for amaranthus calaloo - definitely recognise 2 of them as weeds!  No idea what the plant should look like... Google images, here I come!

Leaves bed 1

Here's the first "leaves" bed - the brussel sprouts have survived their rabbit attack, nasturtiums doing fine and the toilet roll farm is growing well (whether they are seedlings or weedlings is a different matter altogether!). Got some brocolli and cauliflower come up, the leeks are doing fine between the leaves rows and the spinach is surviving at the end of the bed.

Sweetcorn

The sweetcorn has started to come up, I'm not sure if we'll get any crop but this is inspiring because I never got this far with sweetcorn at the previous allotment.  Very excited to see more coming up too!  It's not the crop, it's the growing something that counts (that's the link to when all these were planted!)

Here's the first roots bed, with the turnips that we're thinning out gradually (in the middle).

Mike's protected the Jerusalem artichokes at the end (just behind the sweetcorn, and I've protected the smaller sweetcorn and carrot seedlings.

At the front, we've protected some of the Scorzonera and right at the front is some carrot and the unknown-but-probably-beet seedlings coming up.  We've got a few beetroot coming up right by the turnips as well.

Sweetcorn, Carrots, Artichokes

Everything's a bit slower this year, probably because of the amount of rain & lack of sunshine, but here's hoping that everything works out!

Ornamental Gourds plants

Globe artichoke

Potatoes bed 1

First raspberry crop

2nd turnip crop

Slug eater bathing!

22 July 2012 - Transplanting update

Here's a little update on how those plants transplanted in January have been doing.....
If you didn't see the original posts, you can read about them here

Gooseberry, Redcurrant & Blueberry

The berry plants have done really well in their new spot, we had some redcurrants which went into the delicious summer fruits pudding that Mike made for me!

Not had many gooseberries and I think the too-much-rain we've had got to any blueberries, although I haven't actually seen any.

Asparagus

The asparagus is at the other end of the berry bed, and as you can see, it didn't show up at all, not sure whether this means we've lost them - there should be 3 or 4 rows here. 

We'll leave them in and see if there's anything going on next year, afterall, it's not the plant's fault it was moved, maybe just napped this year?

Garlic

This was the garlic that I dug up from the end of this bed - I split the cloves and planted them out, wondering if that'd work or not because they weren't in a state fit for cooking with.

Looks like we've got a lot here and I've found a recipe for a garlic pesto which I'm dying to give a go!

29 Feb 2012 - Potatoes & Fartichokes

I'm loving this mid-week day off!  I decided that instead of writing a list of things to do, then not get round to doing them all, I'd write the list as I did things and achieve 100%.  I ran out of sunlight at the allotment, but as "planting broadbeans" wasn't on the list, I didn't not do it!


So, my decision at the start of the year to do only an hour at a time at the allotment failed once again.  I did two hours and watched the sunsetting ;-)

I was also fortunate enough to find a frog in the pond - can you? 


 
Well, onto the work then..... I was so pleased with the way the day ended I have updated the front photo to today's look. 


First job was the potato bed (which is actually on the masterplan as 2 beds, but that will happen next year).  I was truly surprised to see the amount of greenery under the tarp.  They couldn't have been getting any light at all, surely?  Anyway, it was quite easy to dig them up as the soil is quite sandy. 











I've now got the front row as Vales Emerald, the second row as Kerrs Pink and then as the bed widens a bit more, I've split that in 2 squares, so the top left has got the King Edwards and left room for the Pink Fir Apples we got at the seed swap to go top right.

Then it was time to sort out the Jerusalem Artichokes, more than one person has called them Fartichokes - as we've never tried them before, I guess we'll find out!

Artichokes protected

While I was there, I snapped a few photos of how things are coming along - there are a few holes (which may be the rabbits being nosey) around a currant bush, garlic and asparagus - I'm guessing they don't like those, cos they didn't stay long.  I've protected the potatoes and artichokes straight away tho, and will give Mike the good news about his next jobs later!

Garlic shoots

transplanted rhubarb

old strawberries

new strawberries

 

currant robbers

asparagus investigations

29/30 Jan 2012 - new growth!

gooseberries, currants & blueberry

 The fruit bushes have started showing signs of new life - I was a bit worried about them being transplanted on 7 Jan, but they seem to have coped well.

My theory comes true again - if it wants to live.....it will.

 

garlic

 The garlic that I dug up after the previous guy left them in the ground has started sprouting - there is no technical reason for the netting, just to remind me that I'd planted something in that section of the bed.  Have got something coming up at the other end, which is curious because I'd dug that over and that's where the garlic came from.  Was quietly confident there was nothing down there....well you know what thought thought!

Here's how the fruit trees are doing, got a bit of blossom on, anyone know what we might get?  I just hope it isn't mango.  It's the only fruit I don't like! (but wouldn't that be funny - proof that I do live on a tropical island with sandy white beaches and palm trees!)

red and green brussel sprouts

 
The seedlings are doing well too, planted on 14 Jan - looks like I'll be able to share some sprout plants with friends if these all do well!

Below is some purple cauli, savoy cabbage, green kohl rabi, violet artichoke, nasturtium, red spring onion and cucumber

That's about it for now, thanks for reading - come back soon for a nosey because I've got 4 days to play with and will be tidying up the plot a bit every day from tomorrow.  I'll also be introducing you to a Christmas present my friend made me - you'll be jealous!

7 Jan 2012 - transplanting done

 You wouldn't believe how sunny it was today!  Made the most of it by digging up, moving and transplanting the asparagus (which my boss thought was a sentence he would never hear in his lifetime!) and the fruit bushes and rhubarbs.

First job, how to get the plants in the car................. Well, as I always say, if it doesn't fit,

force it!

At the new allotment, I introduced the plants to their "area".  At the front is the asparagus, the back is 2 rhubarb, 2 gooseberry (one green, one red), blueberry, redcurrant and boysenberry.

 

After some serious digging, which I wasn't expecting to have to do with covered beds, I had made room for the asparagus.  

Also a bit nerve-wracking, I had decided they looked a bit like either an Ood or the innards of a Dalek, then the windmill decided to do a wupping sound to the beat of four!!!  Nervous now, in the middle of nowhere, expecting the Master to turn up.  (If you don't watch Dr Who, ignore this comment, or start watching it!)  

These asparagus were 2 years old when we first planted them, so they are just about to start their 5th year.  We would possibly have been able to harvest some this year, but I'm not sure now.  I've replanted them using the same instructions as originally given, so they are now spaced out more than when they were dug up.

Asparagus transplanted

Then I got to planting the fruit bushes at the front of the asparagus.  Perhaps I should mention that the reason for lots of digging was because for some bizarre unknown reason, the whole bed appears to be for horseradish!  AAAARRRRGGHHHH!

At the back is the gooseberries, then the redcurrant and blueberry.  There is room for one more fruit bush and the spacing is really generous.  If they don't grow much, then I guess I could put in a 6th one next year.

Gooseberry, Redcurrant & Blueberry

The boysenberry is happy now, planted at the back - beside the beans, but planted so that it will grow behind itself, with the other brambles & blackberries.  Mike was honoured to be given one boysenberry last year....they are divine and all MINE, MINE, MINE!!!

Boysenberry (a purple berry, a bit like a tayberry, or loganberry x blackberry) - but better!

Our two rhubarb crowns (in the back tyres) joined the one already there, plus the escapee outside the tyres!  Rhubard crumble, here we come!  I made some really nice rhubarb and apple jam last time, will have to dig out the recipe again - yum.

I was surprised to see how quickly the raspberry canes had reacted to being pruned last weekend, we've got new growth already!  Also, the garlic has started coming up, but too small to photograph.  No sign of broadbeans yet, but fingers crossed I wasn't too late.  The strawberries haven't died after their move either.

4 rhubarb crowns

Raspberry canes