Tag Archives: allotment

tomatoes

Tomato progess

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baby_toms

 

I had a peek yesterday at the modularised tomato seeds, and found a few babies had germinated and were actually a little leggy. In order to prevent the legginess from increasing and causing them to keel over, I have potted them up today up to their baby leaves. All being well, the stem will send out some stabilising roots and the babies will become a little more solid and robust. There were quite a few modularised, but only ten babies have come up so far. Hopefully, a few more will come through. I did see a couple of contenders coming through their seed cases.

At the moment, there are babies belonging to aisla craig, yellow stuffer, black cherry, marmande and gardeners delight. These are of course a very early sowing, and the danger remains that these will be cold and keel over. The plan is, to keep them inside for a short while, and then transfer to the 4TB once that has had it’s cover replaced. I am always some what saddened when baby seedlings keel over.

Last year, I didn’t label them, or separate them out as seedlings, They were transplanted outside and into raised beds. This year, we have labels, and I deliberately didn’t sow lots and lots. I’m not very good at pricking them out, so the potting up process was done with care and very slowly. it will be interesting to see which ones are the most productive. Depending on how many grow, it may be possible to carry out a further experiment. Half the cohort could be once again placed outside into raised beds, with the other half grown in the poly tunnel if there is enough room. Last year, there was a bumper crop of tomatoes, they all remained green and had to be ripened indoors. Based purely on the appearance, I think marmande was the most prolific. If there is the same level of cropping, it might be useful to have a recipe for a relish or chutney.

aubergine Analogue study 2014

Aubergines experiment

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seeds_pots varieties

 

It has been a year or two since I last dabbled with growing aubergines, This would be the third attempt. My growing adventures started with growing early long purple 2, and failed with kevin the moody aubergine falling to greenfly and eventually the elements. A second attempt failed also with plants producing pretty purple flowers, but not a lot else.

Now, one has the polytunnel on Project othello, and this lends itself to once more entering the breech. Today, I looked at the seed packets and realised that it was February. The date to sow as indicated on the packets, and I had been meaning to sow them. I took this as a sign, even if it is blowing a hanging gale outside. Now, seemed a good a time as any to sow them.

From only having one variety, the early long purple 2, there are four additional varieties that I have collected.

The runners and riders this year are:

  1. Early long purple 2
  2. tres hative de barbentane
  3. diamond
  4. dancer F1
  5. black beauty

Tres hative barbentane is allegedly a variety that doesn’t mind cooler temperatures, so this is a possible test. I think when I was researching aubergines, these were the varieties that fell into the most pragmatic to grown, given the British Climate. There are of course, many different varieties available. Three seeds of each have been sunk into labelled yoghurt pots and placed into the heated prop. The same method used as the chillies. They may take just as long as chillies to germinate. If the window sills were a little warmer and there was a but more light, I would have put them on the window sill.

The aim of this experiment remains the same. To get a single solitary fruit, from any of the different varieties. Firstly, the things have to germinate.

overwintering alliums, Taking stock, The Big Sunflower Project 2013, weather woes

Squelching through the sludge

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Over the last two weeks, it has been rather difficult to walk down to the plot. Mainly as the weather has been atrocious, but also as I start a new post. The sum of any visits has been to wander down there in the red wellingtons and see if the puddles have got any deeper. One takes one’s life into one’s hands just getting down the path. Sadly, there is no money in the site budget to fix it. I grumbled about that a fair bit at the plot meeting. It is turning into a health and safety hazard. The plot itself, is a maze of puddles; as you will see from the videos. Which is why there are so many raised beds. The benefit of the rain, is that I can see where I need to build things up. The plot is actually lower than the path that runs alongside.

The plot cuts something of a post-apocalyptic scene in the desolate dire winter. A stark contrast to the flourishing flowering scene in the summer gone. I must remember to sow the sunflowers for the Sunflower project 2014. I encourage to think about that, a good cause and it makes the plot look oh so pretty!

I know that the for the last few weeks, all the updates have been somewhat miserable. Sadly, I cannot control the weather! The growing season is still in it’s infancy.

Took a walk down to plot 2 today. Wanted to update you all on just what was happening. Very cold, but very bright. Just not very playable though.

Bit of sunshine, lots of puddles. So much to clear up.

I have battled with the topography of the plot. It is lower in the middle, than everywhere else. Water forms puddles, that then just stand and stay there stagnating. The key has been raised beds. I can safely say, that they have been very useful. Allowed me to get growing, and be successful with it. last year, three beds were full of potatoes. The spuds worked reasonably well, I got potatoes, that was good enough for me. However, there was a lot slug damage to them. The beds were filled with assorted organic matter. Grass cuttings, horse poop, and leaf mold. This year, the beds have sunk; as they do. So will need to have more material added to them.

There are onions, shallots and garlic in there somewhere. These were all planted through cardboard. I would have expected to see a bit more top growth by now, but these were planted a whole month later than expected. In addition, there has been a lot of rain. I can only hypothesis that the roots are being set down, at least by those sets that have survived the wet and inclement weather.

Leaf mold! This was all collected last year, and is cooking in the cold. There are two aims for this stuff. To first use in the raised beds, and there are quite a few raised beds. Then to put what remains where I can, to improve the soil and help raise the open ground areas. Last year, one entire builders bag was used to fill a 1mx2m bed. This bed was then used to cultivate two courgettes and marrows. I can safely say, that the decaying matter did them wonders. Prolific anyway, the squashes somewhat thrived with all that leaf mold.

tomatoes

Experimental Tomatoes

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selection tray

 

For the last couple of days, I have been surpressing the urge to sow tomato seeds. This time last year, I had sunk some very, very early ones. Daresay that is what made me do it again. Last year, the early sowing keeled over due to a cold snap. We are experiencing a cold snap right now, actually. This time last year, the plot was under a foot of snow. I wouldn’t rule out that snow coming back, to be honest. Making this sowing very precarious.

Sunk today:

  • Gardeners delight
  • moneymaker
  • marmande
  • aisla craigh
  • black cherry
  • yellow stuffer

I don’t have any window sills, sadly, to sow them on. The experimental premise comes from them being positioned in the 4TB. Sown in a modularised tray in a gravel tray, covered by a propogator lid. With fleece for insulation, and reflective foil on the base of the tier.

This could take sometime, I realise that. That this could all go pear shaped, and I should really sown them inside. Hopefully, the tomato faery is reading, and will help nurture them. I could sow a handful inside, if I get the chance. These are babies that would be going into the poly tunnel along with the chillies and super hots. If the superhots decide to germiate.

In other news, we have a few experimental chilli babies coming through.

The next urges, are probably going to involved aubergines and melons. You have been warned 🙂

project othello, Taking stock

Motion Picture: Start of 2014 Part three

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The final instalment of the three videos that I took. It has taken this long to put them up, due to technical gremlins. Still learning how to make the blog better. Guess I will have to learn better! Perhaps have shorter clips, rather than the longer, detailed David Atttenborough type observations.

At the moment, there are slight high winds, lashing gales and lots of dark clouds of grey. The weather systems are doing something of a fandago over the British Islands, and cannnot make up their minds to desist or not. More weeks of poor weather may well be on the cards.

This was actually the first video, the two previous videos then followed it. A bit of hotch potch then, as I wanted to make sure I had described a fair bit. It is grim, grey, and not very bright. So a snapshot of the current state of play. Not very inspiring, but it is a case of trying to imaging what could be. 2013 was a good year as far as experimenting and making observations goes. I struggle to look through such grey and dank times, though I know that could be positives. The leaps and bounds made last year, were above and beyond anything that I firstly planned or second imagined. There is still lots to do.

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Taking stock

Motion Picture: Start of 2014 Part two

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Yet more wandering around. Talking into a ‘phone, whilst wandering around in wellington boots is a rather challenging experience. Not only do you have to watch where you put your feet, but you also have to keep talking and talking some form of sense.

This particular section is concerned with the first half of the plot. The bottom part, which is probably the most challenging part, if I was to be honest. Which is why I tend to blather on about it. There is a marked difference between the two sections of the plot. With the lower half, being effectively flooded when it rains.

 

project othello, Taking stock

Motion picture: start of 2014 part one

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Off I went today to the plot today, with the aim that I would do a spot of filming. The main reason for this, was having seen lots of clips here and there about plot endeavours and experiences.  So this could go very wrong, and is not exactly bafta or oscar winning. It’s an experiment. Yet another one! Not helped by having to faff with uploading, and then taking a long time for it to do so. Honestly, technology.

One makes no apology for the very accent. It helps put it all into context. Don’t laugh. No sniggering, I mean it!

Bear with me, I hope. There are three general clips that I want to put up, but the technology means I can’t dish it all out at once. Might get one more out today. If not, then next week.

cabbages and brassicas

cabbage carnage and connundrum

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cabbages under the fleece
first half a bed
cabbages under the tunnel
half a bed of cabbages

I have tried to sow and grow cabbages. It simply doesn’t happen. This year, I had sown some from seed and also had some plugs. Plugs as the home made sown ones got munched on and I therefore, got very cross. Ma loves cabbages and greens. There is nothing better for home made saag, or for onion bhajis. Brassicas such as kale, go wonderfully with dinner when shredded and happen to be something of a superfood. Meaning that I want to sow them, I want them to be successful. They have their uses, but the costs of cultivating them are a whasit in the derrière.

The plugs were plugged in, in various places. Two raised beds and some open ground. Those in the raised beds, were covered in veggie mesh. All of the plugs, and the few that were home sown, all had cabbage collars. One line of preventative measure. All, were dusted with blue pellets of doom. The veggie mesh, was actually weighed down with bricks. I fully concede that was not done well, and something has still got in. Something to consider in depth and detail should I actually want to sow cabbages and brassicas with attention to detail. Definitely my own fault, you could say; most folks build a brassica cage. Now I know why.

I wandered down there today, aware that there was something green under the veggie mesh. Also aware, that most of it was gnarled and gnawed upon to pieces and resembled filligreed net curtains. I made the journey down to the plot, thinking that I have to put various cabbages and things out of their misery. And to be fair, I did. Those that had been reduced to nothing more than stalks. But I was stopped in my tracks, secateurs in hand from further snipping. There are many that have been chomped on. But there are others, that are starting to heart up, and don’t look so close to meeting their maker.

As you can see from the pictures, it is a very big green mess. A melee of cabbages-I don’t tend to follow the planting distances, though, i should-and at first sight it’s not pretty. I am inclined therefore, to leave them alone. Wait a while, to see what actually comes off.  Thing is, they might get munched on even more…..

roses

Once in a blue moon

Blue moon rose
Blue moon rose

 

Over the summer, all the post roses flourished and flowered. A majority of them flowered more than once. However, there was one particular bloom that adopted something of a nonchalant attitude in comparison to it’s bedfellows. That would be blue moon. I was somewhat disheartened by this creature. First of all, because it is lilac and not blue. A sort of sappy lavender. Second. it gave all of two flowers and then decided to give up the ghost. It simply could not rouse itself to do anything else.

 

So I left it alone. Whilst the others, have bloomed, gone back to sleep, been dead headed and cut down. I didn’t fancy cutting this guy down. Especially as he had formed a few new flower buds. I would have gladly, taken my secateurs to him. Lopped him down. Only that seemed a bit sad. He was trying to make an effort. And here he is today. Blue, lilac, smudges peeking through the bud leaves. It’s dark, desolate and December, but I don’t think that Blue moon actually cares.

Preparation, project othello, Taking stock

Tidy up time at the winter solstice

Today is the winter solstice, and the darkness will soon descend as the afternoon draws to a close. The shortest day of the year, means you have to move a bit sharpish if you plan to do anything useful.

The inside of the poly tunnel has been on my mind for some time. All very untidy, and with grass sprouting up. This morning, on the second day of the Christmas holidays, I donned my red wellingtons and coat and wandered down to the plot. I had also, in rummaging in pop’s shed, found some bulbs that I forgotten about. A few crocus, alliuem and daffodils. Managed to dib in a few crocus before mama H arrived and told me to get home. Her reasoning being that I was the only there and no one was faffing on their plots.

Anyway, the purpose of today’s visit was tidy the polytunnel. The green edifice of all year growing. Sprouting grass is not all that attractive. Thankfully, most of the sprouting grass could be pulled and plunked up without taking clumps of earth up. The rest was decapitated by a three edged ‘oe, Also helped aerate the soil a bit.  Still looked a bit weary inside. The morrison’s buckets that had once held the chillies and bells were emptied out on top. Spent compost by way of refreshing it.  The polytunnel now looks like a blank canvass. if i think about it, and have a root around in the seed stasher. There are has to be something that can be scattered into soil.