Sunday 22nd August 2010 is the date of the fourth Annual Open day at Stoke Lane Allotment Site in Gelding. Gates open at 1pm where you can see allotments of all shapes and sizes in various states, there will be a produce stall, pond dipping, a virtual bee hive to learn more about our beautiful honey Bees and a produce stall where you can buy fresh home grown produce from our allotments.
All are welcome so come along and have a look!
Monday 16 August 2010
Long time no see!
Yet again, Ooops not been posting, i'm just too busy. Well here is an update for you.
Everything is going really well, I'm getting 3 or 4 cucumbers a week of my 2 outdoor plants. The gherkin variety is not fairing so well and I might do three or four plants next year to get the volume to make it worth while pickling them. The Cherry tomatos are just begining to turn, I've got a feeling that we are going to end up looking like cherry toms this year! My plum toms are a bit disappointing, they haven't really done much, not many flowers/fruits per plant so may have to rethink the chutney stratergy! My beef toms are looking good, zach sampled the first ripe one the other day, and seeing as he refused to share i assume they tast very good! the out door toms are doing well too, although they could do with some more sunshine (please if anyone is listening up there....)
The new potatos are still coming up, although they are now huge! still tasty though. The main crop are still looking good despite the blight and i think i might give them a bit of a feed later on.
We're begining to get lost in all the beans i am bringin home at the mo, french and runner beans. they are sooooo tasty! must do more successional sowing next year so that we don't get such a glut.
The Beetroot are over now, and i am going to pickle them this or next weekend, the rocket failed miserabley, and was eaten by flea beatle. the spring onions totally failed to germinate and all my lettuce were eaten by slugs (boo hisss)
My carrots are very tasty, if a little bendy and i now have 2 parsnips that have germinated and are growning, Hooray for me!.
My strawberries have finished fruiting but they are sending out runners like mad! I have cleared he weeds and straw from 1 and a half rows and have 20 new strawberry plants in pots on my table at home (outside of course) So I am looking for homes for strawberry plants!
I'm going to get rid of my gooseberry bush. It failed to do anything last year and has failed to do anything this year, and i don't really like gooseberries, and one bush will never produce enough frutit to do anything with so its gone!
My raspeberries are ok, lost half of them but the half that survived are ok. they are meant to be a mix of summer and autumn fruiting but they all appear to be autumn fruiting, so have emailed Marshalls seeds and asked for a refund. I wanted an extended fruiting season not a glut of fruit in auguat/september.
My brassicas are a bit sad this year. I forgot to sow any brussels and didn't get round to sowing any savoy cabbage. My red cabbage look ok, as does the brocoli but the cauliflower isn't heading up, unlike the grey houd cabbage which looks very tasty indeed.
The set onions are up and stored now. Got about 50lb of white onion and around 30lb of red onion. Leeks are looking good and seem happy.
So there it is an update
Everything is going really well, I'm getting 3 or 4 cucumbers a week of my 2 outdoor plants. The gherkin variety is not fairing so well and I might do three or four plants next year to get the volume to make it worth while pickling them. The Cherry tomatos are just begining to turn, I've got a feeling that we are going to end up looking like cherry toms this year! My plum toms are a bit disappointing, they haven't really done much, not many flowers/fruits per plant so may have to rethink the chutney stratergy! My beef toms are looking good, zach sampled the first ripe one the other day, and seeing as he refused to share i assume they tast very good! the out door toms are doing well too, although they could do with some more sunshine (please if anyone is listening up there....)
The new potatos are still coming up, although they are now huge! still tasty though. The main crop are still looking good despite the blight and i think i might give them a bit of a feed later on.
We're begining to get lost in all the beans i am bringin home at the mo, french and runner beans. they are sooooo tasty! must do more successional sowing next year so that we don't get such a glut.
The Beetroot are over now, and i am going to pickle them this or next weekend, the rocket failed miserabley, and was eaten by flea beatle. the spring onions totally failed to germinate and all my lettuce were eaten by slugs (boo hisss)
My carrots are very tasty, if a little bendy and i now have 2 parsnips that have germinated and are growning, Hooray for me!.
My strawberries have finished fruiting but they are sending out runners like mad! I have cleared he weeds and straw from 1 and a half rows and have 20 new strawberry plants in pots on my table at home (outside of course) So I am looking for homes for strawberry plants!
I'm going to get rid of my gooseberry bush. It failed to do anything last year and has failed to do anything this year, and i don't really like gooseberries, and one bush will never produce enough frutit to do anything with so its gone!
My raspeberries are ok, lost half of them but the half that survived are ok. they are meant to be a mix of summer and autumn fruiting but they all appear to be autumn fruiting, so have emailed Marshalls seeds and asked for a refund. I wanted an extended fruiting season not a glut of fruit in auguat/september.
My brassicas are a bit sad this year. I forgot to sow any brussels and didn't get round to sowing any savoy cabbage. My red cabbage look ok, as does the brocoli but the cauliflower isn't heading up, unlike the grey houd cabbage which looks very tasty indeed.
The set onions are up and stored now. Got about 50lb of white onion and around 30lb of red onion. Leeks are looking good and seem happy.
So there it is an update
Tuesday 6 July 2010
update
Ooops, sorry not been posting!
Everything is going really well, I have tomoatoes setting on both the green house and outdoor tomatoes, strawberries galore and chillis setting too! My cucumbers are looking good and my new potatoes will be diggable soon!!!
I'll get a taste from my raspberries this year and the brassicas are coming along nicely too!!
Had my first beetroot the other day - very yummy!
Everything is going really well, I have tomoatoes setting on both the green house and outdoor tomatoes, strawberries galore and chillis setting too! My cucumbers are looking good and my new potatoes will be diggable soon!!!
I'll get a taste from my raspberries this year and the brassicas are coming along nicely too!!
Had my first beetroot the other day - very yummy!
Sunday 13 June 2010
12th and 13th June
Well Shaun and Zach came for a visit on Saturday, thank you darling for putting up my guttering and fitting my water butt. Zach ate all of the ripe strawberried and also insisted on eating a lot of green ones too! No accounting for taste.
Today I planted up my caulis, Brocolli, red and green cabbage. I planted up one of the squash that Nic gave to viv and will be collecting the other one from viv's when i rememebr to pick it up!
Also planted some sweetpeas.
Last weekend (can't remember if i posted!) i planted up some new raspeberries to replace the ones that didn't come, and strawed my strawberries, outdoor toms and cucumbers are in as are borlotti, runner and climbing beans. Zach and I planted some dwarf beans and they are now ready to go out too!! Planted a row of spring onions, rocket and beetroot. Everything is looking good so all we have to do now is wait for stuff to get ready!!!
Today I planted up my caulis, Brocolli, red and green cabbage. I planted up one of the squash that Nic gave to viv and will be collecting the other one from viv's when i rememebr to pick it up!
Also planted some sweetpeas.
Last weekend (can't remember if i posted!) i planted up some new raspeberries to replace the ones that didn't come, and strawed my strawberries, outdoor toms and cucumbers are in as are borlotti, runner and climbing beans. Zach and I planted some dwarf beans and they are now ready to go out too!! Planted a row of spring onions, rocket and beetroot. Everything is looking good so all we have to do now is wait for stuff to get ready!!!
Sunday 30 May 2010
Bank Holiday Weekend
Well, Saturday was a washout, but what is a british bank holiday without a bit of torrential rain!!!
Sunday I got the last two strawberry plants in, and my out door cucumbers planted up! Weeded my strawberries, and my onions (which are looking pretty bloody wonderful just by the way) and pottered a lot!.
Got my leeks in last week, and got my french beans in this afternoon too. Dug out a few thistles, and ripped out tonnes of bloody horseraddish! I hate the stuff, really truley with an all consuming passion.
Green house is ready for my tomoatos and my cucumber tomorrow (hopefully) and am hoping to get my runner and boroltti beans planted and caned tomorrow too.
Also plan on planting out my out door tomoatos, and next week the squash, if i remember to collect it off viv on tuesday!!!
Lots left to do, got some swede in last weekend, and some more beetroot. Harvested my first baby raddishs today - the size of little marbles, but far tastier!!!
Raspberries aren't going as well as I hoped. only 8 out of 18 have started to sprout and i am sure at least three are totally dead as there is no green under the bark when scratched. hummmph! Will have to wait a couple of years and replace them with runners from the plants that I have got.
Hoping to get Shaun down to the Lottyment on Monday to help me put up the guttering on my shed and get the waterbutt fitted. the phrase hell freezing over comes to mind....
Sunday I got the last two strawberry plants in, and my out door cucumbers planted up! Weeded my strawberries, and my onions (which are looking pretty bloody wonderful just by the way) and pottered a lot!.
Got my leeks in last week, and got my french beans in this afternoon too. Dug out a few thistles, and ripped out tonnes of bloody horseraddish! I hate the stuff, really truley with an all consuming passion.
Green house is ready for my tomoatos and my cucumber tomorrow (hopefully) and am hoping to get my runner and boroltti beans planted and caned tomorrow too.
Also plan on planting out my out door tomoatos, and next week the squash, if i remember to collect it off viv on tuesday!!!
Lots left to do, got some swede in last weekend, and some more beetroot. Harvested my first baby raddishs today - the size of little marbles, but far tastier!!!
Raspberries aren't going as well as I hoped. only 8 out of 18 have started to sprout and i am sure at least three are totally dead as there is no green under the bark when scratched. hummmph! Will have to wait a couple of years and replace them with runners from the plants that I have got.
Hoping to get Shaun down to the Lottyment on Monday to help me put up the guttering on my shed and get the waterbutt fitted. the phrase hell freezing over comes to mind....
Sunday 16 May 2010
quick catch up
Done a lot since the last post. The thing that smells like garlic, but isn't garlic or wild garlic IS wild garlic - still stinks and spreads everywhere!!! And the thing i hate but don't have a name for i now have a name for Horse raddish - spreads everywhere, roots snap when you try to dig them up - erghhh.....
.... Willy has dug and rotovated my whole plot so I have got lots to do! So far have sown more carrots (to replavce the ones willy dug over (D'oh).), put up my bean poles for the french beans, sown some beetroot, spring onion, and raddishes, rocket, lollo rosso and a butterhead called salad bowl.
The tomatoes are looking good, my Marmande and Costalucia are looking really good, as are the Roma, the cherry toms are looking a bit leggy but i think that are ready to go into bigger pots.
I've swept out the green house and got rid of all the rammle that has accumulated there, so it is all ready to go for the toms and the gherkins.
The sweetcorn is now about a foot tall and is desperate to go out side, but still need to wait a few more weeks, the Leeks are out and i only have enough for two and a half rows!!! need to sow some more.
Going to buy some more parsnip and get them sown, going to have a go at some chives and some basil too, although i think i'll keep the basil on the kitchen window sill.
Also had a gerneral good tidy up, put all my bricks up by the apple tree, which, incidently, is now in blossom so fingers crossed i might have a couple of apples this year dispite the hacking i gave it earlier in the year.
The strawberries are looking good, lots and lots of flowers so fingers crossed that means lots and lots of strawberries!!! got to but some straw to mulch them and need to get my fleece down too. The rsepberries are not looking that good, on one out of 18 canes has started to sprout. Not sure what that is all about but they are all still green under the bark so i hope they will pick up a bit.
.... Willy has dug and rotovated my whole plot so I have got lots to do! So far have sown more carrots (to replavce the ones willy dug over (D'oh).), put up my bean poles for the french beans, sown some beetroot, spring onion, and raddishes, rocket, lollo rosso and a butterhead called salad bowl.
The tomatoes are looking good, my Marmande and Costalucia are looking really good, as are the Roma, the cherry toms are looking a bit leggy but i think that are ready to go into bigger pots.
I've swept out the green house and got rid of all the rammle that has accumulated there, so it is all ready to go for the toms and the gherkins.
The sweetcorn is now about a foot tall and is desperate to go out side, but still need to wait a few more weeks, the Leeks are out and i only have enough for two and a half rows!!! need to sow some more.
Going to buy some more parsnip and get them sown, going to have a go at some chives and some basil too, although i think i'll keep the basil on the kitchen window sill.
Also had a gerneral good tidy up, put all my bricks up by the apple tree, which, incidently, is now in blossom so fingers crossed i might have a couple of apples this year dispite the hacking i gave it earlier in the year.
The strawberries are looking good, lots and lots of flowers so fingers crossed that means lots and lots of strawberries!!! got to but some straw to mulch them and need to get my fleece down too. The rsepberries are not looking that good, on one out of 18 canes has started to sprout. Not sure what that is all about but they are all still green under the bark so i hope they will pick up a bit.
Monday 3 May 2010
Bank holiday madness
Well, that kind of slogan works for the shops so why not an allotment blog!
This weekedn i have mainl dug out weeds. Docks, Dandilions, speedell, twitch grass, couch grass, thistles, stuff that stinks like garlic but that isn't garlic or wild garlic, stuff that i don't have a name for but HATE, bindweed - i think you get the picture.
I also fed the raspberries, starwberries, and weed killered the 'tough perenial weeds' around the apple tree. God these weeds are never bloody ending.
Oh and i have bought myself a new hand fork - i know how to treat myself!!!
This weekedn i have mainl dug out weeds. Docks, Dandilions, speedell, twitch grass, couch grass, thistles, stuff that stinks like garlic but that isn't garlic or wild garlic, stuff that i don't have a name for but HATE, bindweed - i think you get the picture.
I also fed the raspberries, starwberries, and weed killered the 'tough perenial weeds' around the apple tree. God these weeds are never bloody ending.
Oh and i have bought myself a new hand fork - i know how to treat myself!!!
Sunday 25 April 2010
24th and 25th April 2010
Hiya,
Watered today, then it threw it down, hailed, threw it down, stopped, threw it down then i went home!!!
Got in the last of the main crop potatoes, then sowed some beetroot, raddish, and sprong onion! yay - fresh salad here i come!
Watered today, then it threw it down, hailed, threw it down, stopped, threw it down then i went home!!!
Got in the last of the main crop potatoes, then sowed some beetroot, raddish, and sprong onion! yay - fresh salad here i come!
Friday 16 April 2010
Naughty Friday!
Naughty cos i took a day off work, just to go to my allotment!!!!!!
And i managed to get my raspberry supports in, and most of my raspberry canes! Yay!!!
And i managed to get my raspberry supports in, and most of my raspberry canes! Yay!!!
Sunday 4 April 2010
Path Saturday
YAY I HAVE A PATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And my potatoes are in - check me!
And my potatoes are in - check me!
Sunday 28 March 2010
British Sumemr time has arrived!!!!
YAY! andi have put in my strawberries, 3 rows of carrots, and two of parsnip! going to get my tatoes in next week, and hopefully get my raspberries in next week too!!!
I ache ALL over today, and i have lost the use in my arms from the bloody rotovator! still had great fun though.
I ache ALL over today, and i have lost the use in my arms from the bloody rotovator! still had great fun though.
Saturday 27 March 2010
Saturday 27th March!
Well, a whole year since i got my allotment! Wooo hoooooo!
And so to celebrate i hired a rotovator and ran riot on my plot! WHY did no one tell me that using one of those babies is the most fun you are likley to have with two wheels and a small motor on an allotment? So have got my strawberry bed ready, (they're going in tomorrow) and am going to try and get my tatties in too! maybe a row or two of carrots, and parsnips, might be able to get my raspbery canes planned out as well.
hehehe
And so to celebrate i hired a rotovator and ran riot on my plot! WHY did no one tell me that using one of those babies is the most fun you are likley to have with two wheels and a small motor on an allotment? So have got my strawberry bed ready, (they're going in tomorrow) and am going to try and get my tatties in too! maybe a row or two of carrots, and parsnips, might be able to get my raspbery canes planned out as well.
hehehe
Sunday 14 March 2010
Mothers day!
What a lovely mothers day, lovely morning with my two boys then an aftenoon at the allotment!!! COuld it be any better?
Have layed out where my paths are going to go, moved my rhubab from the middle of one of my paths and planted up another rhubarb i have had since last year! I laid a couple more slabs, well broken bits of slabs, infromt of my green house for a path and have started digging out the tap root weeds for rotovating! Also finshed the fence behing the shed, it is a sight of engineering lovelyness, hashed together with wire, old asbestos fence panels and bits of wood hammered into the ground with a large and heavey stone i found. Now thats true allotmenteering!
also caught my neigbour at the bottom smoking a very large and very potent smelling splif! how naughty,
Have layed out where my paths are going to go, moved my rhubab from the middle of one of my paths and planted up another rhubarb i have had since last year! I laid a couple more slabs, well broken bits of slabs, infromt of my green house for a path and have started digging out the tap root weeds for rotovating! Also finshed the fence behing the shed, it is a sight of engineering lovelyness, hashed together with wire, old asbestos fence panels and bits of wood hammered into the ground with a large and heavey stone i found. Now thats true allotmenteering!
also caught my neigbour at the bottom smoking a very large and very potent smelling splif! how naughty,
Saturday 30 January 2010
WOOP WOOP 2010
Yay!
Been to the allotment today, collected my seed potatos, (god i am going to have so many again!!!!)
also cleared my plot ready for a good rotovaing soon!
Been to the allotment today, collected my seed potatos, (god i am going to have so many again!!!!)
also cleared my plot ready for a good rotovaing soon!
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