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Vic's Allotment Adventures

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  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Hello , sounds like overall it is going well
    Has been a good year for soft fruits , our summer Rasberrys are finished , waiting for Autumn ones ,however , it’s a new bed so might not get many 
    Have you got access to main water at allotment ? Have you thought about a water cube , will post you a picture from plot 
    Been today , got to hot , so went back in evening to water and harvest a few things 
    French beans doing well o/h pickled and froze some for me as it is only me that like beans 
    Also pattipan squash are doing exceedingly well can’t give them away fast enough 
    Courettes are all marrow size now and getting bigger 
    Like to try something new each year this year it was Apragus peas this year , had some with dinner tonight , neither of us liked them , don’t known until you try 
    Good to hear from you  B)
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502
    Hey GWRS🙂

    Agreed, I think it's fun to try new things. Having fun with the garlic this year but next year I'll allocate more beetroot space and stagger the sowings. Not that I've harvested any yet🤔 Should try it before making plans.

    There is mains water on site and I have been using it to get things settled in but most stuff is unwatered. I'd like to collect as much rainwater as I can, am a bit twisty about using drinking water on plants, especially when they happily drink dirty water. It has rained a few times since last weekend and have collected enough in one that it feels full. The other attachment came apart, possibly shifted with the weight and pulled it away, will re-level when empty. Will consider a few more butts as that's a decent amount of water for July with dodgy fittings to boot.

    Only had a fleeting visit today, only a couple of summer rasps left so left them for the birds and autumn not ready yet.

    Harvested some onions, and collected some garlic I pulled up last week but forgot to take home.


    Garlic Provence Wight, Onions, Hercules and Sturon. The onions look smaller in the photo than in real life, they are like a cooking onion size in the shops. The garlic is bigger than shop garlic though.

    I noticed the onions are varying in size without any reference I can see of where they are sited, when planted and if they catch my plot neighbour's sprinkler, so picked them randomly, largest first. Hopefully the rain will fatten the smaller ones🙂 Haven't tried garlic Provence Wight yet, they are the first ones up. I found Purple Wight to have a greater smell than taste if that makes sense.

    My sweet peas are looking nice again but the ones I sowed direct in the garden never showed. I do have lots of mice in the garden though and only ever seen one vole at the lotment.
    Wearside, England.
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Hello , picture of a water cube , never watered as much this year 
    Onions looks good , have you thought of Shallots for pickling ?
    We are picking beetroot , done well this year , pickling , grated raw in salads & o/h also use them as a veg 
    French beans have done well , prefer those to runner beans , less stringy 
    Lots of rain on Friday & Saturday night and raining now , will do garden & allotment a lot of good , weather forecast to improve again next week ☀️
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    Looks like everything coming on well Vic greenhouse now :) , I lifted some spuds last week Aaron pilot they quite good. I have a few of the raspberries you have as well planted this year Joan J - Erika - All gold - Polka, I've tasted Joan J - erika they taste very dry with little juice but that probably down to the weather, Joan taste better than erika so far. 

    That a serious water butt GWRS  :)
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502
    Sorry, fell asleep, too much fresh air😴😴

    How do you collect the water for the cube, GWRS or do you use it so you have a closer supply?

    Hi Perki, thanks for dropping by. I haven't heard of that potato, were they maincrop? 

    Oh dear, I've got 5 little Erikas outside in pots due to be planted this autumn😕 Pomona describes them as high yielding, large berry and sweeter than most average. Not that it matters much about berry size if they dont taste too nice (or you already have a nicer variety). It also says Joan J is second to none for picking and eating (which is my first choice way to use, as opposed to turning them into something) so I suppose that speaks volumes. 

    I believe Polka is considered an improvement on Joan J so I have high hopes for them, one supplier stocks Polka instead of Joan J. Due to buying mixed packs and supplier replacements, I've ended up with 10 canes or plants although I might give some away.

    My Joan J were purchased 2016 and the ones I have tried so far are as a result of double cropping, I don't know if that makes a difference.
    Wearside, England.
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    Aaron Pilot is a second early if I remember correctly. I stopped growing maincrop as well after all the slug damage. 

    Just been and had a look at the raspberries, erika are much bigger than joan j but none ready at the moment for eating. Just had to crop some runners off All gold its already creeping to where it shouldn't be 
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Victoria , water cube , there is a big access screw at the top , some people connect there shed guttering to it , my guttering goes to 2 water butts 
    The plot has mains water and use very large/long hose pipes on trolleys to fill up the water cubes , cost £3-00 per cube and it holds a 1000 litres 
    My other shed also has 2 water butts and always use the rain water first but this year just not enough 
    At home we have a stream at the side of garden , so when butts empty get into stream with watering cans 
     :) 
  • Victoria SpongeVictoria Sponge Posts: 3,502
    Perki, your All Gold must be doing well to be running already, I haven't noticed mine doing the same, canes put in last autumn.

    I like the idea of a water cube, £3 for 1000 litres seems very reasonable! There are only 8 plots at my site and the taps are opposite my plot. Three other plot holders use what appear to be ordinary hoses from the taps but I've just been filling cans when required. I only go up on weekends so it doesn't get watered all the time. Will need to come up with a proper watering strategy for my greenhouse and cordon orchard plans though🤠
    Wearside, England.
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Victoria , lots of places sell these cubes and deliver , empty 2 people can easily move them , need to be raised up up on concrete blocks or pallets , one person has one attached to a trickle hose 
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