Yes, I'm moving the rhubarb down hill so it will get more water and was going to add manure too.
I probably shouldn't give up on the pots so I won't. Some trials and errors are required I suppose. I haven't even tasted them yet as after all the de-mudding and de-slugging, these fine vegetables mashed themselves up in the pan when I wanted boiled. I had to mash the lot and freeze and some of the mash was virtually soup It was a right mess
I will try some earlies, and maybe kestrel as they are supposed to be anti-slug.
I have always found Foremost to be very good, for 2nd early Charlotte is one of the best all round ones for us. You can harvest them small for salad size, in some years you can get some relatively quite big size ones too. They are not slug immune but both seem to resist attack more than others.
Thanks Iain, both kinds are in one of the potato catalogues I've been sent so I'll do a bit of research. Might try some in a bag at home where I can water them.
Does anyone know if you can grow sweet potatoes in the north of England?
Nice day today, dug over the potato patch for next year:
Hopefully that's visible on the right hand side of the path. It's going to stretch all the way down to about where the fork is but the clay pile runs through the middle and there's no digging that in yet, too thick and sticky. The little elder (I hope) tree is just sitting there for now while I decide where to put it.
Had a re-think about greenhouse sizes and have decided a 6x8' will suit my requirements and it also frees up space for some experimental fruit.
Weeded out the fruit line ready for some new rasps and a blackberry I haven't ordered yet:
Will keep digging over and weeding for a while and then get some manure. Will probably just chuck it on top and let the worms square it away. Think I need about 9 bags for the fruit and the potato line.
I've decided to get a couple of pear trees as well, been looking up pollination partners (if that's the word?) the theory is simple enough but different suppliers classify the trees differently, I noticed, so what one supplier thinks will pollinate, another thinks there is a flowering gap between. There is a pear on the next plot, maybe Conference or Concorde by the look of the pear ( it might not be) but I'd like something a bit different, a nice dumpy, fat pear. I've got Invincible in the garden and that's a nice pear, self fertile. Looking at a few 'suitable for the north' types but will not buy until next year until I've got more working space free of floods and clay flats. It's tempting to do all the fun bits first but not practical
I think one of the next things I'll do is try and get some bark chips. I'm conscious of the amount of weed roots I've chucked into the trenches and think a nice thick layer of something non-clayey might help supress them.
Think I might order some garlic as an experiment, should have the onions arriving soon as well
The test will be in the flooding situation this winter. The soil is already quite sticky at the lower end of the plot. Still, I'm not finished with my flood defences yet
Nice day up the lotment, no one else there this pm.
Got the winter onions in, planted them where the pots had been.
Think it was a GW offer as I didn't choose the varieties, Autumn Champion, Senshyu Yellow and Electric.
Planted most of them quite well spaced but bunged the leftovers closer together in a spare patch as I have less space for autumn planting than I thought. Too much clay still waiting to break down and don't want to risk over wintering anything in the flood zone.
I've also sowed loads of annual flower seed which is taking up a lot of space but I think the investment in aesthetics and pollinators is justification. Some have germinated already although they could be anything at this stage, in the short flower line it looks like poached egg but may be California poppy or may be neither? Will have to wait and see.
Got garlic to plant tomorrow, another first. I chose Mersley Wight but ended up buying the GW offer which had 2 of that variety plus two each of Early Purple and Provence. That's probably an excessive amount of garlic but they might not all do well and it's an experiment.
Calculated potato space today so I didn't end up buying too many. Will only get two varieties, I think Foremost and Kestrel plus a patio kit to keep at home. Part of the potato patch is under a clay heap and the soil level needs building up in other places so don't want to bite off more than I can reasonably chew over winter.
Onion patch 2017/18. Those little raspberries I got off the dead shelf at B&Q might have turned out to be more of a bargain than I thought. They are Ruby Beauty which I had never heard of at the time but since then have seen selling everywhere and jolly expensive too. Apparently they are a patio type, get to a metre but I think they will do much better in the ground than in a pot under my care.
That's what I was hoping Zoomer, I think the extra rain might do them good?
I'm away the next two weekends and it'll be Nov before I know it and I then I need to get cracking with the drainage issue and planting fruit so have a bit of motivation at the mo.
I make it sound like a chore but it's loads of fun really
Nipped up the lotment today but not for long, an impromptu visit.
Took up some cardboard boxes to layer on top of the weeds I had backfilled two of the trenches with as they were starting to thrive in the cosy damp conditions and I thought they might start re-rooting themselves.
It's kind of weed suppressing I suppose, just not in the usual way as I intend to leave the card layers there and raise the soil level.
Have approached a few local tree surgeons for bark chip because I think that will make an okay first layer. Have also asked for a deciduous tree stump and branches but for the garden not the lotment. The poplar pieces I bought previously have proven both interesting and attractive with the fungi and digging wasps and stuff.
A couple of onions had been uprooted so replanted but they had roots on so that's promising
Had second thoughts about where to plant a quince and crab apple on the plot. In the Oct magazine it says quinces tolerate wetter soils than apples and pears so I was thinking the quince might be a good candidate for the lowest tree space, when the flooding is sorted of course.
Posts
Yes, I'm moving the rhubarb down hill so it will get more water and was going to add manure too.
I probably shouldn't give up on the pots so I won't. Some trials and errors are required I suppose. I haven't even tasted them yet as after all the de-mudding and de-slugging, these fine vegetables mashed themselves up in the pan when I wanted boiled. I had to mash the lot and freeze and some of the mash was virtually soup
It was a right mess
I will try some earlies, and maybe kestrel as they are supposed to be anti-slug.
I have always found Foremost to be very good, for 2nd early Charlotte is one of the best all round ones for us. You can harvest them small for salad size, in some years you can get some relatively quite big size ones too. They are not slug immune but both seem to resist attack more than others.
Thanks Iain, both kinds are in one of the potato catalogues I've been sent so I'll do a bit of research. Might try some in a bag at home where I can water them.
Does anyone know if you can grow sweet potatoes in the north of England?
Nice day today, dug over the potato patch for next year:
Hopefully that's visible on the right hand side of the path. It's going to stretch all the way down to about where the fork is but the clay pile runs through the middle and there's no digging that in yet, too thick and sticky. The little elder (I hope) tree is just sitting there for now while I decide where to put it.
Had a re-think about greenhouse sizes and have decided a 6x8' will suit my requirements and it also frees up space for some experimental fruit.
Weeded out the fruit line ready for some new rasps and a blackberry I haven't ordered yet:
Will keep digging over and weeding for a while and then get some manure. Will probably just chuck it on top and let the worms square it away. Think I need about 9 bags for the fruit and the potato line.
I've decided to get a couple of pear trees as well, been looking up pollination partners (if that's the word?) the theory is simple enough but different suppliers classify the trees differently, I noticed, so what one supplier thinks will pollinate, another thinks there is a flowering gap between. There is a pear on the next plot, maybe Conference or Concorde by the look of the pear (
it might not be) but I'd like something a bit different, a nice dumpy, fat pear. I've got Invincible in the garden and that's a nice pear, self fertile. Looking at a few 'suitable for the north' types but will not buy until next year until I've got more working space free of floods and clay flats. It's tempting to do all the fun bits first but not practical
I think one of the next things I'll do is try and get some bark chips. I'm conscious of the amount of weed roots I've chucked into the trenches and think a nice thick layer of something non-clayey might help supress them.
Think I might order some garlic as an experiment, should have the onions arriving soon as well
You are certainly making progress on the plot Victoria and will be ready for the spring planting.
Thanks Joyce
The test will be in the flooding situation this winter. The soil is already quite sticky at the lower end of the plot. Still, I'm not finished with my flood defences yet
Nice day up the lotment, no one else there this pm.
Got the winter onions in, planted them where the pots had been.
Think it was a GW offer as I didn't choose the varieties, Autumn Champion, Senshyu Yellow and Electric.
Planted most of them quite well spaced but bunged the leftovers closer together in a spare patch as I have less space for autumn planting than I thought. Too much clay still waiting to break down and don't want to risk over wintering anything in the flood zone.
I've also sowed loads of annual flower seed which is taking up a lot of space but I think the investment in aesthetics and pollinators is justification. Some have germinated already although they could be anything at this stage, in the short flower line it looks like poached egg but may be California poppy or may be neither? Will have to wait and see.
Got garlic to plant tomorrow, another first. I chose Mersley Wight but ended up buying the GW offer which had 2 of that variety plus two each of Early Purple and Provence. That's probably an excessive amount of garlic but they might not all do well and it's an experiment.
Calculated potato space today so I didn't end up buying too many. Will only get two varieties, I think Foremost and Kestrel plus a patio kit to keep at home. Part of the potato patch is under a clay heap and the soil level needs building up in other places so don't want to bite off more than I can reasonably chew over winter.
Onion patch 2017/18. Those little raspberries I got off the dead shelf at B&Q might have turned out to be more of a bargain than I thought. They are Ruby Beauty which I had never heard of at the time but since then have seen selling everywhere and jolly expensive too. Apparently they are a patio type, get to a metre but I think they will do much better in the ground than in a pot under my care.
You are ahead of me, haven't planted any onions or garlic yet. I find autumn planted ones do better than Spring planted ones.
That's what I was hoping Zoomer, I think the extra rain might do them good?
I'm away the next two weekends and it'll be Nov before I know it and I then I need to get cracking with the drainage issue and planting fruit so have a bit of motivation at the mo.
I make it sound like a chore but it's loads of fun really
Nipped up the lotment today but not for long, an impromptu visit.
Took up some cardboard boxes to layer on top of the weeds I had backfilled two of the trenches with as they were starting to thrive in the cosy damp conditions and I thought they might start re-rooting themselves.
It's kind of weed suppressing I suppose, just not in the usual way as I intend to leave the card layers there and raise the soil level.
Have approached a few local tree surgeons for bark chip because I think that will make an okay first layer. Have also asked for a deciduous tree stump and branches but for the garden not the lotment. The poplar pieces I bought previously have proven both interesting and attractive with the fungi and digging wasps and stuff.
A couple of onions had been uprooted so replanted but they had roots on so that's promising
Had second thoughts about where to plant a quince and crab apple on the plot. In the Oct magazine it says quinces tolerate wetter soils than apples and pears so I was thinking the quince might be a good candidate for the lowest tree space, when the flooding is sorted of course.