Malcolm Smith's
Allotment Diary

 
2008

 

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 Tue 1 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny day.
Progress : Day off looking up relatives.

Wed 2 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny day.
Progress : Planted out the Cabbage (Greyhound) seedlings into plot 2d and placed some slug traps closeby. Hoed between rows of seedlings that have appeared. A ladybird settled on my hand as if to announce her arrival so I placed her onto the Broad Beans. A Wren and a Robin were flitting to and fro from my allotment. Went back later with some bags of fresh horse dung. Double dug the last section of plot 2d and top dressed. This has been the stoniest area that I have dug since I started on the allotment.

Thu 3 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny day.
Progress : Delivered another car bootload of stable manure. Came back later with a couple of bags of fresh horse dung, both times being able to get the car right up to the allotment. Turned in the top dressing on part of plot 3b and sowed a row of Purple Sprouting Broccoli (Extra Early Rudolph). Sowed a row of Autumn Cabbage (Winnigstadt) in plot 2d and a row pf Peas (Meteor) in plot 2a. Watered in the new sowings also those recent sowings that needed it. Looking in the shops recently, I can see that Purple Sprouting Broccoli is £2.50 per kg and Rhubarb £3.50 and we are cropping plenty of both at present. The saving on these two items together with the Parsnips which are about £1 per lb we have had will go a long way towards the purchase of my entire seed order.

Fri 4 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny day.
Progress : Busy day. Sowed one row each of Cauliflower (All the year Round) and Turnip (Snowball) in plot 2d and Spinach (Spinnaker) in plot 2c. I also turned in the top dressing on part of plot 1 and sowed a row of Radish (Sabina). Back at home, I resowed Aubergine (Moneymaker) and Sweet Pepper (Ace) as the prevous sowing had nor germinated. I also made sowings into trays or pots of Celery (Golden self-blanching), Lettuce (Little Gem), Lettuce (All the Year Round), Leek (Musdelburgh) and Cabbage (Greyhound). I also sowed American Salad Land Cress as an experiment. Took a bagful of Purple Sprouting Broccoli to my neice for her family. Waiting for me in the post was a letter from the Town Council asking me to consider giving up my second allotment in order to reduce the waiting list. This is going to need a good bit of consideration. Bumped into one of the other owners of two allotment and had a brief duscussion about our opinions.

Sat 5 Apr 2008
Weather : Colder. Sunny spells with rain and snow showers.
Progress : Top dressed and dug in a trench on plot 1 ready for some more Onions. Hoed between rows of seedlings where necessary. Took some Purple Sprouting Broccoli round to my sister who lives nearby.

Sun 6 Apr 2008
Weather : Snow.
Progress : Not fit to work today. Gave some thought to the Town Council request that I relinquish one of my allotments. The first thing to note is that there are six allotments which are in a state of neglect at present therefore could be re-allocated.

Mon 7 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells and showers.
Progress : Double dug a trench in plot 3c. Still picking nice spears of Purple Sprouting Broccoli. Gave a bagful to my sister who called in whilst I was on site. Noticed that my Apple Tree has come into blossom. There was a butterfly that looked like an Orange Tip.

Tue 8 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells.
Progress : Double dug another trench in plot 3c. I unearthed a few remaining pieces of Scorzonera which had been deep and broken off when being lifted. A pair of Blackbirds were grateful for the worms and grubs that came up. A bit of a chatting day today. A neighbouring allotmenteer gave me some surplus Cauliflower (Snowball) seedlings which I potted and put into my coldframe. He also gave me a nice Lettuce (Winter Density) to take home. I have been putting some of my surplus stones onto his path and he is going to remove some of the earth mound bordering my allotment to sieve and make up levels on his plot.

Wed 9 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny.
Progress : Started late today. Took everything in the car as I had a couple of bags of fresh horse dung to deliver. We actually had two cars on the allotment today. Planted three rows of Potatoe (Desiree) in plot 2c and two additional rows of Onion (Sturon) in plot 1. Greeted one of the new starters who was working nearby setting up his compost bins. Noticed a butterfly that looked like a Comma or Fritillary. On my way home, I dropped off a bag of frest veg for my son and his family. Earlier in the day I had been in Alderholt and went onto the allotments for a nosey. The ground there is terrible in places, being heavy waterlogged clay. Also they are plagued by rabbits and deer so have to fence off their plots. However, it is a lovely quiet spot.

Thu 10 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells and showers.
Progress : On holiday.

Fri 11 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells and showers.
Progress : On holiday. Watched Gardner's World on TV and saw the item where Joe Swift is taking on an allotment. Not sure yet if I find it interesting, amusing or irritating. Sent off my letter to the Town Council in reply to theirs.

Sat 12 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells and heavy showers.
Progress : On holiday.

Sun 13 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells and heavy showers.
Progress : On holiday.

Mon 14 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells and heavy showers.
Progress : Returned from holiday with a large bunch of Spring Onions from my brother-in-law on the Isle of Wight.

Tue 15 Apr 2008
Weather : Frost. Sunny.
Progress : Planted half of the Spring Onions given to me by my brother-in-law. I put these in plot 1 and left the surplus for one of the other allotmenteers. Mowed the grass, including my neighbours allotment and that of another - we each do favours for one another. Noticed that a skip has been provided again this year and placed half way along the access track. I thought it had been decided not to have skips any more after they were loaded up by adjacent householders last year.

Wed 16 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny.
Progress : Cleared the used Purple Sprouting Broccoli stalks then weeded that area of plot 3d. A schoolboy who has a nearby allotment came over to show me four sizeable Parsnips he had dug and I showed him how to place them into a clamp for storage. Started to double dig a trench in plot 3d but broke off for lunch. Came back later to finish it. Picked off all the Dandelion flowers in my paths. There is a neglected plot next to my plot 1 which is covered in Dandelions that will be a problem soon. Had the same trouble last year. There was a pair of Collared Doves on the allotments as I left.

Thu 17 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny.
Progress : Late on parade today. Double dug another trench in plot 3d, still bringing up plenty of large stones. Was asked by the groundsman to give him a hand loading an old steel cabinet into the skip.

Fri 18 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny with showers. Windy.
Progress : Double dug another trench in plot 3d. The ground comprises fairly firm clay bound soil in this area. I had to move the clamped rootcrops as they were in the way. Had a bit of banter with one of the other allotmenteers. I could hear him hammering on his allotment so I asked if he was planting his potatoes with a mallet. On the stream by the allotments were two drakes, a duck and about eighteen ducklings.

Sat 19 Apr 2008
Weather : Wet day with cold wind.
Progress : Popped up for some veg. A new starter was on site trying to shift a load of manure but without a barrow, so I lent him mine. He expressed an interest in Loganberries so I promised to layer some of mine for him.

Sun 20 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny.
Progress : Double dug another trench in plot 3d. Hoed between the Onions and Shallots on plot 2a. The new starter had completed spreading his manure and had rotovated it in.

Mon 21 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny and warm.
Progress : Dug in the top dressing on part of plot 3a and planted three rows of Potatoe (Picasso). Hoed between the Onions on plot 3c and the Potatoes on plot 2c.

Tue 22 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny and warm.
Progress : A blackbird was in full blast when I arrived. Dug in the top dressing on more of plot 3a and planted four rows of Potatoe (Pink Fir Apple). Turned in the top dressing on part of plot 3b and sowed one row of Purple Sprouting Broccoli (Garnet) and two rows of Brussels Sprouts (Bedford). Noticed some fresh holes in the top of one of my compost enclosures which one of my neighbours suggested had been done by a fox.

Wed 23 Apr 2008
Weather : Overnight rain. Sunny and warm day.
Progress : Delivered a few bags of fresh horse dung. Had difficulty in getting the car onto the allotment due to a neighbouring residents car parked across part of the gate. I did find the owner later and asked them to be more considerate (this is the third or fourth time). Turned in the top dressing and sowed a row of Calabrese (Volta) in plot 3b and a row of Spinach (Perpetual) in plot 3a. Levelled and raked part of plot 3d and sowed two rows of Parsnip (White Gem). Cleared some more of the Purple Sprouting Broccoli stems and composted them.

Thu 24 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny with rain and hail showers.
Progress : Arrived to find that another allotmenteer was using my barrow but was happy to let him continue. Hoed between rows of new seedlings where necessary. Serviced the slug traps. Turned in the top dressing on the remainder of plot 2d. Dug out some residual Artichokes that had escaped detection earlier. Roughly cleared the weeds around the Spring Onions that had overwintered. Had to shelter in my shed during a spell of hail and thunder and was joined by the allotment contact (jovially known as The Gangmaster) for our end. We watched my wife cycle past and having also to take shelter under some trees alongside the allotments.

Fri 25 Apr 2008
Weather : Mostly sunny.
Progress : On arrival I was called over to the skip by another allotmenteer who showed me a load of usable Leek plants which had been put there so we helped ourselves, both for eating and composting. The skip as full to overflowing already and mostly with stuff that could have been recycled. The chap who borrowed my barrow yesterday asked again today and I had just said yes when someone else pointed out that there was a perfectly good one on the skip, so he took that away for keeps, looking very happy with his aquisition.Turned in the top dressing and sowed a row of Spinach Beet (White Silver 2) in polt 3a and two rows of Swede (Marian)in plot 3b. Cropped the last of the Purple Sprouting Broccoli then cleared the old stems. Strange that the plants for next year have already germinated. Also had the last of the Spring Onions which had overwintered. I was surprised to find that snails had been eating the foliage of the spring onions. Double dug another trench in plot 3d. Covered the Brassica seedlings in plot 2d with netting to keep pigeons off. The allotment book that I ordered from Amazon arrived today. It is The Allotment Specialist by A & G Bridgewater and it is excellent for quick reference.

Sat 26 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny.
Progress : The problem in working on the allotments at weekends is that much time is lost in chatting as those who are at work during the week are on site. Today was such a day, although the conversations are always useful in keeping up to date and maintaining friendship with other allotmenteers. Managed to double dig the last section of plot 3d but found it hard work. The new allotmenteer who had borrowed my barrow brought me a pair of new gardening gloves by way of thanks (I think he got them from work). In conversation he mentioned that he would like to have a Dutch hoe and I said that I had the hoe piece without the handle to which he was welcome. It had come from a cheapie I had bought at the tip but had broken. Called in later and left the hoe end attached to his beansticks then cut some of my Rhubarb to take round to my sister.

Sun 27 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells; thundery showers.
Progress : Sowed two rows of Salsify (Giant) and one row of Scorzonera (Russian Giant) in plot 3d. There should have been two rows of Scorzonera but I ran out of seed as I was using up a packet from last year,so I will buy some more. Put some Derris dust on the Broad Bean and Pea seedlings in plot 2a as the Bean Weevil has been nibbling the edges of the leaves. Took the last of the Salsify from the clamp - two of the plants were coming into flower - lovely purple daisy-like blooms. Heard and saw my first cuckoo of the season.

Mon 28 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells and showers.
Progress : Mowed the grass and trimmed the edges. Cut back the nettles and long grass on the bank. Turned in the top dressing and sowed a row of Cauliflower (All the Year Round) in plot 3b. Hand weeded through the Carrots in plot 2a and resowed the first row as it had not germinated well.

Tue 29 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells then torrential rain later.
Progress : Day off today. However, received a welcome note from the Town Clerk to advise that there was no threat of my losing one of my allotments. Tried the first jar of my homemade Glutney from last year - chutney made from whatever vegetables are in abundance. It was pretty tasty on the curry I had for dinner.

Wed 30 Apr 2008
Weather : Sunny spells with heavy showers.
Progress : Did not work today but did go to the allotment to check on progress and see if there was any danger of flooding. Noticed that the skip has been removed and the ground has stood up to the weight of the lorry surprisingly well. Sent off an order for a packet of Scorzonera seeds from Suttons as I ran out this week and can not get any in the shops.

 
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