Wed 1 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny and very warm
Progress : Did a bit of weeding then watered the Beans, Aubergines and Peppers. Spot sprayed the Convulvulus with a systemic weedkiller. Managed a picking of Strawberries and a good lot of Red Currants.

Thu 2 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny and very warm
Progress : Delivered a car bootful of horse dung. Cut dowm and composted the remainder of the bolted Spinach and Parsley. Did a bit of watering then picked some Loganberries. Picked out both rows of Broad Bean (Aquadulce Claudia).

Fri 3 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny
Progress : Went up in the late evening to pick some Raspberries and a few Loganberries.

Sat 4 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells
Progress : Started by removing and composting the early Broad Bean plants. Did a bit of weed removal here and there. Adjusted the netting over the Curly Kale as the leaves were growing through. Took away the netting from the area of Strawberries that are producing poorly. Redid the netting around the Blueberries so that the berries are not tangled in the netting. Picked the first of the Lettuces that I was given as seedlings. Picked the first of the stumpy Marrows and had a surplus of Courgettes so I gave a few away. Got rained upon as I picked the Raspberries.

Sun 5 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells
Progress : Hoes right across the allotment then did some watering. Picked out the remainder of the Red Currants then used the displaced netting to cover the winter greens against Pigeons and Cabbage White Butterflies. Whilst I was still there the butterflies were getting under the netting! Had a good picking of Raspberries and Loganberries also started the second crop of Broad Beans.

Mon 6 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells and showers
Progress : A short harvesting session today. It looked as if someone had walked through my Potatoe patch but as I could see no footprints I think it must have been a animal. I have seen dropping on the allotment which look as if they come from a wild animal also there have been holes dug in plot 1 recently.

Tue 7 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells and showers
Progress : Another harvesting session but I did water the Broad Beans as they looked a bit distressed despite the recent rain. Tied back the loose ones. Picked the last of the Strawberries and there probably won't be many more Raspberries especially as the birds are helping themselves. The Loganberries have not cropped well this year as the vines seem not to have developed fully.

Wed 8 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells
Progress : Managed to pick just a few remaining Raspvberries and a small amount of Loganberries. Watered the Broad Beans again also the Aubergines and Peppers. Sorted the Runner Bean vines as they seem to want to climb adjacent poles rather than their own. Dug the Potatoe (Arran Pilot) which produced lovely large and light coloured tubers. Twenty plants yielded ½ cwt of potatoes, the largest of which was 15 oz. Composted the Potatoes foliage. Was given a handful of nice round radishes.

Thu 9 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells
Progress : Delivered some bags of fresh horse dung. Hoed all over the allotment. Thinned out and transplanted the Leeks in plot 3d. Did a bit of watering. Back at home I sowed a couple of trays of Lettuce (All the Year Round).

Fri 10 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells
Progress : Oversowed two rows of Carrot (Early Nantes 5) where germination had been poor in plot 2c. Also sowed two rows of Carrot (Autumn King 2) in plot 2c where I had previously sown Spinach (Spinnaker) which had not germinated at all. Cleared the bolted in plot 2c and resowed into the spaces. Cut down the foliage to the Onions as they are now affected with blight. Did a bit of watering and hand weeding before gathering my daily fruit and veg which included a large container full of Black Currants. Picked the first Peas (Kelvedon Wonder) which were more than ready to crop. Also brought home half of the Shallots to dry as the the blighted stems are likely to affect the bulbs.

Sat 11 Jul 2009
Weather : Rain all day
Progress : No work today.

Sun 12 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells
Progress : A picking session to gather Swiss Chard, Cabbage and Broad Beans. Also finished picking the Black Currants from the first bush. Notice that the Cabbage White Butterflies were getting through the protective netting despite it having a small mesh.

Mon 13 Jul 2009
Weather : Rainy
Progress : Had a good picking session starting with the few Carrot (Nantes 2) that germinated. Also had some Peas, Broad Beans, Swiss Chard and Courgettes. Some of the Purple Sprouting Broccoli has flowered about 4 months too early so I took that. My daughter-in-law gave me a bit of useful advice yesterday regarding the picking of Blueberries. One of her coleagues picks the berries as soon as they are ready then freezes them until there are enough for a meal. Only a few ripen at a time and I had been waiting for a good amount to be ready but they either fall off or dissappear for other reasons.

Tue 14 Jul 2009
Weather : Overcast
Progress : Delivered a bag of fresh horse dung. Had a good picking of Courgettes and Swiss Chard to pass around friends and family. Found another handful of Blueberries.

Wed 15 Jul 2009
Weather : Showery
Progress : Delivered some more bags of fresh horse dung. Did a bit of picking whilst there. Removed some of the straw from around the Strawberries and composted it. Pulled the first of the Beetroot also pulled some of the Nantes 5 Carrots.

Thu 16 Jul 2009
Weather : Variable
Progress : Had a good hoe all round, accidentally taking out some Spinach and Parsnip seedlingsd. Combined the two late rows of Leek into one in plot 3d then planted out the Lettuce (All the Year Round) seedlings into the space. Had a major picking to source ourselves plus son and family. Also gave some vittels to my sister who called in to the allotment whilst I was there. Picked the first of the Dwarf French Beans - just one plant has produced at the moment.

Fri 17 Jul 2009
Weather : Wet start - sunny later
Progress : A short picking session today which included a large punnet of Blackcurrants.

Sat 18 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells
Progress : A brief picking session today.

Sun 19 Jul 2009
Weather : Variable and very windy
Progress : Cleared and composted the remainder of the straw around the Strawberry plants. Removed the black plastic sheeting from under the Gooseberry bushes. Moved the old pallets that I had propped against the compost enclosure as they were pushing the compost over. On the way home I managed to swap some surplus Courgettes with a near neighbour for some gardening magazines.

Mon 20 Jul 2009
Weather : Overcast
Progress : A major picking session today gathering Swiss Chard, Turnips, Courgettes, Spring Cabbage, Cauliflower, Curly Kale, Carrots, Broad Beans, Peas and Blueberries. Good job I had the wheelbarrow to bring that lot home.I meant also to pick the remainder of the Black Currants but forgot. Cut down and bagged the old Raspberry canes. Was given loan of a spay with Copper fungicide which I used on my Tomatoe plants. Sorted out the climbing bean runners which were trying to swap poles. Thinned out the Swede seedlings. I have been looking for one myself but mentioned this to one of my allotment colleagues (the one who loaned me the spray) who said he also had been looking. Back at home I ordered a couple off the internet and will gice the spare one to him by way of thanks.

Tue 21 Jul 2009
Weather : Dull and damp
Progress : A picking session gathering Lettuce, Broad Beans, Courgettes and a couple of pounds of Black Currants. Ordered a couple of Onion Hoes over the internet today.

Wed 22 Jul 2009
Weather : Dull
Progress : Dug out the Parsley and Perpetual Spinach roots from plot 3a and composted them. Topped up the compost with a layer of horse dung. Hoed through plot 2. Managed to re-establish communications with the allotmenteer who took umbrage when I told him off for interfering with my allotment recently. Picked some extra veg for one of our near neighbours.

Thu 23 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells
Progress : Brought some more bags of fresh horse dung. Weeded and dug over plot F3 and planted two rows of Lettuce (All the Year Round) seedlings. Sowed a row of Beetroot (Cylindra) in plot 3d. Hoed plot 3d. Picked the remainder of the Black Currants.

Fri 24 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells and heavy showers
Progress : The Onion Hoes arrived in the post today. Did the usual picking which included some rather strange Carrots. Tied up the Cucumber runners. Brought home the biggest of the Onions to dry.

Sat 25 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny
Progress : Had a major picking session to gather veg for our niece and her family who are visiting today. Included was a really big Greyhound Cabbage. Was given some Runner Beans by another allotmenteer so I added these to the collection.

Sun 26 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells and showers
Progress : Picked out the remainder of the Broad Beans then removed the plants and composted them. Sprayed systemic weedkiller on the Columbine weeds on the allotment. There was a Buzzard flying low over the allotments -I wonder if it's after the Courgettes!

Mon 27 Jul 2009
Weather : Mostly wet
Progress : No work today

Tue 28 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells and blustery
Progress : Mowed the grass paths but forgot to take the shears to clip round the obstacles. Sowed two rows of Carrot (Eskimo) which may come to nothing as they should have been in by the end of May. Had a good picking of Dwarf French Beabs.

Wed 29 Jul 2009
Weather : Heavy showers
Progress : Delivered some more bags of fresh horse dung, also, took the kitchen waste for composting. Had a good general picking. Removed the cover from my water tank as it is unlikely that anyone will take from it during this wet spell.

Wed 29 Jul 2009
Weather : Heavy showers
Progress : Delivered some more bags of fresh horse dung, also, took the kitchen waste for composting. Had a good general picking.

Thu 30 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunshine and showers
Progress : Delivered another bag of fresh horse dung. Trimmed the edges of the grass paths. Picked veg for dinner, also gave some to my sister who called in whilst I was there. Remembered to pick up the fallen Apples.

Fri 31 Jul 2009
Weather : Sunny spells
Progress : Just popped up late to pick some veg. Picked the first Runner Beans. Misjudged the situation by taking the cover off the water tank as it has been looted again.