Digging My Potatoes

One of the best days of the year is the day you dig your first potatoes for the year. Today was that day, we dug up a couple of plants and although there wasn't a huge amount, they tasted good. Picked some more strawberries too.

I planted out the sweet corn plants, although they look a bit straggly now they will soon pick up. I also planted a row of seeds at the end of the bed to use for replacements if we should looses any of the plants.

The broad beans are forming nicely, but still suffering from black fly.

The runner beans that were started off at home are now starting to climb their canes, but the seeds that were planted directly into the ground are not doing very well so I'm going to buy a new packet and plant some more.

Beetroot are coming up nicely. The same can't be said for the butternut squashes and courgettes. Out of all the plants I put in, I have one courgette left, time to go in search of some more plants.

Planting Out

I planted out the runner beans, butternut squashes and courgettes today. Also transferred the sweetcorn, chillies, aubergines and basil to the allotment shed.

Lin planted some leeks (Autumn Mammoth) for next winter, they're a bit late, but we may be lucky. Most of the seeds are coming up nicely as you can see from the beetroot picture. The exception are the peas, which are not doing very much at all. The only reason for this that I can think of is that the seeds are old.

Whilst having lunch I sat and watched the bees collect the pollen from the comfrey flowers on the next plot. It's obviously a good plant to grow to encourage bees, plus it has many uses on the allotment.

Potting On

Today I potted on my chillies, aubergines, basil, rocket and mixed salad leaves seedlings. I also planted some more sweetcorn and runner beans. As the last lot of beans didn't do too well I planted two seeds in each pot. If they both grow I can just keep the stronger one.

Another Very Hot Day On The Allotment

Lin and I spent the morning weeding and watering on the allotment in the scorching heat. I also planted a row of peas (Twinkle). As you can see, the potatoes are coming along nicely. These are the first earlies, the second earlies are shooting too, but the main crop haven't started yet.


In the shed at home, the butternut squashes are shooting, all of the courgettes have too. Runner beans and sweetcorn have only given about 50%, so I may have to buy another packet of corn seeds and plant some more beans.

More Seeds

The sweetcorn have started shooting today, I'd say that about 50% have sprouted so far.


I've also planted some more seeds today. Another half a row of mixed salad leaves as the first ones are a bit leggy now. Next to the mixed salad is half a row of rocket. I also planted some Ruby F1 tomatoes in the heated propagator in peat pots. these will go in the garden boarders and not down the allotment.

Sweetcorn

Got around to planting the sweetcorn seeds this afternoon. Until last year we never had much success with sweetcorn, but last year we discovered Lark, a F1 hybrid and they gave us a great crop of sweet tasting cobs, so we're planting the same variety again this year. Planted forty seeds in pots and after a good water they went in propagators on the shelf in front of the shed window.