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DIARY 2021

 

 

With the Covid still dominating our lives it is good to know we can still

get out on to the allotment for our daily exercise; so come and join me down on the plot for another year

which as always will probably bring more surprises.

 

 

JANUARY

 

We start the New Year still in Tier 4 with all the restrictions and later to a national lockdown. . Very cold and frosty but so far no snow like the rest of the country. I have dug the last of the parsnips but still have leeks, celeriac, savoy cabbage and kale to keep me going; Potatoes, onions and butternut squash in store. Continue to check over any stored fruit and veg and remove any rotting or use up quickly. There is little for me to do now till the spring but if you can continue to dig over and leave soil in clods for the weather to break it down; it will also bring any slug or snail eggs to the surface for the birds to eat.

Finish any winter pruning to fruit trees while still dormant and cut down autumn fruiting raspberries to the ground.

Seed potatoes are arriving at Garden Centres if you didn’t order from your Allotment stores which should be available soon.

 

Last few days of the month the weather has turned very wet again but still cold. If you can get on the plot strawberry plants will benefit from a good tidy up, removing all the dead and dying leaves; they will soon make new growth as the weather warms up.

Keep any bird feeders clean and dispose of any seed that is starting to rot and replace with fresh. I also hang feeders filled with fat balls but I am sure the squirrels are getting to them. Please email me if you have any tips to keep them at bay.

 

FEBRUARY

 

The cold wet weather continues and there is little for me to do on the plot for now. I am making good use of the time in the greenhouse preparing pots and trays, compost etc., in readiness for sowing next month.

If you can get on the plot any old crops should be cleared now and the ground turned over. Finish any winter pruning to fruit trees except stone fruit which should be carried out in late summer. Make sure soft fruit canes are well tied in on strong supports against the winter winds.

 

Elson Allotment now has its own Facebook page to become a member click here.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/427007701875535

A reminder that subscriptions to the G.A.H. & G A. are now due and can be renewed at any of the site stores. Onion sets, shallots and spare seed potatoes are also available. The Association has relaunched their new website. For information on events, shows etc. and how to become a member click here www.gosportallotments.co.uk 

This last month the weather has thrown just about everything at us, from rain, bitterly cold winds, sub zero temperatures and now this last week positively balmy with temperatures into double figures. Last year I lost my summer raspberries to a virus and did say I wouldn’t plant any more but have changed my mind and prepared a new bed, one half will be Raspberries Glen Ample Floricane and the other with more Strawberries ‘Red Gauntlet. An old variety I have not grown for quite a few years.  The bed has been dug over with plenty of well rotted compost incorporated, with supports and canes, ready now for when the new plants are received.

 

MARCH

The month has started with still very mild days but beware of making early sowings in the ground yet, the nights are cold.  The hardier plants like shallots, onion sets and broad beans can be planted now but I like to start mine off in the cell trays to plant next month when they are about the size of a spring onion.

My new fruit canes arrived and I have now set those out together with the strawberries. Raked in some horticultural sand in preparation for where I plan to grown carrots this year. Carrots do better sown next month when the soil has warmed up more. My soil is well drained now and good for planting my first early Potatoes ‘Pentland Javlyn, setting the tubers a good spade depth, earthing up and mulching well, to keep them frost free. If your soil is water logged, still from the heavy rains wait till conditions are right for you. Parsnips ‘Tender and True’ sown and covered with some enviromesh. This is mainly to stop the fox digging them up as they can take up to 6 weeks to germinate.  I am also erecting the support frames in readiness for peas tomatoes, beans etc.

March is a good month to make a start in the greenhouse, with peas ‘Hurst Greenshaft’, 5 peas to a 3 inch pot. Beetroot and Silver onions in cell trays. Lettuce ‘Little Gem’, cabbage ‘Greyhound’ and French Marigolds.

19th and the first day of Spring; and my early Plum Beauty is now in full blossom, and thankfully no threat of frost so I am hopeful of a good crop this year.

 I am continuing to plant potatoes with 2nd early ‘Foremost’ and will then carry on with main crop, Desiree and Picasso. I have set myself the task of digging out some very matted clumps of Grape Hyacinths which have seeded themselves and now becoming a nuisance. The tiny bulbs spread everywhere.

In my cold greenhouse I am now sowing tomatoes but keeping an eye on night temperatures as they do like warmth to germinate, keeping the fleece handy to cover them should it be necessary; also sown Dwarf Green Curley Kale, and Sweet corn Minipop which is the baby corn. I’ve not grown sweet corn for a good many years because of the badgers but this one usually ripens early and harvested before the tassels open. Fingers crossed for some success again.

End of the month and the weather has turned really warm, and I have planted out my onion sets which I started off in cell trays; peas, Hurst Green Shaft, beetroot started off in cell trays, silver onions and Little Gem lettuce. All have been covered with enviromesh but don’t get caught out by Easter week-end temperatures will drop sharply again.

APRIL

Easter week-end is proving to be lovely during the day but night temperatures are still very low. Very tempting to plant out but my advice would be to hold on for another week or so.

April is the month when most things can be sown in the greenhouse now but with temperatures set to plummet again keep the fleece handy to cover seedlings at night to protect from any frost. I am potting on tomatoes now from their 3” pots to the larger 6”. They should have reached a good size to safely plant in mid-May onwards. I am also thinking ahead to the winter months for a good supply of vegetables and sown Dwarf Green Curley Kale, and Savoy Cabbage. My ground is now too light for tall vegetables like the Purple sprouting and Sprouts which need a good firm ground.

Surprisingly we have had little rain now for some time so I am having to water my new strawberry and raspberry plants to stop them drying out; also the Sweet Peas.  

Wallflowers are coming into flower now, the bees are loving them including the purple perennial one; they really do have a lovely scent; taking over from the daffs which now need dead heading on a daily basis to stop them going to seed. I also have some new Dahlias to plant out.

 . . . .

 

Half way through the month and it is still very cold with very low temperatures at night. Anything in an unheated greenhouse needs to be covered with fleece for added protection from the frost. I am holding back planting out my summer cabbage for another week and continuing to pot on where I can to keep them going. Hand weed if you can to keep any moisture there is in. Do not mulch till we have had a good amount of rain.

The blossom on the plum trees is beautiful now and if the bees do their job it should be a good harvest. Prepare your Pheromone traps ready to hang next month which will lure the male moths in plum and apple trees.

MAY

The month has started with some much needed rain, not enough but over the Spring Bank Holiday more is forecast. The nights are still very cold so it is best to err in the cautious side for planting anything very tender. I have now planted the summer cabbage ‘Greyhound’, and Curley Kale, Dwarf green.

Asparagus is now starting and will need to be harvested regularly. Cut the spears about 2 inches below the surface.

Fruit trees are glorious with their blossom and May is the time to be thinking about hanging the Pheromnone Moth Traps up. They lure the male moth but do not affect any beneficial insects.  One trap will cover several trees.

Spring bulbs are going over now; they are best left to die back naturally. Big clumps can be lifted, divided and replanted.

16th and we have had some much needed rain but still the strong winds are causing some problems. I have now finished planting out tomatoes, giving them as much protection as I can against the winds. Runner Beans I have sown direct in the ground 2 beans per station. Some of the hardier bedding plants like the Statice and French Marigolds I have put out. The Geraniums I have found do not like the winds so keeping them in the greenhouse for a little longer.

Try to keep on top of the weeding by hand or with the hoe. With the rain now they are growing very fast and need to be dealt with before the seed.

I am harvesting asparagus and some lovely tender rhubarb to enjoy both of them at their best. 

           

After some welcome rain and some warm sunshine the plot is now starting to come alive again, albeit a little late this year.

The last week in the month and we had very strong winds which almost up-rooted my 2 pear trees. I managed to save them by removing some of the heavier branches; tying in to some strong angle iron stakes, firming the roots well in; and watering well to settle the soil around the roots again.

JUNE

Summer has arrived at last; the Spring Bank holiday has given us some glorious sunshine.  Most of the tender crops and seeds can be sown directly or planted out this month, including tomatoes, squashes, peppers, beans, sweetcorn, carrots, beetroot and any annuals.

I have little left in the greenhouse now except for the leeks which I will start plant next as the first potatoes come out and new Chrysanths which I will grow on a little more before planting out.  

I was a little early setting out my tomato plants and they have suffered from the cold winds in May but should recover. Potatoes may be ready for their first earth up now.

I am still harvesting asparagus, rhubarb and now Little Gem lettuce and Spring Onions.

15th of the month and we have had the hottest few days of the year. Water only those plants that are starting to crop and really need it giving them a good soak; hand weed if you can to avoid disturbing the soil to keep as much moisture in. I have been cutting asparagus for 6 weeks so will now leave it to make fern. This will encourage the crowns to produce a good crop for next year. I have lifted my first early potatoes Pentland Javlyn. To see if yours are ready dig gently around the plant to see when they are large enough, about the size of a small chicken egg is ideal. They will be delicious. Lift only as many as you can use each time. Strawberries are ripening now, pick regularly before the birds get to them. They can be protected with netting or hang old CDs up to scare them off. Sweet Peas are giving a glorious show again and need a good soak once a week, cut flowers regularly to keep them flowering.

Pentland Javlyn – First Early

JULY

I have been busy having the house renovated that I’ve not spent as much time at the allotment as I would have liked. With the warmth and heavy rains everything seems to have taken off and grown. I have been able to keep on top of picking the peas, made the final picking and taken the vines out. Rejuvenated the soil with some good compost, a sprinkling of lime ready to plant Purple Sprouting in a couple of weeks. Strawberries are still cropping well and now producing quite a lot of runners; most of these I will remove but a few I will peg down for new plants. When they have rooted can be cut from the parent plant and potted up.

The summer pruning of plum and cherry trees can be carried out now and not in the winter to avoid disease.  

I have stopped cutting the Sweet Williams as they are dropping their seeds when brought indoors but have left them for the bees to enjoy for a while yet. I will soon have other flowers such as the Static to enjoy and I have also planted 3 Alstroemeria. Looking forward very much to these flowering as they were a gift.

In the greenhouse I have made the last sowing of beetroot in cell trays; sown Sweet Williams,Wallflowers and Lupins to plant out in September for a good floral display next year.

Most of the summer vegetables are cropping well now and need to be harvested regularly to enjoy at their best.

The new raspberry canes need tying in out of the way so the fruit can still be picked before they get broken.

Blight is devastating the allotment site Bushell Mill in Poole. Be on the alert for any signs. If you do, cut all foliage from potatoes and tomatoes are best taken up and destroyed, it will spread very quickly. Do not compost.

……..

23rd  the Blight has now reached Gosport and I have lost all my tomatoes. Plants have been taken out and destroyed. Canes burnt. Potatoes so far are okay but showing some signs and if we have the heavy rain this week-end then it will soon spread. I have cut the haulms on about half my crop so far in the hope I can save some.

Runner beans are now starting to crop and catching up with the French beans. Looks like I am going to have both together this year. I have been enjoying some very nice mini sweetcorn which I’ve not grown for a good many years. Delighted the squirrels have yet to find them.  I have planted out my last beetroot and silver onions from modules. This should give me a good crop into the autumn.

27th My early purple raspberries are finished now, old fruiting canes have been cut to the ground and the strongest new ones tied in for next year.

AUGUST

First a reminder that this year the G.A.H. & G.A. will be holding their annual Summer Show on Saturday 21st August at St Mary’s Parish Centre, Alverstoke; Show schedules are available at all allotment stores, anyone can enter with an interest in gardening you don’t have to be an allotment holder. The hall will be open from 8.OO am for exhibitors to prepare and display. Judging is from 11.00 am – 12.15 pm when the hall will be open for public viewing. The show is a fun day out for all the family. There will be various interests going on in the garden, come along and cuddle a bunny, talk to the bee man, watch a rustic trug being made etc., or enjoy a cuppa and listen to the music; Refreshments available.

Back on the plot the month has started with a very mixed bag of weather, heavy rain but still very warm so the weeds are a priority to keep under control. Where crops have been cleared, dig over and keep the hoe going to chomp off the weeds below soil level before they get a chance to get a hold. Beans have been slow this year but now the French and runners are cropping well, keep picking to keep them going, give away is necessary. I have finished digging my second early potatoes Foremost, these will keep in store for several months.  Potato order forms for next year are available from your site stores,

I am now summer pruning the fruit trees, taking back the new soft growth on apples and pears to 2 leaves. All of the summer flowers now need to be dead headed regularly.

August should be the month when we should be sitting back and enjoying the plot and take time to maybe plan for next year, Make notes of what varieties have done well and where you might plant next year. I am particularly pleased with the mini sweetcorn which has produced several cobs on each plant, delicious and crunchy eaten raw or can be added to stir fries etc. I will grow again. 

20th and I am now digging main crop potatoes, Pink Gypsy, Desiree and Picasso. All the haulms had been cut down to avoid the blight and will not grow any more. All three have produced some very sizable tubers. After digging I lay them out in the sun to dry and harden their skins ready for storing. If rain is threatened then I put them in the greenhouse for a day. Any damaged ones will need using quickly.

I am very pleased with the Alstroemeria I planted in July they are now flowering well with the most gorgeous flowers I can cut to enjoy at home.

 They also won me a first prize in the Summer show, together with 4 more ‘first’s for cabbage, beetroot, longest runner bean, and coloured potatoes; and second prize for carrots and runner beans.

I am starting to empty my compost bin and spread the rotted compost on all vacant ground; allowing the worms to do their job over winter and also helps to supress the weeds.

SEPTEMBER

Already it is much cooler and a feeling of autumn is in the air but with no rain for some time now I have called a halt to the mulching till it has had a good soaking. Old spent crops should be cleared now; keep on top of the weeds hoeing through any vacant ground. Onion sets and shallots will soon be available for planting now, get them in while the soil is still warm. Harvest beans and courgettes, water well if you can to keep them cropping. Cabbage white butterflies are about so make sure all brassicas are covered with a fine netting to deter them. If they do get in they will lay their eggs and hatch into caterpillars which should be picked over before they do too much damage. Keep lifting main crop potatoes, drying for a few hours in the sun will harden their skins for storing. Onions too need to be dried before storing. Only those with thin necks will keep, use any others first.

Pick up fallen apples and pears and any you can’t use can be put on the compost heap. Summer pruning should be finished this month.

All the flowers have given me enormous pleasure this year but to keep them flowering they will need to be dead headed regularly particularly the dahlias and chrysanths which should go on till the frosts.

Kings seed catalogues are now available at all the site stores, pick up your copy and start planning for next year and take advantage of the very generous 40% discount. 

16th of the month and because we have seen little or no rain this month my parsnips have all run to seed. These I have been dug out and disposed of. My first sowing of Runner Beans too have been taken out, they were only producing very hard beans but the second sowing is now giving me some really tender beans; there is some blackfly on them but I find I can control it by rubbing them off.

Our stall at the Michaelmas Fayre, Alverstoke was a great success, nice to be back again. Steve with his usual fantastic display and the many donations of produce to sell and swell our funds.

 

    

Early morning setting up the stall.

 

OCTOBER

The month has started very wet and windy but I am continuing to clear spent crops and tidy up where I can. I have harvested the last of the Runner beans now. Still a few Finesse strawberries keep coming but the last of the Raspberries have been picked and I have cut down the old fruiting canes and tied in the new ones for next year’s crop.  Charles Ross Apples are doing well now, I pick when it will come away from the tree in the cup of my hand and a gently twist. A good cooking apple but also left to really ripen a nice crisp eater too.

The strong winds are not doing the flowers any favours. The Dahlias and Chrysanths are being blown down but still plenty of the colour as we are now into autumn.

Onion sets, and broad beans are now available in the stores and a good time to plant while the soil is still warm.

20th of the month and we are getting near to Halloween; unfortunately some have had their Pumpkins removed and we would ask that you be extra vigilant now and not leave anything around, such as wheel barrows and steps that can be used either to scale the fences.

My pears, Conference and Concorde are starting to ripen now. I pick while they are still hard and finish off in the greenhouse. It is hard to tell when a pear is ripe as they ripen from the inside out. The Concorde will start to turn a pale yellow and both I find will have a little give at the stem end but it is really all hit and miss. Delicious when you get it right.

I have been using a rotted leaf mould on my flower beds this year to mulch as I am sorry to say my usual supplier of horse manure after more than 35 years has now stopped delivering.

Continue to remove and compost any rotting brassica leaves.

NOVEMBER.

I have shared a load of manure from another supplier at Wickham, this has now topped up my compost bins nicely and will be ready for use in the spring. The weather has turned noticeably colder and wetter; as conditions allow finish harvesting potatoes and while soil is still warm sow onion sets, garlic and broad beans. Bare rooted soft fruit plants should be arriving this month so make sure beds are well prepared and weed free ready for planting. I have now harvested all my pears as the squirrels are getting to them. I have laid them out in the greenhouse to ripen. A sunny window sill will do just as well.

19th and we are having some very mild days, I have been given some wood ash which I have spread over most of my beds and will leave it for the rains to wash in over winter. I am gradually taking down my 8ft canes that I have used for beans and sweet peas; I am finding them too tall for me now and changing to 6ft. (I must be shrinking). Also because of the blight in the summer will be moving my tomato frames too.

Have enjoyed building a log pile for the bees and insects to shelter in over winter; will be adding some bundles of hollowed out canes and pine cones as well.

November has ended bitterly cold but I have managed to plant up my new strawberry bed with ‘Elsanta’ bare rooted plants.

 DECEMBER

Our thoughts are turning to Christmas now; I have once again hung my wreath on the shed door, replacing with new Bay foliage. Fallen apples I have cored and hung in the trees for the birds to enjoy. Keep any bird baths free from ice if you can and top up with fresh water. Keep bird seed feeders clean.

On the plot any bare rooted trees/canes/plants can be planted now as long as the ground isn’t frozen. Continue to dig over vacant ground but leave in clods for the winter weather to break it down. Gather up fallen leaves to compost or make leaf mould.

ROUND-UP

Covid restrictions have been easier this year but the Lottie is still my life-saver and has been a great place to be again this year; The Association has enjoyed some interesting trips out to Wisley and Windsor Castle and it was good to be able to have our two Shows back again.  On the plot the blight caused most of us to lose tomatoes although the potato crop was fantastic. For the first year I can remember all my parsnips ran to seed and I can only think it was lack of water due to the long dry spell earlier in the year. Runner Beans were not the best but again I think lack of regular watering was the problem. Otherwise I have no complaints, soft and tree fruit both cropped well, flowers gave a beautiful colourful display for most of the year. Vegetables have supplied me well for my needs and I am still harvesting, leeks, celeriac, carrots and savoy cabbage. With potatoes and onions in store.  Water buts have all been topped up and manure delivered so I am now eagerly awaiting spring to get started again.

A reminder that subscriptions are now due for renewal and can be obtained at any of the site stores.

It only remains for me to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy Christmas and look forward to seeing you back on the plot in 2022.  Stay Safe.

Beryl.

Finally, this little chap has now met his demise. He has been living in my shed for some time and while I didn’t like resorting to drastic measures couldn’t put up with the trail of destruction and droppings any more.