Richard's Dig

Busy and Hops

2009-05-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't been on the allotment as much as usual. I helped out scouts on camp for 3 days and this months mostly been miserable. Raining all the time. When I do get to the allotment I feel like I'm just pulling up bindweed. I've come realise its not like gardeners world where everything is daisy and your plot is effortlessly weeded. I find that its repetitive, rather than hard, work.

Anyway's my hops are starting to get going. Right now they are on canes, but they will need a trellis very soon. I started feeding them on nettle fertiliser. Interestingly they like it better than my store brought stuff, though its not really a popular brand.

Strawberry patch

2009-04-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

These are summer fruiting Elsanta strawberries that my uncle got from bnq.

First time I've put up some netting over anything.

Runner beans

2009-04-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine helped me fix up these wigwams. I also planted out the runner beans. It's a little early. So I put some fleece around the wigwams.

Corn

2009-04-15T09:10:00.001-07:00

My corn on the way.

Runner beans sowed

2009-04-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today I sowed some yellow dwarf beans and runner beans in the old greenhouse.

End of March

2009-03-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

I had a go at planting onions with the use of plastic mulch. Its a bit messy after watering/rain.

The reason for the mulch in this area of the garden is that there's a weed problem. I'm interested to see how it goes.

Hops have new growth! Hopping to see some dominant bines in a couple of weeks.

I planted some french dwarf beans today to go next to broad beans.

Plated/sowed: corn (inside), beans, stuttgart onions.

Bindweed

2009-03-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

I dug a lot today. Weeding as I go along. Unlike Tuesday's couch grass, today it is bindwind. This part of the plot was invaded late last summer after next doors plot was abandoned (it now has a brave owner, the soil is full of the roots) which was then taken over as bindweed central.

The roots of the weed have to all come out. They are easy to spot being white and usually long. I got a fair pile.

Apparently Mexican Marigold kills it but, I don't know I'm sceptical.

I plan to grown runner beans and more onions on this side of the plot with plastic mulch. I may use this method www.ehow.com/how_2292784_plant-onion...

Weeds, greenhouse and planting

2009-03-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

I dug a lot of weeds out. Couch grass is annoyingly spread in a area I dug over in winter.

It grows creeping steams underneath the soil. You have to remove every piece you find. Even the smallest of roots with allow it to take.

An another annoying thing is that the greenhouse took a battering by last nights winds so we had to replace some of the panes.

I put some broad beans in. One dwarf and a tall variety. A line of cabbage too.

The hops are in a little shock from the move. Some parts of the have wilted. The ground is still moist from winter so I know its not lack of water. I will check them again soon.

In the ground they go

2009-03-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

Moved the hops to the allotment. I mixed in some Fish, Blood and Bone with rotted manure. Topped off with manure on top and a black plastic mulch.

Hop update

2009-03-18T06:02:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post. I checked my hops this morning. The challenger has 4 bines and more shoots. I wont remove them until I get a trellis made. I think ill take two away.

You can see how much its grown since last time.

My goldings plant is still small but slowly growing.

Potatoes in

2009-03-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

I was going to work on the allotment all day yesterday. Only to get a few rows of onions in I was roped into cleaning a shed out.

Today though, I managed to get the rest of the potatoes in. Maris Piper, Desiree and Charlotte. That's 4 Variates, if you include last weeks Maris peer, in now.

One part of the plot is taking shape. My peas, radish's and a line of lettuce are under cloth. A small line of carrots are in between onions (companion planting).

Under the small polytunnel is another line of lettuce. As an experiment it will be interesting to see if it makes any difference.

I managed to acquire plastic mulch. I will probably make use of it for hops. We get nasty climbing weeds that, if left for a week, will strangle crops. Its called Bindweed and it is evil.

Update

2009-03-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

Potatoes, radish, lettuce and peas all in today.

Notice my amazing straight lines. Its the curvature of the earth. Or maybe last year I rushed digging in manure into trenches. Never mind, straight lines are boring and wont affect the plants. Heh some passer-by might get a laugh out of it.

Hop Shoots

2009-03-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

My hops have new shoots. They are in buckets at the moment ready for putting into the allotment.

Spring is very close

2009-02-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

My strawberry's have sprouted, my grape vine is going strong and my hops have some new shoots. So its looking good at the moment.

I bought my first batch of patatoes today. I will get some more over time. These are maris peer from wilkos.

Ill start to blog more here once everything is going.

Alpine Strawberries

2009-01-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

Sowed an alpine variety called 'Yellow Delight'. A rare yellow fruited strawberry. Supposedly colour outsmarts the birds and they leave the strawberries alone. There is a description and photo on fraisesdesbois.com/varieties.htm.

Grape Cuttings Rooted

2009-01-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

That was quick. 3 have started to produced leafs while the others have a little sign of rooting.

Grape Vine Cuttings

2008-12-29T17:53:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I pruned my grandfathers old grape vine in the greenhouse. Its probably 20 years old or more. I don't know what variety it is and I was going to stick the vines onto the bonfire pile however I decided it would be fun to try for new grape vines.

After asking on chat.allotment.org.uk and some googling I found its supposedly very easy. You cut stems down to 4-5 nodes. Then place in sand/dirt making sure you put them in the right way up. Buds are always above leaf scars.

I will have to wait a couple of weeks till they root.