Greenhouse & Half Plot Update

Well we're coming to the end of April and its been a very wet month as well as being quite cold for this time of year. Most of the vegetables I have in the ground on my plots seem to be in a state of  suspended animation. Hopefully May will be a little warmer.

I went down to the greenhouse on the half plot today to see how things are ticking over in the greenhouse, as I got there we had another heavy shower of rain and the ground around my plot is turning into a bit of a bog. Everything is hunky dory in the greenhouse and only the leeks needed watering. Here are some photos I took on my phone whilst I was there. 

Swift potatoes planted 25th of Feb. In a couple of weeks we'll try a bag.

Tomato plants have survived thank goodness, I think I lost about 10 in total. 

The first sowing of leeks are coming along nicely, I've done three sowings in all. 

A shot from the path. 

Shot from behind the greenhouse.

Photo taken from shed step.

Onions, shallots and garlic at the back.

Left: Hispi cabbage. Middle: Calabrese. Right  is where the cauliflowers will go when they're hardened off.

I've just set my French climbing beans in modules, I think I'm behind where I was last year, but its been a lot colder this year. Dwarf French beans next and sweetcorn.

Planting veggies at last \o/

I'm finally starting to get some veggies in the ground \o/. My son was ill over the Easter holidays and I didn't want to drag him up on the allotment just to sit there and watch me working, so I put the plot on hold for Easter.


Here are some photos I took yesterday whilst working on the allotment in between the showers yesterday.

Behind the glass and plastic is where I sowed my carrots, I hope to keep the carrot fly out by putting a barrier there.

View from the bottom of the plot. Spuds bottom left and bottom right, brassicas the under netting.

The first two rows of peas went in yesterday.

 When I covered the peas I dressed the bed with some garden lime just to sweeten the soil as I manured this bed in the autumn.

Half Plot AGM & 15/04 update

Well nothing much to report from this mornings AGM, we have just over two grand in the bank and all the committee officers were voted back into their posts.

I managed to get the rest of  the onions in the ground this morning and the last of the first and second early's in (only 8 seed potatoes). I also put two short rows of main crop spuds in as well. I'm hoping to get the rest of my main crop potatoes in the ground at my full plot this coming week, now that the Easter holidays are coming to an end and #1 son is back in school. Tomorrow is grass cutting night on my small plot allotment, I try and get down to the allotment and help with the mowing and strimming if I can. Talking of strimming, one of the chaps gave me a petrol strimmer yesterday, It's in full working order and just needed a spark plug to get it going which I already had. The strimmer will come in handy on both of my plots as well as around the garden at home :)

Update 12/04/2012

Hopefully over the next few days I will get the rest of my onions and potatoes in the ground. I'm in no rush yet though as the soil is still quite cold here, a week or two will not make much of a difference. Once I have the onions and potatoes in, I can move onto peas that I will sow directly into the ground along with carrots, parsnips, spring and pickling onions and a row of lettuce.

Waiting for better weather in the blow-away are beetroot that I sowed in seed trays last month, I've now pricked them out into modules.

Here are some photo's of the state of play in the greenhouse at my half plot.

Calabrese is hardened off and ready to go in.

Hispi Cabbage is ready too.

Cauliflowers, I sowed these a month after the other brassicas. 

My first sowing of leeks are doing well.

Gooseberries are starting to flower

Spring onions, I'll plant these out before they get too big and go woody. 

Swift first early's motoring along now. 

Thank you for visiting my growing journal  :)

Greenhouse potato update

As you may or may not remember we planted 3 bags of potatoes in the greenhouse on 25th Feb. We're having a little competition to see who can grow the heaviest yield.  It has now got to the point where we can't get anymore compost in the bags. We shall just water when it's needed and I'll put them outside when the threat of frost has passed.

From left to right: Mum's,Dad's and #1 Son's

I've been given a clump of welsh onions that I've split into three and planted round the compost bin.

 I've also been given 11 3x2 paving slabs for my allotment that I'm storing behind the shed for the time being. They were very heavy to move but I was kindly helped by one of my neighbours and his big trailer. I must remember to get him a big bar of his favourite chocolate.

My first season slideshow

Seeing as I've been stuck in the house today because we awoke this morning to snow on the ground plus the fact our son has chickenpox, I put together a  little slideshow of my first season on our plot.

                           

Thanks for viewing :o)

New Greenhouse Update

Hello, so we managed to get the glass in the greenhouse after all.  All went to plan, apart from I hadn't got enough clips. I thought I got 2 bags of 50 but I only had 2 bags of 25. My wife had to run round town trying to get some more clips for me. 

Here's the greenhouse now.

Greenhouse and beds ready for planting.

I also shot a very brief video of the allotment.

Till next time thank you for reading :)