I was just at statcounter.com which I'm using to measure the traffic coming to my blog...all free and very easy to use!
It is interesting to note that people out there all over the cyber world (Czech Republic,USA, Canada, Australia,India,France, etc etc..) are potentially reading something that I'm writing...although some people could be falling onto my page randomly or by mistake!
I've found that blogging is a good way to record what is happening day to day, and as the archive of posts builds up, just how much has been learnt and achieved.
I really love being on the allotment - and even without the blog would feel a sense of achievement. But, having the blog lets me look back and see the fruits of my labour.
So I recommend blogging to you all - allotmenteers or not.
Please feel free to leave comments, questions, advice, tips etc....it would be great to read what you have to say.
Showing posts with label allotment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allotment. Show all posts
Saturday, 23 January 2010
Sunday, 3 May 2009
May day, mayday!
A lot has happened since the last posting, I've dug over a new bed - this time, running north to south. This should give the plants in this bed more sunshine. The reason I've got my other beds running east to west? Well, I didn't really know what I was about!! I don't think it will make a big difference, but the new beds I dig will be N-S...this will also mean that there will be less walk ways...which now I'm getting into it, will become important - as I'm quickly running out of space!
The plot I've got is approx 15' wide by 75' long, which is only a half plot on the councils books...seemed like a hell of a size when I first saw it, and some people are comfy with just a quarter plot.
Above, is the new bed (the dark brown patch, not the path). I'm hoping to put sweetcorn in here - all grown from seed on the kitchen window sill...done fine up to now and have probably got about 30 healthy seedlings to plant out!
The sweetcorn I'm going to try and grow is called minipop - it gives the small cobs that you can use in stirfrys or salads, or soups I guess! My reasoning was that sweetcorn felt like a stretch to get full cobs in the UK, so start by growing small cobs. Talking to other allotmenteers though, it sound like full size corn was a success last year, even though the summer was rubbish!!
Since the photo was taken I've dumped 6 bags of compost on to it, sounds a lot - but once it is all spread out I've probably only added another half inch of soil!! The soil isnt as deep here, with clay probably only six inches down. So I'll add plenty of manure, and home-made compost over time (which will be a lot cheaper!).
BROAD BEAN CRISIS!
I was looking at my broad beans, and notice that a lot of the nice white flowers were getting withered, and looking very sad! See first picture below. I was a bit worried that I had a problem on my hands, some sort of disease or over watering... but I checked my neighbour's beans (second photo), and realised that all was in order - the flowers were falling back and the fruiting beans were coming forward. So no problem, just a crop on the way.
Not sure if I've ever eaten broad beans before, so I'll check out some recipes. The reason I've got them growing, if I've not eaten them? They were a last minute planting late last year as a green manure!
That is a plant which grows fast, and so suppresses weed growth, and as it is a bean, it fixes nitrogen into the soil - which other plants love. Once the beans are harvested, you dig the plants back into the bed and you'll be ready with a healthy bed next season. Win all ways round, well hopefully if they taste nice!
The plot I've got is approx 15' wide by 75' long, which is only a half plot on the councils books...seemed like a hell of a size when I first saw it, and some people are comfy with just a quarter plot.
Above, is the new bed (the dark brown patch, not the path). I'm hoping to put sweetcorn in here - all grown from seed on the kitchen window sill...done fine up to now and have probably got about 30 healthy seedlings to plant out!
The sweetcorn I'm going to try and grow is called minipop - it gives the small cobs that you can use in stirfrys or salads, or soups I guess! My reasoning was that sweetcorn felt like a stretch to get full cobs in the UK, so start by growing small cobs. Talking to other allotmenteers though, it sound like full size corn was a success last year, even though the summer was rubbish!!
Since the photo was taken I've dumped 6 bags of compost on to it, sounds a lot - but once it is all spread out I've probably only added another half inch of soil!! The soil isnt as deep here, with clay probably only six inches down. So I'll add plenty of manure, and home-made compost over time (which will be a lot cheaper!).
BROAD BEAN CRISIS!
I was looking at my broad beans, and notice that a lot of the nice white flowers were getting withered, and looking very sad! See first picture below. I was a bit worried that I had a problem on my hands, some sort of disease or over watering... but I checked my neighbour's beans (second photo), and realised that all was in order - the flowers were falling back and the fruiting beans were coming forward. So no problem, just a crop on the way.
Not sure if I've ever eaten broad beans before, so I'll check out some recipes. The reason I've got them growing, if I've not eaten them? They were a last minute planting late last year as a green manure!
That is a plant which grows fast, and so suppresses weed growth, and as it is a bean, it fixes nitrogen into the soil - which other plants love. Once the beans are harvested, you dig the plants back into the bed and you'll be ready with a healthy bed next season. Win all ways round, well hopefully if they taste nice!
Sunday, 26 April 2009
Pond-tastic!
Hole is dug and the liner sits nice and snug, got all the way down to some London clay. Don't want to be doing that again in a hurry, heavy, wet and uncooperative! Next off to the garden centre to eye up some possible future fishy residents.
Back from the garden centre, apologies for shadow! Pond filled with water, some from the water tank which, as the water sits around in it for a while should have some healthy bacteria and microbes. The rest was hosed in. The oxygenating plants are in place - two types, both with very long Latin names that I can't remember or will ever need to know again!
The plan for Mr Pond is to now leave nature to get to work building up some normal pond type plant life, and in a couple of weeks the walls of the pond should have a covering of green stuff - which will hopefully indicate the fish can go in.
I'm planning on putting four goldfish - Comets I think, that will be about 3 or 4 inches long to start with. Comets are a goldfish variety that look pretty much like a regular river fish - no soppy fan tails, or big bulging eyes or other deformities - just fish that enjoy a swim, and look very red. Not had a pond previously so I'm hoping all goes well.
Had an offer of a toad or two from a neighbouring allotmenteer, which is very nice - the toad will need to be bussed in from her garden at home -her plot doesn't have a pond (yet). Hopefully I'll get other pond-life joining too, of their own free will. There are plenty of them on the site. Think there are at least four ponds where I've seen frogs, or tadpoles or frogspawn, there are sure to be more ponds tucked away. My neighbour has got newts in his pond too ( or was it salamanders?).
I've got the netting in place over the pond. Think I may put something else over later - although the netting is up to the job - which is keeping birds like herons out of the pond and helping themselves to the fish (once they arrive), and the frogs.
Guess a bit further along the line I'll put some other plants on the different levels in the pond, irises, lilies etc...but that can wait for the moment...
If I get down to the plot for any length of time next week I'll clear some weeds, which have died back now, and get the ground ready for the sweet corn and peas to be planted out.
That was a very successful weekend, plot now has a shed and a pond!
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Shed-tastic
My allotment plot now has a "shed end"! With the willing help of my son, we've transported all the bits down to the allotment, and got it all fixed up.
It is only a tiny shed, a base that is only 4ft x 3ft but it will make a big difference to the on-going maintenance and upkeep of the plot. No need to lug all my tools, hose, fertiliser etc.. in the big ikea bag out to the car, no need to drive the car to the allotment, no need to pack-up all the tools and drive the car out of the cemetery when it is about to close (should explain that the best access for my plot is via a back gate in the adjoining cemetery, and the cemetery gates close before dusk).
I forgot to mention, no need to get soaked to the skin, when a sudden downpour strikes!
Took about 3 hours to get the shed erected, that was once the base was levelled out. I'm using a fairly strong pallet as a base to keep it out of the wet, and also to save on putting any effort in. It is all pretty level and I'm hoping that if the shed start to sink a little bit into the soil, it will do so evenly!! The pallet is 1.2m x 1m so I've got a 10cm porch (ok step) to sit out on!
Now to put some shelves and hooks for the tools, and get a couple of the spare fold-up chairs - and it will become pretty homely!
Next tasks: Dig a hole for the pond (4ft x 4ft approx.), clear the dead weeds, make an area for the sweet corn, enjoy having a shed!
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Hoze That!
A walk to the local shops, took me past a neighbours house, which has a sad looking unreeled hose in the front garden. Now allotmenteering tends to feature a lot of making the best of what you have and re-using stuff thrown out in skips etc... but, I've not really got into the full swing of that yet! But, knocked on the door later in the day and was told it was being thrown out - even if it was just a length of hose I could probably make use of it at the allotment so I whisked it away.
At home found it needed a new part to link it to the tap, so went to local Homebase , bought the part and now have a perfectly usable hose to use at the allotment.
Hose reel has now been tried and tested at the allotment, and it is a lot easier than a watering can. The reel system works fine too, so is a real good (and cheap) find! Next I'll pluck up the courage to check out skips, there are generally quite a few around with odd bits of lumber, but have never got anything out of them!!
Shed arrives tomorrow, that should probably be the shed is due to arrive tomorrow - we'll wait and see! I'm working from home, so if the lorry arrives I'll be here.
So it looks like it will be a busy weekend, but looking forward to not carting everything back and forwards in the car - including the new hose.
I know that others have found a lot of success with "freecycle" I subscribed for a while, and some amazing things come up on the site, but not checked on it recently.
At home found it needed a new part to link it to the tap, so went to local Homebase , bought the part and now have a perfectly usable hose to use at the allotment.
Hose reel has now been tried and tested at the allotment, and it is a lot easier than a watering can. The reel system works fine too, so is a real good (and cheap) find! Next I'll pluck up the courage to check out skips, there are generally quite a few around with odd bits of lumber, but have never got anything out of them!!
Shed arrives tomorrow, that should probably be the shed is due to arrive tomorrow - we'll wait and see! I'm working from home, so if the lorry arrives I'll be here.
So it looks like it will be a busy weekend, but looking forward to not carting everything back and forwards in the car - including the new hose.
I know that others have found a lot of success with "freecycle" I subscribed for a while, and some amazing things come up on the site, but not checked on it recently.
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Progress at the plot
August 2008 - Early days, the brambles at the
far end have been cleared, but that is about it.
October 2008 - A bit of work done, 3 raised beds
and the bins for manure are made from pallets,
and compost bin for household waste.
April 2009 - 3 beds in foreground are growing well.
l-r; Strawberries, onions and broad beans were all planted
last year. 2 new beds have got potatoes in for salad potatoes,
the one with a covering of fleece has got carrots, beetroot
and parsnips in - the seeds are all a bit old but here's
hoping! You can't see from the photo, but beyond this I've
planted some autumn fruiting raspberries, a blackcurrant
bush and fed the two blackberries still growing. By the side of
the compost heaps, the lovely big thistles have been replaced
with a couple of rhubarb plants.
Saturday, 18 April 2009
Allotment Update
Good news from the allotment.
I am almost finished three new rasied beds, I will hopefully have some potatoes and other veg in there soon!
Once complete it will bring my growing area upto 6 beds...all pretty small beer when compared to some of the established plots.
But, now have got strawberries, onions and broad beans in the first 3.
I'm using the free (on 30 day trial) planning tool at www.growveg.com is very easy to use, just a case of drag and drop - and it shows you plants to put together, and a schedule of what to plant, harvest etc...
End of last summer, which is when I took over the plot, it was just weeds, and bramble, oh and rubbish, rubble etc. So once the blackberries were picked, I cut back all the brambles to give space for a shed - still not got a shed, but is on the way.
Space near windows is being taken up with seed trays, for tomoato, pepper and sweetcorn - so hopefully will get these planted out in a month or so.
Have made a couple of bins for holding horse manure - there is a local stables that is keen to get rid of it..plus the council makes deliveries once in a while...but, you need to be around for that otherwise it just goes...managed to get both bins filled, and so now am able to spread it around!!
Also have a big black composter, which was very unpopular at home, so is now relocated and is doing a good job of making something fertile out of our household waste, coffee grounds, tea bags, veg peelings, fruit cores etc.. the nice black compost will go over the new beds too.
I am almost finished three new rasied beds, I will hopefully have some potatoes and other veg in there soon!
Once complete it will bring my growing area upto 6 beds...all pretty small beer when compared to some of the established plots.
But, now have got strawberries, onions and broad beans in the first 3.
I'm using the free (on 30 day trial) planning tool at www.growveg.com is very easy to use, just a case of drag and drop - and it shows you plants to put together, and a schedule of what to plant, harvest etc...
End of last summer, which is when I took over the plot, it was just weeds, and bramble, oh and rubbish, rubble etc. So once the blackberries were picked, I cut back all the brambles to give space for a shed - still not got a shed, but is on the way.
Space near windows is being taken up with seed trays, for tomoato, pepper and sweetcorn - so hopefully will get these planted out in a month or so.
Have made a couple of bins for holding horse manure - there is a local stables that is keen to get rid of it..plus the council makes deliveries once in a while...but, you need to be around for that otherwise it just goes...managed to get both bins filled, and so now am able to spread it around!!
Also have a big black composter, which was very unpopular at home, so is now relocated and is doing a good job of making something fertile out of our household waste, coffee grounds, tea bags, veg peelings, fruit cores etc.. the nice black compost will go over the new beds too.
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