Last week we made a couple of visits to the allotment.
As in previous weeks recently much of our time there was spent clearing and tidying beds.
The area below had been a large square bed but we found that the central area became very compacted due to us having to walk on the soil to harvest so we made the decision to split it into two with a path down the centre. The two beds have been roughly dug over and now we just need the winter weather to break down the clods of soil.
Generally, as the trees and bushes are gradually losing their leaves, the plot will soon take on its bare winter look.
Most of the beds have now been cleared of their summer residents.
There is lots of general tidying up to complete before wintry weather sets in.
Around the fruit canes it was more or less a case of clearing any weeds from around the plants before they became too comfortable and difficult to evict.
Then there are some neglected areas that we are hoping to bring back into production. Clearing these areas is going to take more effort and be a longer job. We have tried to tackle a couple of overgrown areas before and each time the weather has scuppered us. Let's hope that this is the year when the weather gods play nicely and help us complete the task.
We've been harvesting carrots for a few weeks now but these have all been the variety Early Market, just one of the three varieties we are growing. Last week we decided to dig a few samples from the other two varieties in order to ascertain whether they were going to prove as successful. We were not disappointed.
Martyn has posted about how we grow our carrots including a video of last week's reveal. You can read it here.
Martyn has posted about how we grow our carrots including a video of last week's reveal. You can read it here.
Every time I cut some dahlias, I expect them to be the last but the plants are still hanging on.
I even managed to find a tiny posy of sweet peas.
If you look closely at the leeks below, you may be able to see that leaves of the row on the far right are turning yellowish. This variety is Below Zero F1 and we did wonder whether these leeks were going to be worth harvesting.
Fortunately they were fine so we harvested a couple. Like the carrots we harvest leeks as we need them.
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The leeks I planted on my Courtmoor plot seem very puny still. I wonder if they will put on any more weight over Winter? Yours look pretty decent though. If your carrot samples are a true reflection of the yields, I reckon Flakee will outshine Autumn King.
ReplyDeleteI think the carrot competition will be a close run thing, Mark. I hope so anyway.
DeleteI'm almost done with the cleanup in our garden as well - only few beds with hardier veg such as broccoli and carrots left to clear.
ReplyDeleteWe’ve still plenty to do, Margaret. Most years there is always something we don’t get finished.
DeleteFlakee looks like a big one! The leeks are pretty, and it's something I have never tried growing here since I've always thought they were somewhat fussy about soil and growing conditions.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know whether leeks are fussy or not, Dave, I know those who grow them for competitions go to all sorts of extremes, Ours are just planted in our clay soil, and though they wouldn’t win any prizes, they do OK.
DeleteI think that this weekend's predicted cooler temperatures might scupper my clearing plans Sue. What a lovely colourful bunch of dahlias and cosmos. I still have a few lingering sweet peas although the flowers are somewhat bedraggled and rain spotted.
ReplyDeleteMy sweet peas were hardly prize specimens either. We managed some more clearing today and we’re hoping we can get more done later this week.
DeleteGoodness, you have quite a garden plot! What a treat to still have a few dahlias and sweet peas.
ReplyDeleteIt is a treat Sue. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
DeleteI love your leeks. I was successful with them only one year. They made a great soup. It sure is green there.
ReplyDeleteIt was more brown and yellow over summer Bonnie but it only took some rain for it to green back up again
DeleteI like your dahlias , Sue...
ReplyDeleteIt’s a bonus to have flowers at this time of year, Endah
DeleteYou are further ahead with your winter clearing that we are Sue. It all looks very organised. There is always that moment of anxious anticipation when you dig the first of a root crop, but your carrots there look very good. Not hear of Flakee, but they look well worth growing
ReplyDeleteThe next anxious moment will be starting to dig the parsnips, Kathy
DeleteSo happy about the carrots. Coincidentally I was digging carrots and leeks today! My surprise bonus was a few edible runner beans - my reward for not tidying them away before now!
ReplyDeleteSo are we, Mal. Our beans have long been gone - I think the runner beans share the booby prize along with the potatoes. We’ve plenty of climbing Frenchies in the freezer though,
DeleteHow funny that the tomatoes were found in amongst the leeks...a mouse maybe? The leeks and carrots are looking good! Lucky you. Love all the flowers too, fancy still having dahlias!xxx
ReplyDeleteI’m thinking the tomatoes fell off the plants in the way to the compost heap, Dina, Maybe they were green and ripened on the ground. The tomatoes were grown diagonally on the furthest point on the plot away from where we found them.
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