The allotment is beginning to look rather bare now but if you look closely there is still rather a lot going on as I realised whilst I was filming the video below.
The video is about 12 minutes long. If you choose to view in full screen please make sure you choose the highest resolution that your equipment can manage.
I watched your video, Sue with interest, because of many of veggies you've sown and grow in winter. I liked brassicas ans broccoli, if I could I would planted their seedlings in winter :-( Moreover it was a pleasure to hear your voice, as if I visited your allotment in reality.
Thanks for posting the video. Yup, that's Queen Anne's Lace. Look out for the single dark floret near the middle of the flowerhead. What shape are your swedes? Is it that they have split? With the dry weather it has been a common complaint this year.
Thanks for the ID. I didn't plant any so I don;t know where it came from. The swedes are long and cylindrical, Mal. We've tried for a few years and they always grow roots like this year.
Is the flesh yellow or white? (The only long cylindrical rooted brassica I can think of is mooli. Are you sure there hasn't been a mix up at the seed merchants?)
The roots have never been good enough for us to find out the flesh colour, Mal as we haven’t used them. The outer colours look like swede though. If it’s a seed mix up it’s kept happening for several years as each time it’s a new packet. :-)
That rules that out! Two pieces of swede folklore from Aberdeenshire (where they are grown invariably year on year). 1. 15th May is reputed to be the best time to sow. 2. You get your neighbour to thin out your swedes - because if you did it yourself you would leave them too close together. In return you have to thin your neighbours.
Still a lot happening at the allotment! I'm wondering if perhaps you are planting your garlic too early, although you have such a different climate over the winter that I may be way off the mark here. In my mind, garlic would be much more susceptible to winterkill if it was actively growing when the cold weather hit. We don't plant our garlic until late October, early November. It has a bit of time to grow a few roots, but that's about it before it goes to sleep until early spring - we wouldn't see the growth your showing until perhaps late April. With a good topping of straw, we've never had a loss due to cold weather - and it gets much colder here...sometimes down to -40C!
It's the first time I've planted the garlic as early, Margaret. Later planted cloves haven't fared well so I thought that I'd give it a go earlier. The variety is bred for colder climates. Fortunately our winter temperatures are nowhere near as low as yours. Last year -6C (about 21F) was our lowest temperature
Your efforts to have veg available all year round put the rest of us to shame, Sue! Isn't it a pity that growing brassicas involves so much investment in protection and so many disappointments when our plans are foiled by the dratted pests?
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment - it is great to hear from you and know that there are people out there actually reading what I write! Come back soon. (By the way any comments just to promote a commercial site, or any comments not directly linked to the theme of my blog, will be deleted) I am getting quite a lot of spam. It is not published and is just deleted. I have stopped sifting through it and just delete any that ends up in my spam folder in one go so I am sorry if one of your messages is deleted accidentally. Comments to posts over five days old are all moderated.
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There really is a lot still happening there. I think I'll try leeks again next year; yours look so nice.
ReplyDeleteWe use a lot of leek over winter tpals. You can’t beat a chicken and leek pie.
DeleteI watched your video, Sue with interest, because of many of veggies you've sown and grow in winter. I liked brassicas ans broccoli, if I could I would planted their seedlings in winter :-( Moreover it was a pleasure to hear your voice, as if I visited your allotment in reality.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you enjoyed the video, Nadezda. If you are interested there are more videos on My Youtube channel Martyn has a channel too here
DeleteI forgot Nadezda, the easiest place to access all of our videos is our vlog here
DeleteThanks for posting the video. Yup, that's Queen Anne's Lace. Look out for the single dark floret near the middle of the flowerhead. What shape are your swedes? Is it that they have split? With the dry weather it has been a common complaint this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ID. I didn't plant any so I don;t know where it came from. The swedes are long and cylindrical, Mal. We've tried for a few years and they always grow roots like this year.
DeleteIs the flesh yellow or white? (The only long cylindrical rooted brassica I can think of is mooli. Are you sure there hasn't been a mix up at the seed merchants?)
DeleteThe roots have never been good enough for us to find out the flesh colour, Mal as we haven’t used them. The outer colours look like swede though. If it’s a seed mix up it’s kept happening for several years as each time it’s a new packet. :-)
DeleteThat rules that out! Two pieces of swede folklore from Aberdeenshire (where they are grown invariably year on year). 1. 15th May is reputed to be the best time to sow. 2. You get your neighbour to thin out your swedes - because if you did it yourself you would leave them too close together. In return you have to thin your neighbours.
DeleteStill a lot happening at the allotment! I'm wondering if perhaps you are planting your garlic too early, although you have such a different climate over the winter that I may be way off the mark here. In my mind, garlic would be much more susceptible to winterkill if it was actively growing when the cold weather hit. We don't plant our garlic until late October, early November. It has a bit of time to grow a few roots, but that's about it before it goes to sleep until early spring - we wouldn't see the growth your showing until perhaps late April. With a good topping of straw, we've never had a loss due to cold weather - and it gets much colder here...sometimes down to -40C!
ReplyDeleteIt's the first time I've planted the garlic as early, Margaret. Later planted cloves haven't fared well so I thought that I'd give it a go earlier. The variety is bred for colder climates. Fortunately our winter temperatures are nowhere near as low as yours. Last year -6C (about 21F) was our lowest temperature
DeleteYour efforts to have veg available all year round put the rest of us to shame, Sue! Isn't it a pity that growing brassicas involves so much investment in protection and so many disappointments when our plans are foiled by the dratted pests?
ReplyDeleteIt is, Mark and we have club root thrown into the mix. It’s worth the effort for when it all comes good though.
Delete