Friday 30 April 2010

Manna from Heaven.


At last, a decent amount of rain. Last night it bucketed down but today when I went down to the allotment to plant the new pear tree the top 3" or so of soil were still dry as dust. The rain has started again now and more is forecast over the weekend so fingers crossed we get a good soaking. Then I only have to worry about getting stuck in the mud again ......

Our little plot is shaping up nicely. As you can see in the photo, we've now put up shade/shelter netting to protect us from the biting winds bowling over the open countryside we're surrounded by. I'd be interested in opinions anyone may have re carrot fly, will the shelter netting give us any protection or should I still put fleece around the carrot bed?

The fruit section is now well populated with strawberries, raspberries, red currants, 1 plum tree, 2 pear trees and 2 dwarf apple trees are due to arrive immanently. Carrot and broccoli seeds are just beginning to join the broad beans above the soil and runner beans, borlotti beans, sweetcorn and pumpkin are sprouting co-operatively at home.

We've had our first crop from the allotment already - but I have to confess it's not something we grew. I picked some nettles from the trackway around the plot and have brewed some nettle beer. Not tasted it yet but will blog the recipe if it's any good.

The salad potatoes at home are proving to be more expensive than I thought. As mentioned previously, I'm not growing main crop potatoes as I can get them really cheaply at a local farm shop. I thought that growing the higher value salad potatoes made more sense. I looked at the price of salad potatoes in the shops versus the cost of seed potatoes and bags to grow them in and decided they were cheaper to grow than buy. What I failed to factor in though, is the cost of the compost. I'm going through sacks and sacks of the stuff in the earthing up process so next year they'll be definite candidates for the allotment instead.

I've never grown potatoes before so I'm really, really hoping the taste of freshly dug spuds makes up for the cost!

4 comments:

  1. I like my potatoes that i grow on the plot....I have first second and main crop in this year......I have never tried the bags but imagine it could be costly...it will all be worth it in the end though!!

    As for the carrot fly and the netting....I really couldn't say.....I have never done anything with my carrots except sown them and they have been fine but in every area you have your different pro's and con's and I think you will have to pretty much play the pest problems by sight for the first year and go from their....sorry i know that really isn't much help.

    Here's hoping for more rain...Happy gardening!

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  2. It's still raining (happy dance) no, make that (rain dance)

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  3. Would love to have an allotment plot, so just started growing various varieties in pots in the garden.

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  4. May is usually when carrot fly do their worst. I keep mine permanently covered with fine mesh though there are some on my site who time it so they don't thin in May and never cover theirs..

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