First Beds Ready

[Two_Sheds]

I have placed all surviving brassicas into their own personal fall-out shelters made from 2L pop bottles.

The trouble with pop bottles is:

- they get very hot & steamy, and make the plants grow soft
- soft plants are more susceptible to slug attack
- soft plants need to be hardened off, so take the pop bottles off daytimes for 7-10 days
- pop bottles are a lovely cosy home for slugs, who climb up and over, or down and underneath

They're useful in some cases, but I don't use them anymore

[Two_Sheds]

your potatoes in a bag

How did they get on? You mentioned somewhere that they didn't do so well, and I wonder if the spot you had them in was too shady? (June 10th photo)

[Samurailord]

Just looking through your blog, and can't make comments (I don't have any of the required user accounts).

Re: your caterpillars. There are 3 caterpillars that will attack brassicas

1) small cabbage white (bright green cats)
2) large cabbage white (drk grn & black cats)
3) cabbage moth (brown cats)

You need fine butterfly netting to keep them out

I have got netting at the allotment, and I am keeping on top of the caterpillars at home (I don't have enough netting for both yet). The caterpillars on mine are very pale green, almost yellow.

All raised beds are no-dig aren't they? That's the point of them.

(but you still have to dig at the very start, to get the perennial weed roots out of the ground)

I thought so too, but stepdad Ken insists that his beds will be dug every year. We'll see how long that lasts

I'm still reading your blog,

I'm glad that someone is reading it, but it is mainly a kind of a growing diary for me to look back on over the coming seasons and re-live the triumphs and disasters. Having said that, I hope that you like it. I am trying to update several times a week as there is so much happening right now

The trouble with pop bottles is: .....They're useful in some cases, but I don't use them anymore

I use them to start with for delicate seedlings to protect from snails and slugs - I have mostly snails here so nothing really comes up underneath.

your potatoes in a bag

How did they get on? You mentioned somewhere that they didn't do so well, and I wonder if the spot you had them in was too shady? (June 10th photo)

The potatoes were a bit of a disaster, mainly down to me to be honest. When earthing up I took it a bit too literally and covered the entire haulm instead of leaving a bit out. From 3 seed potatoes only one survived my treatment, but that got blight last weekend. I emptied out the entire growing bag but only got five little potatoes that weighed in at less than 100g.

I have another bag closer to the house in which a volunteer from last year has appeared. This one is thankfully free of blight right now - maybe I will get something off it later.

Andy

[Two_Sheds]

I have another bag closer to the house in which a volunteer from last year has appeared.

You don't get the best crops from bags (or buckets) but it's better than nothing. Keep it as sunny as possible, water & feed like mad when it flowers.

My best crops come from volunteers: I chuck the smallest spuds in my daleks, then in the spring I take the dalek up, leaving the contents to sit all summer, with lovely spuds growing in the middle of it

[Samurailord]

My potatoes on the plot that I planted on the plot in the middle of a monsoon-like rainstorm are coming up beautifully.

I don't expect too much from them as they went in rather late in the season, and they are only supermarket sprouters but they seem to be doing far better than any seed potato I have ever planted before.

You can almost see them growing - Alldigging and I were looking at them last night - the tallest stem was 8 inches high - the night before it had only been 6 inches!

I can't wait to see how they have done by tonight

Andy

[Jamesy_uk]

i'd say as long as we get some decent light until the end of september you will end up at least with some lovely new potatoes and unless we get a frost they may get a fair bit bigger by first frost date.

[Samurailord]

i'd say as long as we get some decent light until the end of september you will end up at least with some lovely new potatoes and unless we get a frost they may get a fair bit bigger by first frost date.

I am hoping so Jamesy, but as the main reason for planting was to break up the ground and give some foliage cover to suppress weeds anythis will be a bonus.

Andy

[Samurailord]

Went to the plot for a quick visit again tonight and got a few more pics of the new bed plus a very Heath Robinson type contraption that I hope will help to keep off the birds and other flying pests.

One pest I really hope it keeps away are the local family of foxes which decided to dig big holes in another bed, thankfully not the one I have planted up.



The potatoes have grown even more by tonight - last night they were 8 inches tall, tonight closer to ten!



I also made a 5' square cloche, but the pic didn't turn out too well - I will get another one in the morning.

Andy

[Cue the Toms]

All looking good mate

I have a mountain of things that I plan to do today, not sure there will be enough hours to get everything done though... If my plot neighbours keep themselves to themselves I might have half a chance. No chance of that happening, bless them

Collected 15 bags of horse muck and 15 bags of wood chippings all for free yesterday.

The horse muck is clear of any nasty surprises as other plot holders use the same supplier, although it's not ready enough to use yet so I will fill my dalek up and eat the rest for lunch

I will post some new piccies later.

Chris

[Feral007]

All sounding good SL! You're going great guns.

[Jamesy_uk]

Just a quick tip I got from another plotholders misfortune, if you use fish blood and bone or bonemeal that will attract the foxes and they will dig to get at it thinking theres something tasty in the hole.
At least round here they do at any rate, poor Barney had nearly every single plant he put in upturned as he put some bonemeal in the bottom of the trench.

[Samurailord]

Another marathon day at the allotment - arrived at 6.30am and left at 6pm.

Between the three of us we managed to complete the frames for four more raised beds, part-dig one, complete the 5' square netting cloche (without nets at the moment) and also get a few savoy cabbage seedlings and spinach, pak choi and turnip seeds in the ground.

Pics below.

[Samurailord]

More pics

[Samurailord]

I am also pleased to report that there has been absolutely zero slug damage to any of my plants as yet - the french beans are flowering as are the peas and the peas have actually got a couple of pods on them.

The courgettes that I put in on Thursday have got plenty of flower buds that weren't there two days ago, and even the pumpkins have started to put out vines - the Mammoth also has what looks like the start of a female flower already!





The pics to the left are from today - those to the right show the pumpkins just after transplanting on July 29th - a mere 13 days ago.

Andy

[Two_Sheds]

Another marathon day at the allotment - arrived at 6.30am and left at 6pm.

Blimey

and I like your photos, very neat job