What I did today - 2015

[Jonny.D]

Collected more Hollyhock seeds, cut the grass, weeded & dug up a load of iris's that will be going to a new home tomorrow

[Nicos]

8 pots of blackberry jam
Yup...autumn is just around the corner folks!

[kris1960]

Great being back at allotment yesterday- mostly pottered about weeding,tidying and planning. Both beds of seedlings coming through, melons still growing, tomatos still green. Picked loads of vegetables and flowers.
Away today but must start preparing for winter.

[veggiechicken]

Potted on some cabbage seedlings of the 140 or so that I sowed recently. Must have at least 100 seedlings. Starting to hope that the caterpillars find them soon so that I won't feel obliged to plant them all out.

Cleared a bed of old kales and weeds. Found a row of purple potatoes in their midst - grown from spuds I missed last year. What is the point of growing purple spuds - they're virtually invisible. That wonderful feeling you have when you spot a glowing white potato is missing with the purple ones. Last year I decided not to grow them again - but they've come back to haunt me. Bet they'll still be there next year too

[Jay-ell]

So I went down to the other plot today to clear out the last of the stuff. Dug up my spuds, a few cabbages, my strawberry and pineberry plants and my soapwort. Emptied the compost bins and put the decent stuff in bags to take down the new plot. Most of the stuff has been moved down so one more trip and I'll hand the keys back. The radishes had of course bolted and I harvested about three pounds of rats tails from them.

At the new plot replanted teh pineberries and strawberries under the fruit bushes. Ran out of space so I had to fill up the half of the bed Ive pulled the onions out with strawberries. I'll move them to their final positions once thats ready.

Had to bin my parsley hamberg as something orible has eated through the roots, little grey things were crawling over the base of the leaves. Pulled up a coupe of the salsify and scorzonera either side to see if whatever they are had affected them but theyre ok. Nice looking roots.

Got a new to the other day - bought myself a lap top so now ican see all those banners down the side of the forum - win a luxury trip to Harrogate - really?

Anyway I've been playing about with it and have made an update video on my plot.

[Jay-ell]

Popped into Lidl and picked up a blueberry plant. It didn't say what the variety was - it'll probably be the same as the one I already have.

Stitched a new zip onto my blowaway as the old zipper head popped off and is currently hiding somewhere inside the tent.

Pulled up half the remaining onions and sorted them onto the cheap staging being used as drying racks in the greenhouse. Half a dozen had white rot so I'll grow loads of garlic over winter and try garlic water over the next years to see if that removes it.

Swapped one of the white grapes i bought the other day from Aldi for a black grape. Iwas looking for a black but both Aldi shops I went to only had white, he was looking for white but the shop he went to only had black. The fact that we both bought them anyway was sort of serendipidous.

Potted up grapes, goji berry and tayberry plants. The blueberries will have to wait until I get the ericatious compost down.

[SusieG]

My first runner beans!

Woohoo!!!!
Picked the first lush runner beans I have growing in a pot, delicious...

[roitelet]

Today has been the first day when it has been cool enough for two weeks to attempt to tidy the tunnel. It has been dash in water and retreat before melting.

So I removed some of the tomato leaves to improve air flow. Cut two heads of celery which I will freeze. Planted beetroot that I started in pots. Repotted the chard which will go in as soon as there is room and had a general tidy up. Looks loads better now!!!

[jonny the plant pot]

Went to look at my dad's new alotment and give him 2 x 2ft tall plum tomato plants as a plot warming present to grow in his pollytunnel

[vixylix]

ooh forgot about my caterpillar story! I have been flummoxed by how people are managing to find the caterpillars which are destroying their plants - so decided to upturn some leaves on my strawberry plant, which is the smallest and easiest to access. In doing so I found a caterpillar (yay) which promptly fell off the leaf and disappeared (boo). My tomatoes are underneath the strawberry and was then worried said caterpillar would start attacking my tomatoes instead! After 20 minutes of looking and staring and more looking I couldnt find it and gave up. Just as I was walking off I spotted it curled up on a leaf. result - one dead caterpillar and hopefully safe tomatoes / strawberries. If only the others were so easy to find!!

[rosiepumpkin]

Yesterday I took both Latah out of the greenhouse to the compost heap. Cause of decline: caterpillars. Still, I took all the green ones off and the compost is being reused to plant out my vervain and mrytle which have been unhappy in too small pots.

I spotted a huge caterpillar which had come out of a crysalis and shed skin along the back of a Grushovka leaf. Very impressive. I was less inclined to yell 'got you, you bastard' at this specimen. Took all the larger toms off the 3 grushovka too and cross fingers the blighters won't cross over to the other side of the greenhouse.

Today I am doing the other half's accoumts as it's been raining all day. And we ordered a cherry tree, Gisela 5 bush Summer Sun from Keeper's Nursery. Thanks to all grapes who recommend people

[vixylix]

Repotted my baby PSBs ready to be planted out once the raised bed is cleared of 'summer veg'. Also moved my previously pot confined scotch bonnets into the recently evacuated potato barrel to give them a bit of room to spread - and hopefully give me some actual chillies (!) before it gets too cold

[Martin H]

Today I collected cucumber seed from two ripe Tamra cucs. Should have plenty to send to the VSP.

[rosiepumpkin]

Today I did nothing at all on my allotment and enjoyed a luscious tomato salad instead.

[rosiepumpkin]

Away Friday afternoon and Saturday, didn't start until late yesterday and only made a start on area behind greenhouses.Dreadful hay fever - the tablets work but make me feel rubbish - can't decide whether to take or not.
Got some blackberries from aldi and someone gave me a woodchipper. New toy to play with ....... when I get a generator to go with it!
Hoping for some much needed rain today.
Highlight yesterday was tennisball sized melon! It just might happen!

Nettle infusion twice a day during the season works a treat. It's a natural antihistamine and works great for bites and stings too. pour boiling water over a teaspoon of dried leaves (or a bit more if fresh), leave for a few minutes, strain and drink twice a day.