In times of lockdown, the allotment is a lifeline. Genuine exercise, gentle sociability. My plot is still one of the messiest on the site (bar the ones that are passing out of or awaiting cultivation). Some of this is my green manure, some of it is me planting flowers. Below: mustard greens and allium.
I've decided that we will do flowers on the allotment. I always somewhat intended to, but from next year it will be in plan.
My main food crops this year are classic poor soil items; potatoes, beans, peas and onions (various). The beans went in successionally, some in autumn, some in spring. The late beans are still in flower while the early ones are filling out (hopefully nicely). This spectacular spider was hanging out in the beans, ambushing pollinators. One of my allotment neighbours has bee hives, the site is very bee-populous of all varieties. Another reason to grow more flowers.
Social distancing rules on my allotment allows for two people per allotment, but in practice we're lightly populated. But it's also lovely to see people; one of my co-allotmenters gave me leeks this week! Here they are getting accustomed to my space. Hopefully I'll get them in soil before they dry and die.
The frost, though brief, caused serious damage. Almost every strawberry flower has black-eye and those without probably won't make good fruit. "Don't plant strawberries in exposed spaces" the RHS website says, helpfully. Well, the geodesic dome should help shelter them next year. The potatoes could care less about the frost. It burned off their top growth, so they're making more. I gave them some more grass mulch, in case it happens again? Frost in June, it has been known. What a weird year though - so dry and then a sharp cold snap.
I have a lot of oats on the allotment. I don't remember planting them, they just turned up. Can I eat them? Make my own porridge? Do I need to wait for them to ripen? I remember eating green wheat as a child. The elephant garlic is coming up nicely which is pleasing -- along with lots of other aliums, which would like more water please.
Finally to my Jerusalem Artichokes. These should run and run once I have got them established. The tubers are mostly sprouting happily (two seem to have failed but may turn up later) and have broken soil and are ready to start running up to their yellow flowers. We like the flavour, which is just as well as they're supposed to be prolific.
Prolific, tough, perennial. Music to my ears.
I've decided that we will do flowers on the allotment. I always somewhat intended to, but from next year it will be in plan.
My main food crops this year are classic poor soil items; potatoes, beans, peas and onions (various). The beans went in successionally, some in autumn, some in spring. The late beans are still in flower while the early ones are filling out (hopefully nicely). This spectacular spider was hanging out in the beans, ambushing pollinators. One of my allotment neighbours has bee hives, the site is very bee-populous of all varieties. Another reason to grow more flowers.
Social distancing rules on my allotment allows for two people per allotment, but in practice we're lightly populated. But it's also lovely to see people; one of my co-allotmenters gave me leeks this week! Here they are getting accustomed to my space. Hopefully I'll get them in soil before they dry and die.
The frost, though brief, caused serious damage. Almost every strawberry flower has black-eye and those without probably won't make good fruit. "Don't plant strawberries in exposed spaces" the RHS website says, helpfully. Well, the geodesic dome should help shelter them next year. The potatoes could care less about the frost. It burned off their top growth, so they're making more. I gave them some more grass mulch, in case it happens again? Frost in June, it has been known. What a weird year though - so dry and then a sharp cold snap.
I have a lot of oats on the allotment. I don't remember planting them, they just turned up. Can I eat them? Make my own porridge? Do I need to wait for them to ripen? I remember eating green wheat as a child. The elephant garlic is coming up nicely which is pleasing -- along with lots of other aliums, which would like more water please.
Finally to my Jerusalem Artichokes. These should run and run once I have got them established. The tubers are mostly sprouting happily (two seem to have failed but may turn up later) and have broken soil and are ready to start running up to their yellow flowers. We like the flavour, which is just as well as they're supposed to be prolific.
Prolific, tough, perennial. Music to my ears.
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