Allotment Tales 16th April 2026

Thursday, was breezy and cloudy, though blue skies and sunshine did appear from time to time.
Allotment life seems to be suddenly ramping up, as the soil warms and preparation for germination and planting out becomes the main focus. The last of this year’s tatties were planted (Maris Piper). We now have a lovely bed of corrugated drills, all beautifully labelled.

We weeded the bed for the broad beans, mixed in manure and planted the first of our bean crop (Dreadnought and Luz De Otono). The bed was then netted to prevent pigeons from using it as a landing strip.

Time now to think about sowing runners, climbers and French beans, who prefer a warmer start than their more robust cousins.

The area earmarked for sweet peas was prepared. We sieved soil and compost in the large, upturned compost bins for the parsnips. Growing them this way worked well last year, resulting in long, straight roots.

We netted the cherry tree to protect the blossom, cut and edged the grass and weeded under the currant bushes.

We wove willow into the windbreak to increase its protective function.

Jobs for next week: continue bed preparation (weeding, adding compost and polythene sheeting for warmer soil) construct supports for peas and beans, continue willow weaving along the windbreak