Allotment Tales 23-07-2026

We’ve had two sunny Thursdays. It’s been great being amongst the bounty, though hard going at times, working in high temperatures and humidity. No complaining though!

Harvesting, watering and weeding are our main tasks right now.

Last week we managed to clear 3 paths and had time for a bit of weeding in the communal bed. We also made a batch of comfrey tea.

The currant bushes are dripping with fruit – a race to fill punnets, whilst the strawberries are coming to an end, with only stragglers picked today. Warmed by the sun, they have been delicious! Our raspberries and tayberries haven’t cropped too well this year, though each week we do manage to collect enough for a sharp, juicy breakfast treat. Soon it will be the turn of the blackberries and blueberries to shine.

Over at the legumes, dwarf French climbing beans (Purple Teepee and Safari) have suddenly appeared, hidden amongst shady lower leaves, whilst our runners still at the flowering stage. Mangetouts and broad beans may be past their sweet youth but are still producing pods that deliver a lovely green crunch. We’re recycling the last of the peas, hoping at least for some tasty pea shoots.

The early tatties (Pentland Javelin) have done well and soon we’ll be moving on to the main crop. Our brassica beds are a picturesque mix of texture and shades of green, with kale, broccoli and cabbages much healthier than last year’s club-root blighted crop.

We thinned the root beds – pinky, purple baby turnips and beetroot perfect for salads, with the remaining roots given more space to loosen their waist bands.

Our polyculture bed is working well, with a rich variety of unusual plants looking after each other, offering a mutual supply of nitrogen and shade as required. The mangelwurzels are growing well. We await the development of alarming-looking tubers with trepidation…

Jobs for next week: continue to harvest, weed and water as required