Allotment Tales 9th July 2026 (sorry its late!)

Two weeks of sunshine have seen temperatures rising and crops ripening. The fruit harvest has really kicked in. Last Thursday  (2nd) the team picked punnets of strawberries, black and white currants and gooseberries along with the first of the tayberries and blackberries.
They have been thinning the Victoria plum and apple trees over the past fortnight, becoming increasingly ruthless. It still feels a bit counterintuitive, removing so much, but in the long run remaining fruit will grow larger and remain disease-free from having more air circulation. They discussed turning the buckets of rejects into jelly or fruit vinegars which feels less wasteful.

The week before they harvested the first of the tatties – Pentland Javelin. It’s always an exciting moment, carefully maneuvering in the fork and seeing what treasure emerges – lovely clean, creamy potatoes from their first three tubers.

The French climbers are beginning to clamber up their frames, with the first, (Cobra) hiding amongst the lower leaves. Some crunchy, sweet mange touts (Snow Max) was spied and they picked another punnet of broad beans. The peas haven’t done so well. They planted Hurst Greenshaft and Kelvendon Wonder, and they are now producing small pods, but these are a bit scruffy looking and yellowish. Maybe they left them a bit late to plant out, or didn’t add enough nutrition? Could be the weather? (always good to blame)
In contrast, the root bed is overflowing with healthy looking crops. The carrots and beetroot were thinnked, giving micro-veg to add to salads. The kale has also thrived and is ready to pick. Speedy growth and quick turnover seems to be the pattern this year.
Inevitably, weeds are thriving too, though they do seem to be getting on top of them within the beds, the paths are another matter! And they did find a plantation of thistles, quietly spreading amongst the herbs on the fringes of the plot.
There are so many competing tasks at this time of year. Other things that got done included a bit of bed repairing; mowing – with cuttings divided between compost bins and around the base of the beans; a harvesting of comfrey, again for the compost bins; rescuing the bramble bed from encroaching weeds and willow, tubs of saved wildflower seeds raked into the communal bed; weeding amongst the raspberries and under the fruit trees; a lot of watering and a trip to the Recycling Centre with brash they didn’t manage to burn before the Spring curfew. The willow windbreak got a much-needed short back and sides too.

Jobs for next week: harvest more tatties, beans and berries; make a batch of comfrey feed; weed paths; water; attempt a bit of time at the communal bed, focusing on bindweed removal