Mid May allotment action

The blossom on the fruit is looking very good but little growth happening elsewhere because of the cold, especially the cold nights.

Biochar Trial. We finished planting the biochar trial beds today with a row of cabbages so we can see the effect on green-leaved plants.

The salad crops in the pallets show no signs of germination yet and of course no leaves appearing from the potatoes.

Winter vegetables, need to planned well ahead, so today we planted out the Brussel Sprouts and Purple Sprouting Broccoli and netted them well against the rabbits and pigeons. The kale planted in pots at home has germinated and will be planted out as young plants. The courgettes and marrows have also germinated as have the runner beans so these will be ready for planting out in the middle of next month. We won’t be sowing leeks since we can buy well-grown ones at the National Vegetable Society stand at Gardening Scotland which is on the first weekend in June.

The last of the maincrop potatoes were planted in the willow patch – Sarpo Mira, Cara and Pink Fir Apple.

The Japanese vegetables we are growing this year have been sown. They need high temperatures to germinate so there is now yet another set of pots inside on the window sills.

Jobs for next week: Weeding the comfrey bed; Sow green manures; Sow carrots in tub for autumn shows; Prepare the ground for another sowing of carrots, beetroot and turnips.