Thursday on the allotment

Thursday was yet another day of cloud and chill on the allotment but at least there was no wind and the rain moved on. The first of the fruit blossom is out on the gage and it will only take a little sun for the pear blossom to follow.

There is good growth on the shallots and Tom’s onions – brought on from seed- were all planted out and netted, as ever, against the rabbits . Next week they will check the soil temperatures and hope to start putting in the onion setts.

The runners that were saved from the strawberry plants last year were planted out in their new bed; they were put out in ridges to give improved drainage as well as heating up the soil. Weed suppressing matting put down to keep the fruit clean.

Since there was no wind they put up the netting over the fruit cage. There is the promise of a good crop of cherries this year so better for the team to have them rather than the birds!

Another apple tree has also been planted – Peasgood Nonsuch – which George Anderson had used to demonstrate grafting a couple of years ago and a Saskatoon – Amelanchier alnifolia – a Canadian fruit which is similar to a blueberry but can grow in all soils. (There is now a Scottish supplier of these.)

The black kale is now flowering so a last crop was taken before it was pulled out and added to the compost heap. But there are still good pickings from the other kales and sprouting broccoli.

Over in the Inch nursery we did the final sowing of the Japanese vegetables for our entry in the Gardening Scotland pallet garden competition. The germination has been mostly good though the Shiso or Perilla and Mitsuba have been poor but there is still hope for these and we can find alternatives.

Jobs for next week: Turn the compost heap; Fill the tubs for show potatoes/carrots; Sieve out leaf mould; Weeding; Fork over the Biochar bed; Plant out red onion setts.