Warmer nights are welcome on the allotment

Posted June 5, 2021

The fine days and more importantly the warmer nights are continuing so we took a chance and put in the first of the frost-tender plantings of courgettes, marrows and squashes though they will be covered with fleece for a couple of weeks to help them along.

Creating a frame from hazel prunings for peas

More peas – Oregon sugar pod and Hurst Greenshaft – were sown and resowings of carrots done after the first lot disappeared to the slugs.

The beetroot and turnips from recent sowings are coming through and some young beetroot plants put in. Next week the sweetcorn, runner and French beans go in and that will be the end of the sowing and planting for a few weeks since there will be no more room left with the plot fully planted up.
At home the leeks have been transplanted and are growing on well and will go in the space left when the early potatoes are dug up in July.

The celery and Florence fennel are doing well but they need a lot of water and we shall soon be out for a second weekly stint on the plot to keep everything watered and growing on – unless the rain does it for us of course.

All the fruit will soon be well netted and protected but the wood pigeons /pheasants have been keen to get at the gooseberries, perching on top of the cordon and breaking branches though the fruits are still green and hard.

Damage on the gooseberries

The grass was cut, the hose was out for watering and some necessary weeding done and we had the last picking of spring cabbage, and still plenty of rhubarb.

Jobs for next week
Plant out the sweetcorn and beans
Net the fruit
Watering

Did you know?

Each week the blog from the allotment comes from Moira Stevenson, the Caley allotment leader. As she usually takes the pictures she never seems to appear. For those who dont know – here she is.