First Earlies Planted, Last of the Parsnips. Spring is here

 

 Today I rolled back some of the covers from the winter digger, and used my tiller to make a couple of trenches to put in my first earlies - Potatoes.   

I also had a visit to the Garden centre and got some early crops to put in.    Brussel Sprouts, Cabbages, Broccolli, Caulitflower and Webbs Wonderful Lettuces.    Also thought I had harvested all my Parsnips, but nope found a few I had forgotten about

The Onions, Shallots and Leeks coming on nicely.   Hopefully some fresh Leeks to pull at Easter 

And the Plum tree in full georgous Spring blossom.

The year has begun still plenty to do. a lot to do, as we look to downsize from two full plots to one full plot for 2027

Broccolli Harvested, and prepping for the year ahead

 Its been a while since I updated my blog here, as i favoured uploading videos to Robby's Allotment Blog on Youtube.    But looking back at these old posts, theres definately value in having notes written down aswell!

Check out my Youtube Videos on my channel :- (67) Rob Clayton - YouTube 

Watch todays Blog Video : - (67) allotment blog 26032023 - YouTube

Colin the Cockerel telling me off today - he wants to go out.  He can't wait for the warmer weather and be allowed out !!!

Two of our three chickens tucking in!  unfortunately we lost one of our chickens just before Christmas!

In the Polytunnel, the winter lettuces are coming on. 

Also Spring Cabbages and Sprouting Broccolli doing well

I also dug these beds today, sowing some flower bulbs ready for the Summer!  Hoping it will add plenty of colour to my plot!

The Shallots look to be doing very well

This week I am on a four day week so with a extra long weekend, hoping to crack on!  My sowing guides are ready and up in the outhouse on the plot!

Signing out!

Onions, the Reds going to seed

The Red Onions appear to be going to seed a bit early.

Asking other Allotment Owners what to do, it seems i can cut off the flower heads, but basically if theyve started going to seed then they are ready to pick.

So will pick them tomorrow then.


Fortunately the other onions havent shown signs of bolting or going to seed yet

 BELOW : The Elephant Garlic should be ready to pick June/July once the leaves turn yellow.









Borrowed next doors Sieve, place on the wheelbarrow, and dig a trench, and put the compost on the sieve.   Fantastic way to clear weeds and stones.

Time consuming, but look at the result.

 The Broad Beans also starting to come through good

 The Carrots also doing really well

 Finally got round to putting my Leeks into the ground.

 My Antartica Lettuces are also doing really well.  Going to pick one tomorrow for my salad this week.

 The Radish Rats Tails,  a normal variety fo Radish and Spinach also starting to come through

 The Potatoes also doing really well aswell   Below, Coffee Break!

And the Grow Cage is up

Well today, my friend Kev McDonnell was free to come down and give me a hand (or should  I say I give him a hand)  putting up my new Vegetable Grow Cage that I won from a gardening magazine competition.

So now this is up,  next weekend i will transplant the brassicas (ive lost the labels so its gonna be a right mix).

Saturday : After the rains its a big dig

Couldnt believe how much rain came down friday night.  Anyway it made digging a bed a lot easier than it was when i attempted last week and it was like digging through concrete.

So saturday it was digging an area to make it ready for the brassica cage to go up. Used my new wheelbarrow and filled it up twice with the dreaded weeds.

Still got an awful lot of the plot to dig over. 

 Below,  the peas and mangetout still looking a tad yellow but they do appear to have survived the frosts and looks they are recovering.

 Below, the cabbages under the netting, taking off slowy

 The two rows (far left) of broad beans were sown in the first week of march straight into the ground and look like they are really taking off now.  I did sow some in February but they never germinated so lesson learnt for next year, wait until march to sow them.   (November is also a good month for Broad Beans,  so i will probably sow a couple of rows in nov and a few in March)

 Also breaking through are the Potatoes I planted before going on holiday.

 The Antartica Lettuce look like theyre going to produce a good crop,  i need to lift the netting up a tad though, dont want the lettuces breaking through the netting.