So I’m back with another update on how I got on at the allotment. I’ll be away from the allotment next week due to school half term so this update will be paused for a bit. But, I was glad of the progress I’d made last week and this trend continued at least on Monday and Tuesday, before I was called on away on Wednesday as my young son got an injury whilst at school. Thankfully he recovered quite quickly, but it was quite scary for a minute or two there.
What did I sow?
Last week, I bemoaned the fact that I’d not sown anything. This week I was determined to get it done. I was able to sow loads of stuff, sweetcorn, french beans, white beans (coco bianco), golden purslane and kale (too many! ) and even did a bed of carrots (autumn king and rainbow mix) which have germinated well.
What did I transplant?
I transplanted some leeks, pumpkins, basil, coriander and parsley. UPDATE -When I visited the allotment one week later, I found the slugs had eaten the coriander and parsley that I’d transplanted outside. The pumpkins were ok, but one of the seven planted out looked like it had succumbed to the slugs. It was a bit disheartening to see so many of my young plants, which had tried so hard to grow, now almost dead.
What harvests did I enjoy?
We had the first of the new season’s potatoes! These were just delicious boiled and then fried in an omelette with spinach. There were more beans, mangetout peas and lots of lettuce and spinach to enjoy. I also harvested a nice bunch of rhubarb stems to make into a crumble or perhaps a chutney, if I’m feeling more adventurous.
What were the moments of joy?
As I flitted about doing different jobs in and out of the greenhouse, my attention was caught by the ripening strawberries. When I arrived in the morning, there were one or two green blushing strawberries but as the day went on and the sun shone through, the strawberries ripened before my very eyes. A very delicious snack while working!
What were the tough moments?
Slugs and snails remain a big challenge and the pest pressure is ‘real’. I’m unsure how best to deal with them as I am keen to remain as chemical free as I can, but the losses are very demoralizing. At present I’ve used (very sparingly) a small batch of water soluble organic certified slug pellets and these seem to protect young seedlings at their most vulnerable stage. Most of the time, I’ve been either adding the slugs to the compost heap or moving them into a nearby hedge as a preventative measure.
What’s my main challenge for this coming week?
The slugs are a particular challenge as they are devouring many of my new seedlings. I’ve noticed that a nearby path has long overgrown grass and could be harbouring many slugs. As ‘No More May’ is now over, I’ll strim the path to minimise slug habitat close to growing areas. I’ll also aim to completely fill all beds and unfortunately have to relegate compost heap turning for yet another week.
Summary:
So overall, a challenging but productive week with some good progress made with more sowing and transplanting. It was a busy time, especially as I tried to deal with the slugs on the site and still get other jobs done. The harvests were very welcome especially having some delicious new potatoes to enjoy at the weekend.