My Goodness!

Where has the time gone? It just shows that as the spring progresses there is more and more to do on the plot!.

Our first Asparagus harvests started in May -

By the 16th May growth was really noticeable -

   

Jobs for Today
Decided to potter in the greenhouse today. I potted on my sunflowers not a very good photo sorry! I chose Firecracker  - Unwins sunflower Seeds - because I grew them last year and they did really well. You only get 12 seeds in the pack and they cost £2.99 but last year all 12 germinated. They are a small, multi headed variety and last year formed a gorgeous sunflower hedge at the plot.
However it's been a different story this year .... Only 5 of the 12 seeds actually germinated. I contacted Unwins via their website and a few days later received vouchers to buy a new pack. That's good service in my books. Thank you Unwins!

I also sowed some courgettes, some butternut squash, some lettuce and a second batch of kale because the slugs have chomped half of the first batch which were in the greenhouse. A timely reminder to be vigilant in the greenhouse when you have lots of seedling in there!

Seed Sowing

The next batch of seeds sown yesterday -

These are 

• Sweetcorn - Swift,
• Swiss Chard - Bright Lights
• Lettuce - Nobellan
• Cos Lettuce - Little Gem
• Lettuce - Lollo Rossa

And also a look at how everything is getting on in the greenhouse -

Just look at the difference!

I took cuttings of my gooseberry bushes on Thursday 18th of February and I photographed them again on March 22nd. Just look at the difference in just about a month!

The next stage ...

My broccoli seedlings were ready for pricking out and potting on. I have moved them into pots which are slightly larger than I would normally use simply because they are relatively slow growing and I prefer to have large, robust brassica plants to transfer into their allotment bed. This helps them to withstand attack by slugs! Also never make the mistake of not putting netting over them when you plant them into their final positions. Certainly on our allotment - the pigeons would decimate them overnight!

Today's sowing -

I have sown Sunflower 'Firecracker', Basil, Coriander, Red Salad Bowl lettuce and Cucumber 'Telegraph Improved'.

Good Friday

Although the date of Easter varies widely - the traditional day for planting potatoes is on Good Friday. With a lovely weather forecast my husband and I decided to go for it!

   

 
                                                                   




So that's four different varieties planted -

Rocket - First early

A very early bulking and heavy cropping first early variety producing almost round, white skinned and fleshed tubers. Potato, 'Rocket' has good all round disease resistance including golden eelworm. Easy to grow and quick to produce 'baby new potatoes'

International Kidney - Second early.

A heritage variety that has stood the test of time. If harvested as a second early, 'International Kidney' makes a perfect, very waxy, salad potato. Harvested later as an early maincrop, it produces floury, large, general purpose tubers.

Maris Piper - Early maincrop.

The best chipping variety available, and a versatile 'all rounder'. Potato 'Maris Piper' produces dry, floury tubers with creamy-white flesh of good flavour, that rarely discolours on cooking. This popular purple-flowered maincrop potato is also Golden eelworm resistant. 

Sarpo Mira - Late maincrop.

This late maincrop variety has it all - unprecedented blight resistance, good slug resistance, vigorous weed suppressing foliage, and it grows well in a wide range of soils. Potato 'Sarpo Mira' produces huge yields of tasty, floury tubers that have a long storage potential. A real all-rounder for all cooking purposes.

What are you growing this year?