POTATOES, POTATOES, POTATOES!

Everyone seems to be fixated on potatoes at the moment! Facebook gardening groups are all talking potatoes. When to chit, how to chit, when to plant etc., etc., etc.!
On the allotment the traditional day to plant spuds is Good Friday. That always intrigues me as the date of Easter changes so much each year! Lots of the older guys on our site simply plant them all - whether earlies, second earlies or maincrop on the same day. A bit hard on the back though!

What a Difference!


This was taken on 13th January 2013 -

 And this one on 13th January 2016 -

There has been a lot of speculation, worry and debate about the mild, wet weather we have been having and it's affect on our plants. The first picture was taken 3 years ago today. You can see how much further on it is by comparison!

Today at the Lottie

The sun came out this morning although it was only 4 degrees. I set off to do some harvesting and this is what I brought home ...

Also I was particularly pleased to see how well the rhubarb is doing.

Blueberries

General Blueberry Growing Tips

For the best chance at success with blueberries buy a plant that is at least 2 years old.   Since they don't begin to fruit for at least three years, this will also save time and provide you with a blueberry crop much sooner.  Blueberry bushes are extremely fussy about the soil they're planted in.  If your soil isn't quite up to snuff, there are a couple of ways to remedy this situation.

·pH Levels - 

The optimum pH level to grow blueberries in is 4.5. If your soil is higher than that, you'll want to add ammonium sulphate to lower the pH level. Follow the directions on the product packaging to calculate the amount needed for your growing space, and work the sulphate into the soil at least 6" deep. (Ericaceous compost can be an easier option by incorporating into the soil before you plant your blueberries.)

·Alternatively keep the young plant in pots, well drained, for the first few years which will control the ph of the soil and then plant out, again, using ericaceous compost well mixed in the compost / soil)

This is Blueberry Goldtraube - which is one of the varieties we selected.

Some other things to consider when growing blueberries are: 

• Sunshine - Blueberries thrive best in full sunlight.
• Watering - A consistent supply of water is best for blueberries, with optimal levels of 2" per week of water. Choose a well-drained soil to avoid water pooling at the base of the plant.
•  Fertilisers and Compost - Continue adding compost or organic matter as needed. You can add ammonium sulphate fertiliser in very small amounts once or twice during the growing season. (Follow instructions on the packaging)
• Mulch - A thick layer of mulch will help deter weeds and hold moisture for your blueberry bushes. Add more as required to keep mulch at a depth of about 4".
• Pruning - You won't have to prune your blueberry bush at all for the first four years of its life. After that, remove any dead branches or stalks, and trim back any shoots that are very tall. When branches are overloaded with fruiting buds, the resulting berries can be small and bitter. To avoid this, prune the shoots so that they don't have more than five or six buds each. As the bushes spread and grow, you can thin them out and replant the newer shoots.

Planting up a new raspberry bed

The Varieties we chose -

OCTAVIA – Summer fruiting but late ripening variety producing mid July to early August. Large uniform fruit with good flavour.

GLEN LYON – Summer fruiting ready for picking in early June. Not the best for flavour so best used for cooking, jam or mixing with other foods.

HERITAGE – Autumn fruiting producing from August until October. Excellent flavour and does not require support.

So in theory we should have fruit from early June to October. Well we'll just wait and see shall we .....