Welcome to our plot!

I'm Hazel, and in Nov 2006 my friend Jane and I took on a half plot at Hill Allotments, Sutton Coldfield - we want the satisfaction of growing and eating our own fruit and veg, and to improve our diet (and fitness!).

This is the story of what happened next...........

Sunday, February 22, 2015

First Sowing of 2015

The weather was all Spring sunshine and showers yesterday - much nicer than today's incessant rain - so I wrapped up and headed to the Hill.  I had the place to myself - a surprise on a Saturday lunchtime - which was a pity as I'd wanted to buy some fertiliser from the store shed.  My own compost is all well and good, but I rarely feed the ground with anything else, and that's probably not such a good thing.

After another running repair to the netting tunnel (btw, you're right, Jayne - the tunnel needs the top batten screwing to the tubing rather than string ties), I got the fork out and gave three of the beds a bit of a turn to help incorporate the compost emptied from the daleks a few weeks ago.

I prepared one half bed in particular very well indeed, raking and smoothing; then marking out sowing stations, ten rows of six.  I carefully popped three parsnip seeds at each, and carefully covered over with some multi purpose compost left over from last year.  I am determined that I WILL have parsnips this year!

Careful scrutiny of the other half of that bed shows that the garlic is FINALLY sprouting.  It's like a magic eye picture - a bed of bare earth, then spot one shoot, then another, then you realise that the whole lot is full of 1-2" green blades of new growth. Brilliant!

Then I put up the ladybird house the my big sis gave me for Christmas - I've noticed that in Autumn there are always sleepy ladybirds in the nooks and crannies of the bean canes and drying pods and plants, so I've sited it on the bean T frame upright where I hope they will find it a happy home to hibernate in.

I picked some kale for tea, and tidied up, heading off home satisfied with a successful couple of hours work.

6 comments:

  1. For parsnips I use a mix of multipurpose compost and sand (roughly half and half) to fill in the hole. It was the first year I have tried parsnips, but I had a good crop. In fact I have the last 4 in the fridge so I am thinking soup for lunch!!!. Good luck. xxx

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    1. Thanks for the idea, Alison, and I hope you enjoyed your soup!

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  2. The plot is coming along nicely, so spring must be just around the corner by the look of it. Can I ask how you prepare and cook your kale? It's only just becoming something you can buy over here now and I look, but don't buy. I suppose I could google it, but I'd love to know from someone who is used to it. Take care.

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    1. It's quite cabbage like in taste - I steam it for a few minute and serve with a knob of butter. Worth growing, in my view, as it crops over such a long period, and stands all through winter. You can grow tall (4' high) or dwarf (2') varieties - go for the dwarf ones so that you can chuck fleece over if find the pests go for it (butterflies/pigeons round here).

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  3. Looks like you had a lovely day, very productive. I spent Saturday getting the greenhouse ready for the new season, but now sowing yet.

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    1. It's just about starting to be growing weather now - at least the weeds think so! I have loads of forget-me-nots sprouting at the front of the plot - pretty but soon out of control!

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