Wirral Groups: Access To Allotments
It’s apparent that the demand for local allotment plots continues to rise. It was mentioned at our own AGM that just our site has in excess of 35 people on the waiting list.
A local group has contacted me, asking to give their efforts to improve the availability of Wirral allotments a mention:
The Access To Allotments Action Group (find their web page here) has this stated aim:
…to press for the provision of suitable and sufficient allotments for the residents of Wirral.
On the groups web page you’ll find out more about their current activities, past actions and contact details too. So do pay them a visit here if you’d like to find out more.
A Little Bit of Sunshine
Down on the plot for about an hour this afternoon to do some weed digging. The ground is a bit on the wet side really but needs must (or should be weed must!). A few fellow plotters cracking on with things too.
Lovely afternoon after all the rain we’ve had - decided to take a couple of snaps to mark the occasion.
About to ride home in this one:
Hope to back on Wednesday.
Broad Bean Seeds
Not the bestest of photos as it was going dark as I took it but here are a small handful of broad bean seeds. I’m starting them off in some plastic trays of potting compost. The packet says stick the trays on a windowsill but as I haven’t got any free windowsills they’ll just have to make do in the garage!
I’ll see if I can find some space in the house if the garage is a bit on the cool side.
Our Allotment Association AGM
It was our annual AGM last night, held in the Hoylake Social Club.Not only did the official association website get a mention (visit it here) but this very allotment blog got a little mention too. I started this blog just over a year ago, primarily to remind myself where, when and what I’d planted.
You’ll notice there’s a bit of gap in the posts since the summer - this is due to the fact that I struggle to find the time to balance young family life with our new search marketing company, my running and various other stuff. I know …excuses, excuses!
I’ve got a lot more photos to add into the blog so I’ll be adding them in and backdating them when I get chance. Think I’ve got a photo of a good few inches of rainwater inside the greenhouse from last “summer”.
Whilst my plot looks like a bit of a jungle (at the moment) I managed to get various produce from it in my first season including:
- potato (though a fair few were rotten)
- onions (used the last few at end of November)
- carrots (admittedly not the biggest carrots you’ve ever seen)
- cucumber
- tomato …lots of
- various berries from the plants that were already there
Disasters included:
- weeds, weeds and more weeds
- aubergine
- peas - plonked the seeds in but nothing happened
- swede - drowned
- turnip - drowned
- beetroot - drowned
- Cauli, cabbage and broccoli that I planted in the autumn appears to have fed numerous slugs.
I’m currently shedless but hope to be acquiring a free one in the next couple of weeks so that’ll be good if I get it.
Here’s to a more successful season this year, not quite so much rain and for me a better, not so weedy plot!
Garlic Update
The garlic looks like is going in the right direction and has obviously grown since last months photo.
New Water Butt
Managed to win a water butt on ebay from a chap in Wallasey for £3.28. One of the must-do jobs for this season is to somehow fix a gutter to my side of the gutterless greenhouse. Whilst I’m currently capturing some rain water in the old tin bath there’s alot of precious rainwater going begging (there is no mains water on tap on the site).
Yes, I know there are a lot of weeds around!
Garlic Is Sprouting
The Solent White garlic is starting to sprout.
I ordered four bulbs from Suttons and then split the bulbs into the individual cloves (which you then plant just below the surface) and I’m now wondering if I’ll end up with too much.
Way Too Wet
Managed to miss most of the rain on Saturday to get the onions out. The ground was very, very wet.
Went down to the plot this morning with my mum. I expected it to be wet so we went in wellies. After yesterdays almighty down pours (that I got caught running in) the plot is in parts completely underwater. The greenhouse hasn’t escaped as there is a couple of inches of water on top of the centre path. No need to water the tomatoes for a few days I guess.
The level of the well is the highest I’ve seen it since I took plot 69 on in January. Maybe a foot below the top.
I feel really sorry for those homeowners who currently find their property in several feet of floodwater.
Fruits Of The Season
Well, it’s been pouring down at plot 69 (as well as everywhere else of course)!
Contents of the fruit cage is wild. Raspberries, tayberries (or are they logan berries?) all doing very well and we’ve picked quite a few too. As you can see from this photo (just!) the red currants have been ready for picking, so we’ve had some of them too - my two young daughters had great fun. Gooseberry bush has gone mad and will need a damn good prune at the appropriate time.
Elsewhere on the plot, the potatoes need digging up as the foliage is now dying off. In fact, I bumped into plot 60 owner Jenny this afternoon and she mentioned that George said that potatoe blight could be a problem.
Suspect my onions need to come out now too I reckon, well guess to be honest. I’ve got no idea yet about you plant in the ground where the potatoe and onions have resided for several weeks?
Stuff in the greenhouse is growing well and several tomatoes are now showing. Something is attracted to the cucumber plants, a black tiny aphid or something - not sure if this is a problem, plants still growing well?
Back outside, either my water butt at the front of the greenhouse is leaking, vandals are messing about or someone is helping themselves. I’m guessing it’s kids messing about.
Little Cucumbers
Great to see something growing. The cucumber plants seem to be doing alright at the moment. Suspect I’ve not pruned the tomato plants correctly ‘cos they look a little bushy and I don’t think that they should. Aubergine plants are a lovely purple colour and look healthy enough.
Outside, the pea and mange-tout seeds just haven’t appeared for whatever reason. Maybe I planted them a bit too deep? Next time I’ll start the seeds off in a length of gutter in the greenhouse and then plant them on.
Made another bed in the front section and just need to dig it over again to get a few more weeds out. Need some more timber to mark out a few more beds.
Next door (plot 68) neighbour Simon was dropping off a load of paving slabs to use on his plot as new paths. Nice to bump into Liz, Chris and family too for a chat at the level crossing on the walk home.
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Seed Shopping
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