Top tip: Don't always believe what the gardening books say - they are guidelines written to suit the whole of Britain and so don't allow for the fact that you may live in a warmer (or colder area) of Britain.
I planted mangetout back in July after the potatoes had been cleared as they had been such a success earlier in the year. While they have now succumbed to mildew they did grow big enough to start cropping and I got a good 200g off them which isn't bad when you consider how much they cost in shops - a bonus crop really rather than a real alternative to spring sowing.
I also popped in some more potato seedlings at around the same time as they were sprouting like made and £1 in the pound shop. The main idea was to use them to clear a patch of land that was riddled with debris and if I managed to get a crop out of them all the better. The other day I was earthing up the plants (drawing up the soil to protect the plants and create more space for the tubers to grow) with a rake (a Bernie tip) and spotted a decent sized potato so it seems to be working. I had read that some people put in a second lot of potatoes and are able to eat fresh new potatoes at Christmas. Fingers crossed.
Elsewhere on the plot, brussell sprout heads are starting to form and I have a few mini cauliflowers. I will let these develop a little before harvesting them but doubt they will ever attain the monster size of Mark the elder's (whose plot has been completely left to its own devices - tut tut).
This week I also planted gooseberry bushes and raspberries as I want to redress the balance between fruit and veg. I also suspect that fruit are easier to look after themselves. I hope they don't grow too big as I seem to have at least 3 gooseberry bushes now. Must go and measure the bushes on other plots!
Saturday brought us a rare gap in bad weather. The fluffy clouds in the blue sky and being surrounded by green and productive plants just makes makes you happy. Perhaps having had almost 3 weeks of constant rain make you appreciate things all the more. All that rain has also meant that crops are swelling almost as you look at them - runner beans are growing prolifically, tomatoes are splitting with juices and courgettes are turning into marrows if you don't spot them early enough. I discovered this monster when clearing the mildew-y courgette leaves. It weighed a massive 3.2 kilos. Luckily I bought "What will I do with all those courgettes?" by Elaine Borish which should help me find some recipe ideas on how to use the beast.
It is hard to believe on days like this but winter is coming - the mornings are getting chilly and in Scotland they are being threatened with light frosts. At this time of year it is important to keep harvesting but start to clear plants that are past their best. I have already cleared the last of the tumbling cherry tomatoes and pulled up a courgette plant that was suffering from mildew. When clearing the worst of the leaves on the other plants I had to debate with myself whether to compost leaves or to burn them as recommended by some. In the end I compromise by piling them up around the corner and wait to see if it rots down without contaminating the rest of the compost.
I have also started to plan ahead for next year. I already ordered in vast quantities of seed (despite having loads left over from my binge buying in Spring). I have also planted a soft fruit collection which includes a thornless blackberry, an autumn fruiting raspberry and a red gooseberry. As the gooseberry is spiky and grows vigorously I need to allow space. Unfortunately this is something that is running out on the plot. Maybe I can consider training it like they do at West Dean Gardens in West Sussex - amazing kitchen gardens that put my humble allotment to shame.
I also bought some scaffolding planks from the allotment organisers to make raised beds. This will make access easier and the marginally warmer atmosphere might make plants grow earlier. The only downside, apart from having to build them, is that I will lose a bit of space as I sacrifice space for paths. I did apply for another plot that has been overgrown on the allotment but it's a strictly one plot per person policy. I am still considering applying for one on another plot for my soft fruit (which are less trouble than vegetables I think)but I'm not sure if I can wait another 5 years.
In areas I have cleared I have sowed green manures which can be used to block out weeds and enrich the soil when they are dug into the soil. I started with Phacelia which is a quick growing hardy annual green manure that germinates at low temperatures and is ideal for sowing from March until September. Now all I need is on that is suitable for overwintering - mustard is a strong candidate.
Top tip:
Keep a record of what you are harvesting and when so that you can plan for gluts. Balance the flavour and satisfaction of growing your own with the cost of buying it in - if it doesn't taste better or save you money, it's not really worth giving it limited space.
26.06.10
I have been harvesting cut and come again salads and chard for some time now and had may first sweet and juicy birthday strawberry (in early June) but things are speeding up now. I have been lifting the first of the potatoes since the 14th June but today I got 1.73kg and I feel this is just the beginning.
Slightly anal, I know but I have been keeping an excel record of the main crops by weight and date harvested. Between 26th June and 10th July I harvested 2.75kg of mangetout. Thinking that the plants were spent (and some were very yellow) I cleared half but left the healthiest plants to see what would happen. By the 20th July there was a new crop and I'll keep you posted on the total haul.
Courgettes are notoriously prolific and my heart sank when I read that one plant produced enough for a family of four until September as I had planted at least 6 plants. The first proper lot of courgettes arrived on the 7th July and by 24th July I had harvested 7.77kg of courgettes (and that doesn't include an enormous marrow that I missed). I have had to become pretty inventive in finding new recipes to cope with this and am on the look out for a third freezer to accommodate the loot.
Radishes, a plant normally so easy to grow they give it to children, have more or less failed me but I am persevering. Carrots were pretty when pulled but slow to germinate and so cheap in shops I am not sure if I want to repeat them next year.
When wandering around the allotment it is hard to avoid plot envy – one plot's sweetcorn are magnificent and has grown a turnip enormous enough to make Baldrick proud (it must be all that water), anothr neighbour has inherited an amazing collection of fruit and one green fingered allotmenteer has raised infamously hard to grow cauliflower with impressively large heads. My Chinese neighbour has a perfectly neat plot (I must do better next time) and one of theTurkish ladies has built little earth walls around her plants which seems like a good idea to adopt in later years.
One other plot has not fared as well - most of the plot is left fallow and the gooseberry bushes are groaning under the weight of soon to be wasted fruit. For a greedy person like me that has aspirations for a fruit zone this frustrates the hell out of me – I wonder if I can wangle another plot?
Just a small sample of the courgette glut.
