A good sunday morning spent constructing the hot bed for the courgettes. I've raised them up because this sorner of the allotment gets wet and seems cold - so by raising up i could use the first batch of compost from home... Three should do us!
Then a good monday evening then tidying up. My favourite time on the allotment - all is quiet, no-ones around, the day is done, usually something good on the radio, and time is called by the darkness. Potted on the kale, the pumpkins, the savoys and the calabrase. Planted more mizuna and some german black turnips and beetroots, and crammed in lettuces in between the autumn cabbages as a catch drop. Also stuck in the celeriac seedlings which seem to be stalling at 1cm high in the greenhouse - hope by covering them I can nurse them to fruition in a well manured bed.
The board beans have looked rather aneamic but think this is due to warm dry weather - have doused twice in last week and they are looking heathier and greener. I've now also got a system for putting the hose in the watering can and watering from there as this means I water the roots of the plants heartily and not the whole bed lightly. This has been leading to lots of 'capping' where the thin layer of water bakes in the heat on the top and creates a hard crust which is then difficult for water to penetrate.
An update on the tatties - all going well, and the first flowers are appearing on the first earlies (see above). When these flowers start to droop then we're ready, 10 or so weeks after planting. Lots of water in the next couple of weeks should swell the tubers so i can get them out, and get the pumpkins and squahes in.
