Friday 9 October 2009

October 2009

Early this month I planted the shallots

Had some rain at last

the carrots went soft!! I think water got into the bucket

Still picking Okra but its slowed right down

Sowed Swiss chard and Spinach

5 Picked all the toms in greenhouse. We had a ground frost the next morning

7 Had to pick butternut for fear of frost

8 Swiss chard and spinach all emerged. We've had sunny days

17 Onions went in Japanese version senshyu yellow
18 Picked all beetroot and pickled it, no one eating it as usual.

Been away for a week and then was ill

28 most of garlic has come up, some of the shallots poking through. Still picking raspberries, and tomatoes still growing in the greenhouse. Cucurbits have died in green house and outside. Rhubarb has died right back. Intending to plant more onions in spring as we use a lot. Picked some Okra, but not sure how old it is. One chilli pepper still growing and producing fruits.
Lot to do but not much energy due to bug

29 pulled down runner beans today, dug patch for broad bean sowing,picked raspberries.

Still have a huge sack of potatoes which I have checked through earlier this month. Onions have dwindled and our supply won't last us. The huge punpkin was given to John for Halloween, so no worries about what to make with it

Saturday 12 September 2009

Garden Calendar

September
7 Cucumbers drying out in greenhouse, Okra nearly finished. Many Okra plants developed a brown ring on the stem (in August). I think due to over watering. Then they withered above the brown ring and died off, but continued to grow from below it. Peppers were disappointing this year. Will grow less tomatoes and put peppers in the ground next year.
Planted out winter cabbage and winter Caulflower today.
8 Round Courgettes have finished, only had about 4 so a bit disappointing. Marrow plant has been incredible about 10 marrows on one plant at once.
9 Butternut squash very late as usual. 2 developing on 1 plant. Donald picked one thinking it was a young marrow!
10 Carrots were successful in quantity. I made a screened area for them to stop carrot fly, and set a lot of seed in order to achieve germination. Still digging them up as required, but they are extremely forked
11 8 runner bean plants has been plenty. I have frozen several bags. The climbing french beans had a dappled look, and were smooth to touch. Also very tasty. Still picking both types of bean
Noticed today that the leeks appear to have rust
Still squashing caterpillars, but think I am winning the battle.

12 Also still picking purple dwarf beans but the plants have no more blossom on them now. We have not had any substancial rain since I returned from Holiday.
Still picking a few sweet pea. Asparagus pea prolific but don't taste nice. Leaving them to get fat then will take them out of the pods. No more flowers on them now.

21 All carrots dug up today and stored in a bucket of compost outside the back door. They were getting eaten by something
Also planted 2 types of garlic today Marco andCristo, purchased from Poddington
We've had no rain for a month now, ground is hard to dig.

Make Shift Gardening Calendar

Due to lack of calendar for use on the internet. I've decided to use my blog space to write up the progress of the allotment.
Swede has not grown successfully but celeriac has worked
Finished picking asparagus at the end of June
Rhibarb picked until end of July
The Garlic was dug up in July and was successful
Spinach sown throughout July and August kept bolting in greenhouse and earlier sown plants bolted outside.
Many radishes bolted in July/Aug. AM Looking for Chinese Radish next year.
Aubergines became anemic in Greenhouse, were on bottom shelf. I put them outside but they never recovered despite nice warm weather. Thin type of Aubergine. Would grow fat ones next year.

August
Picked Sweetcorn, but some never came to maturity before drying out. Plants I bought from Poddington shrivelled and died, but the ones grown from seed were better. Need at least 30 plants next year.
Many Raspberries throughout the month, but now from the Autumn fruiting plants. Raspberry mite has been a problem. Have to spray early next year.
Pak Choi completely distroyed by flea beetle.
Onions dug up mid August

29 Dug up Potatoes
30 - 6th Sep Away on Holiday