Saturday 14th April 2012 - weather: bright but chillsome

Chapter 2 - plot 2

We meet again. Plot number two is next door but one and has the permanent tomato house running across it. This not only keeps the blight from my toms, but provides yet another roof to collect precious rainwater from.

So, starting from the top end, towards the gate end of the site, I have a block of dahlia tubers that went in, deeply, about a month ago. Glad to report, no show yet as they wouldn't like the cold mornings we are currently having. Next visit I will heap some rotted manure over them just to cosy them up for a bit longer. Alongside them is a currant bush then number one sons patch which at the moment has 3 kestrel spuds in. Moving down the plot towards the stream I have a germinating row of beetroot, radish, cut and come again and a total now show of carrots. Then the bean wigwam is in situ and I have planted a block of cos lettuce and lollo rosso in the middle as they will be gone before the beans are even a foot up the canes. I have planted some bean seeds - Polestar I think. No idea if they will come up in the cold, but I have a batch of Scarlet Emperor just germinating at home. Next turnips, then a row of pre-chitted parnsips. I haven't had a great crop of 'snips for the last couple of years, so this year I have tried chitting them on a piece of damp kitchen roll, covering with clingfilm, then left in a dark warm place until a little root emerges. This happened within a week and these little growing seedlings are then carefully placed in a shallow drill. I also sowed some unchitted seeds to fill in the gaps, just in case my experiment fails.

Tomato house, empty for another couple of weeks at least, then last years brassica bed. This end of the plot is looking rather scruffy as it still have a few greens left. Sprouts have all gone, there are a couple of small savoy cabbages, the white and purple sprouting are desperately trying to join the cardoon and bubby in taking over the world, and the caulis. Hubby has rotovated half of this area and has dumped about 10 loads of manure at the end ready for raking in and planting the squash bed.

I still have loads of seeds to sow, and loads of young plants at home to get in, and already both plots are looking full. I shall keep squeezing more and more in until there are no paths left, or room for weeds to rear their ugly heads.

Fingers crossed, weather and family permitting, I might get to the allotment on Sunday for a few hours to get a few more plants in and more seeds sown. Until then.