Allotment Vegetable Growing in April 2010
Plot 29 Compost Bins 28/04/2010 I've emptied the compost bins and started the cycle again. The large plastic bin is empty as is the left home-built one. The one on the right which is full will get moved into the left in a few weeks or so. To the right of the bins, the rhubarb is looking well and in the foreground the comfrey is almost ready for a cut. |
Chitted Potatoes 28/04/2010 My potatoes have been chitting away in the north-facing front bedroom and are about to be planted.
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Close Up of Chitted Potato 28/04/2010 You can clearly see what a chitted potato looks like in this close-up. Potatoes that have just sprouted tend to have long, white shoots but chitting produces these shorter, more robust shoots. The 'trick' is to keep them in light but not sunshine (I use a north facing unheated bedroom) and cool but not frosty cold. |
Shallots 28/04/2010 The shallots seem to have got off to a good start on plot 29. The bag in the corner is onion sets which I'm planting in the edges where there is some room. Behind the shallots, you can see the garlic is well up now. There's space on that bed which will have onon sets in as well. |
Slabs to the side of Greenhouses 28/04/2010 One of our neighbours has had a new patio laid so they donated the old slabs to us for the allotment. There was a wood chipping path but the slabs give a firmer path. They're just laid onto the chippings so when someone else takes the plot they can easily lift them and cultivate if they wish. |
Globe Artichokes and Rhubarb 28/04/2010 The rhubarb is really doing well. Jim had given me some crowns and after leaving for the winter on the surface to get them well chilled, they were planted. In front the globe artichokes are coming back again. In hindsight, I would have given them more room as they're bigger than expected at the peak of the season. |
Vitopod Propagator 28/04/2010 Here's my vitopod propagator in the home greenhouse. There's just one side piece on at the moment but I can add the one under the bench if I want to get more height for taller plants later in the season. The stick protuding on the right has the thermostat sensor attached. You set what temperature you want and it just heats to that level. |
Quadruple Propagator 28/04/2010 On the other bench, I've a quadruple propagator. This is, like the vitopod, thermostatically controlled. Under the four seed trays there's an aluminium tray which is heated to maintain the temperature. I've a range of plants growing away in there. |
Inside the Vitopod 28/04/2010 The tomatoes are popping up nicely in their little pots - 5 varieties - and nearly ready to start moving on to individual pots. I've all sorts starting in there - from squash and pumpkins to cucumbers. |
Trays on Greenhouse Bench 28/04/2010 I knocked up the greenhouse benches from scrap wood. The one on the left has 4 shelves which enables me to rack about four seed trays per rack. The two shelves in the middle are removeable so I can put large potted plants on the bottom shelf later in the season. |
Salad in Troughs 28/04/2010 In front of the greenhouse we did have a glass coldframe which unfortunately was used as a landing point for the cats jumping off the greenhouse roof. Luckily no injury to the cat but the glass didn't cope so well. Anyway, we've got cut and come again salads in the two large troughs and spring onions in the smaller one in front. The wire held in place by a brick is to stop the cats confusing the trays with toilets. To the left you can see 3 blueberries I've got in large pots. |
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