Allotment Garden Diary

Weather not Good, I’m not Well

The strong winds and general sogginess making outside tasks impracticable. Frustration meter now at 150% as jobs become urgent

Cabbage Surprise, Strawberries, Peas

Catching up on progress for the week. Surprise cabbages, peas popping up, Silly cat nearly spends the night in the greenhouse

Envii Maximato Tomato Feed & Allgrow Multi-Purpose Release

Envii, market leaders in biological and organic products for gardeners and horticulturalists, have just released two new organic products. Maximato Tomato Feed and Allgrow All Purpose Feed. Envii Maximato Tomato Feed Envii Maximato is their organic liquid tomato feed made…

Snow! Pricking Out Seedlings.

Surprise snowfall doesn't stay for long. Potting shed a hive of activity pricking out seedlings and sowing.

Potato Planting Delay, Germination So Far

My plan to start planting potatoes on St Patrick’s day hasn’t worked out due to weather. Germination rates of seeds from last week's sowing

In the Potting Shed – Seed Sowing

A busy weekend in the Potting Shed while the weather was awful. The garden year has really got going now the sowing is underway.

Planning – Scheduling the Seed Sowing

Planning the gardening season is one of those tasks that gets a bit easier with time. How to sort out the seeds for sowing.

Early Potatoes Planted, Mowing, Cleaning

We’ve finally had a period of dry weather, even sunshine. it’s allowed us to get some outside jobs done. First mowing of the year, finally.

Slowed Down Compost Bin – Using a Compost Accelerator

In Winter the compost bins slow down so I like to use a compost accelerator to give them a quick boost ahead of the growing season.

Sad loss, Sorting the Polytunnel

Sad week, lost a friend. Working on the website so Gary arrives to help doing some work in the polytunnel, replacing compost in raised beds.

Micro-climate, Potatoes, Carrots

Recent snow emphasised the importance of micro-climate when growing your own. Harvesting carrots, checking potatoes in store.

Started Chitting Potatoes, It’s Cold

cold weather keeps on, chitting potatoes for planting later in the year. What potatoes I'm growing and why.

Used Pet Litter Wood Shavings Benefits

In this article Carly Tinker extols the benefits of used pet litter from rabbits and guinea pigs in the garden.

House Plants

Whilst we’ve had almost constant rain, I’ve not managed to get much done outside. Being indoors set me looking at our indoor houseplants.

Asian Hornets – Advice Guide

Asian hornets, Vespa velutina, have spread across Europe and have now arrived in Britain. What to do if you spot them,

Tomato Fertiliser, Tidying up for Winter

A chat about fertiliser results in some delicious free tomatoes. . Tidying up in the greenhouses and polytunnel as I prepare for winter.

Farewell Willow Cat, Last Potatoes, Gigantes, Cherry

Not the best week, we lost Willow Cat to cancer. Last potatoes harvested, All gigantes beans harvested. Cherry trees felled.

Declining Potato & Root Crop Yields – Why?

When yields start to fall, identifying the cause of the problem is the the first step. Here I work out what is deficient in the soil.

Storing Potatoes, Runner Beans, Cooking

Sorting and storing potatoes. End of the runner beans outside. Greek gigantes beans first picking and recipe. More cooking whilst it rains.

Heartfelt Thanks and Future Plans

After my last post and newsletter I was overwhelmed by the response in the comments and by email. My heartfelt thanks.