tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6836327976495989352024-10-07T05:04:37.985+01:00Mountaineering - Allotment - Interests - Health & FitnessAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-78632957582364679342012-05-15T14:45:00.001+01:002012-05-15T14:45:56.398+01:00

So it is a week after I brewed my nettle beer and I have been keeping a close eye on it everyday. The airlock was bubbling away everyday since first clipping on the lid and half filling with water.  I noted at the end of my first post on nettle beer that the day after we brewed the beer there was a sulphur (fart) smell emitting from the airlock which I was not ready for and instantly took

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-12969344656734665032012-05-07T12:50:00.000+01:002012-05-15T14:00:14.656+01:00

I came across an article for nettle beer a few months ago and commented then (to myself) that I must give it a go sometime. Then last week I saw a video on You Tube on the same subject so decided to give it a go myself. Being me I like to do things correctly so did a lot of research before just launching into it. I purchased a Homebrew beer making kit from the world wide web which arrived

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-36608386643258368162012-04-28T11:55:00.000+01:002012-05-01T11:59:40.543+01:00

Decided to give Kale a go this year as have heard lots of others raving about it, I haven't even tasted it before which may have made more sense before attempting to grow it but when do I ever do things conventionally? We have 2 varieties to try, one is called 'Dwarf Green Curled' and 'Westland Winter'. I think we got the latter from a magazine as a freebie.  Like all Brassica's it

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-63485747242045575532012-04-21T15:54:00.000+01:002012-05-01T11:30:44.165+01:00

Carrots are probably the first vegetable I get asked about when I mention I have an allotment. Aside from the humble spud they are without doubt the 2nd most popular vegetable in Ireland. I would be surprised to hear of any veggie grower who doesn't at least grow a small amount of carrots just for that unbelievably fresh smell when they are harvested.  Last year I got a pretty good return

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com05 Barrack Rd, Glencullen, Dublin 18, Ireland53.21782249517647 -6.220364570617675853.217525495176467 -6.2209815706176759 53.218119495176474 -6.2197475706176757tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-41771659110364068692012-04-12T09:23:00.001+01:002012-04-12T09:23:47.098+01:00

I came across this programme last year and decided against spending £15 (Sterling) on it at the time as the allotment costs were already pretty high for the year.  This year though we are much more budget friendly so I splashed out. The software itself is a garden planner where you recreate a 2D map of your garden, allotment etc. and then set about planting the fruit and vegetables in your

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-89612622865868373842012-04-10T16:25:00.001+01:002012-04-10T16:25:39.497+01:00

Unfortunately for every crop you want to grow there are will be at least 1 pest that loves to eat it before you do.  Enviromesh was something I had been reading a lot about last year as particularly good for covering Carrots from the Carrot Fly but it has so many other applications than simply this. In the picture below you can see a sheet of this mesh covering our onions, parsnips,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-81318526464678864812012-04-09T21:13:00.001+01:002012-04-09T21:13:26.680+01:00

This B3 Mountaineering boot was bought with future expeditions in mind. Initially I got them for use in the Scottish Highlands in winter but with one eye on the Alps and hopefully further afield.  Being completely green in this area I was not sure what I was looking for in a good boot. I went to the old reliable 53 Degrees North in Carrickmines, tried on a few pairs, walked up and down

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-84046357041139657552012-04-06T17:03:00.002+01:002012-04-06T17:03:44.914+01:00

To sow the peas this year we am trying something different. Last year we simply planted the peas out direct, sowing them where they were to grow. This year however I am going by the policy of planting a plant and not a seed (with a few exceptions to this rule...) The variety we are using is called 'Early Onward' and cropped very well for us last year. We plan on sowing 1 double row which

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-13988072979814782522012-04-06T16:04:00.000+01:002012-04-11T10:37:15.552+01:00

Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Calabrese or as you may better know it as Broccoli are all members of the Brassica family and are sown in much the same way. We had various levels of success in 2011. Cauliflower For one reason or another last year our Cauliflower plants were a complete failure. They germinated well and once planted out just failed to progress and establish into strong

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-65798436080836557742012-04-06T13:24:00.000+01:002012-05-01T12:38:54.315+01:00

We chose to grow Rhubarb the most difficult way possible, we do love a challenge myself and Laura.... Growing Rhubarb from seed is quite a challenge and was described in a book as 'only do it if you have your heart set on it'. It will probably take 2-3 years of growing and management before we get a decent crop of Rhubarb but what's the rush?  Traditionally you grow Rhubarb from roots or

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-35292097644834837322012-04-06T12:02:00.000+01:002012-05-01T12:25:47.200+01:00

Another vegetable I have never tried but have heard lots about. It is meant to taste a little like cabbage. It is another member of the Brassica family so should like the Irish climate. We have a variety called 'White Stemmed' which it says on the packet should be ready to harvest in 8-10 weeks. I don't think even the most optimistic grower would expect a harvest in Ireland that quickly,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-6868936822877163712012-04-06T10:31:00.000+01:002012-04-11T10:36:31.429+01:00

The first of our Spring Onion seeds were sown last weekend (6th April). For a continuous crop of Spring Onions hopefully right up to October we will be sowing two small pots (3" - 4") filled with compost every fortnight with the aim to harvest one pot each week from June onwards. Last year the Spring Onions seemed to take an eternity to reach a good size for harvesting but their growing

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-8602328796121954382012-04-05T17:04:00.000+01:002012-04-06T17:17:15.030+01:00

We bought the Broad Bean seeds last summer planning on sowing them over the winter. Sadly we missed the boat so instead had to wait until this spring to get them started.  We have 2 varieties of Broad Bean, 'Masterpiece Green Longpod' and 'Red Epicure' but both are sown in the same way. We need to plant out 11 plants of each variety but sowed 15 of each to have a few spares if needed. In

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-20717417354983894092012-04-03T14:37:00.001+01:002012-04-04T11:32:09.849+01:00

I registered to become a member of GIY Ireland late in March and received my membership pack on the 2nd April.  For those who are unfamiliar with GIY it stands for Grow It Yourself. It is an online resource for anyone and everyone who wants to or already does grow something themselves to eat. It's members range from those with little or no experience to master gardeners. It is a registered

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-50792084665236396812012-03-31T16:39:00.000+01:002012-04-04T11:28:23.978+01:00

Well after 12 months of talking about it I finally planted some Asparagus crowns in the allotment. They have been in the shed for the last year so not even sure that they will grow but If you don't try you don't get. I have been amazed by nature in the past so wanted to give them a chance before chucking them on the compost heap. They require a deep well draining and finely prepared location

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-69299959241070297582012-03-31T11:26:00.000+01:002012-04-04T11:26:58.294+01:00

Had some mixed results last year with the Leeks so will be giving them a better go of it this year (hopefully). My problem last year was sowing time, I don't think I sowed the leeks early enough meaning I was always playing catch up. That said we still have a decent crop that we are eating at the moment so I wont complain too much, some are on the thin side but the majority are of a good size,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-22818027703639219982012-03-30T14:54:00.002+01:002012-04-03T09:36:27.282+01:00

March is the first real month of work in the allotment. It the time to get everything ready for a busy month of sowing in April.  In my allotment there is no manure available in the Autumn so had to wait until March before I could dig it into the soil, this is far from ideal as it doesn't give the manure much time to be broken down but its better than nothing.  Jobs completed

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-35439097617286877152012-03-30T14:11:00.002+01:002012-04-03T10:03:26.577+01:00

This is our first year attempting to grow shallots so will see how they go.  You buy shallots in sets similar to onion sets, basically baby shallots. These are planted in rows approx 8-12 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart. We just got enough for a single row of 15 in total. Each shallot set should grow to form approx 4-8 shallots each so we should have plenty assuming they all grow well

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-21012107897337070202012-03-30T13:20:00.000+01:002012-04-03T16:46:40.466+01:00

Parsnips have a reputation as a difficult crop to grow, maybe we were just very lucky last year but we got a very decent crop of Parsnips with what seemed like a simple enough care plan. Last year I sowed parsnips in 2 different ways. One was the conventional way of sowing thinly approx 1 inch deep into finely prepared soil in rows approx 12 inches apart (Some books advise to double the row

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-57975719221472263752012-03-30T12:52:00.001+01:002012-04-03T10:03:26.585+01:00

We already have winter sown Garlic in the Ground that was planted Late Nov / Early Dec which should crop in early summer time.  We are big garlic users in our household so decided to sow a spring planting also. Ideally you would do this Early March time but we only got around to it late March but are hopeful we got them in just on time.  To sow garlic it couldn't be easier, you

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-71933417850558734232012-03-30T12:15:00.035+01:002012-04-03T10:03:26.592+01:00

The first vegetable to be sown this year are our First Early Potatoes. We only planted 10 seed potatoes as there is just the two of us we should get a good return. Also early potatoes do not store well so we pretty much have to eat them as they are harvested. This will be the first year for us growing earlies so I am looking forward to seeing how well they do. We planted these the usual way,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-45842277769192181092012-03-30T12:13:00.001+01:002012-03-30T12:13:50.171+01:00

Well its a new year (I know the year started in Jan) but in terms of the allotment March is the beginning for me this year.  I will admit over the winter I have not been to the allotment even half as regularly as I should have been but this year I am back and armed with a plan. The aims for 2012 are fairly straightforward: Improve the quality of the soil. Improve on the crops that grew

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-43412003870128059882011-09-30T12:57:00.000+01:002012-04-03T14:56:49.385+01:00

Looking back on 2011 in the Allotment I wasn't overly happy but on seeing some of the pictures again I don't feel too bad, we did manage a good crop of a lot of vegetables. I felt a little disappointed in the returns overall but that was down to my own mistakes as much as anything else. Not protecting vegetables from pests was a major faux pas that we wont be repeating in 2012.  Below are

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-50544622385555953282011-07-28T11:41:00.000+01:002012-04-03T10:03:26.580+01:00

We began sowing seeds in late March with a view to planting out in the allotment once we got the keys so to speak. Our aim was to try and plant some of the fruit and vegetables we eat regularly and also a few more exotic types. We bought 2 propagators, basically a covered seed tray that traps heat inside, some seeds require a lot of heat to germinate which cannot always be guaranteed in March

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683632797649598935.post-11447895899717487922011-04-21T10:11:00.019+01:002011-04-21T12:23:54.441+01:00

We had been thinking about growing some veggies at home for a while and we finally decided to take on a plot in an allotment. We considered growing some on our balcony but While living in Navan waiting to close the sale of our new apartment in Stepaside, we began looking at options but eventually decided to take on an 80m2 plot in Glencullen, very near Johnnie Fox's pub. It is a private

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12322691840433638157noreply@blogger.com0