Ons Volkstuintje (Our Wee Allotment)

Long time no post.

2006-10-21T11:13:00.000+02:00

Due to a variety of personal problem that I won't go into here, the volkstuintje and this blog has gone down a touch in priorities.

Normal service to be resumed as soon a possible.

Big Plans!

2006-09-17T16:53:00.000+02:00

This is how I'm going to plan my beds and paths and things.

It's by no means concrete and are always subject to change, but the main thing is I have something on paper to refer to instead of looking at a piece of ground and simply winging it.

All dimensions are approximates because instead of using a tape measure I paced it out. Clicking on the image should increase it.

Two of the biggest changes will be a shelter and a new and improved compost heap in the corner of the Southish and Westish sides. Hopefully another major change will be more veg and less weeds!

The Northish half of the plot is pretty much in place as is the Eastish, all I really need to do there is blag some wood to define the borders.

Mildew!!

2006-09-08T14:30:00.000+02:00

One member of the Allotments UK forum, going by the name of organic has informed me that I appear to have mildew on my leaves, here is the post in full.

don't mean to be disheartening but your pumpkin leaves appear to have powdery mildrew

Products containing the following chemicals are effective against this :

Myclobutanil

Penconazole

Flutriafol

the organic way would mean taking all infected leaves of but it doesn't look like you have any that aren't. so probably would kill it

prevention

Ensure plants have adequate water, especially those in containers.

Keep roots moist by incorporating organic matter in autumn and applying mulches in spring.

Avoid overcrowding plants or thin out crowded growth, to give good air circulation and minimise humidity.

Don't give susceptible plants too much nitrogen-rich fertiliser because this encourages sappy growth which is more susceptible to fungi.

What organic didn't realise, that after harvesting The Accidental Pumpkin, more stems have since grown from the plant and more fruit and leaves are appearing, so I have been able to prune away the affected leaves.
Thanks organic for the advice.

More Accidental Pumpkins?

2006-09-05T14:16:00.000+02:00

Since harvesting The Accidental Pumpkin a couple of weeks ago (my girlfriend makes a mean pumpkin soup and also a pumpkin and rice bake type thing with goat cheese) there seems to be two with the possiblity of another one fruit developing from new stems that have grown from the main plant.

Here's hoping they grow up big and strong like the last one.

Getting hungry just thinking about it.

Photies!

2006-08-23T22:12:00.000+02:00

Below, hopefully, are some photies of the weed patch, erm, plot.

Clicking on images will enlarge them.

The Accidental Pumpkin

Compare this photo with the next one. It has been taken in roughly the same spot and same angle as the other. This is the view we get now the willow trees are gone, councils, don't you just love them...

2003

2006

Spanish Chard?!

2006-08-20T19:36:00.000+02:00

I don't know how this happened, but somehow I've managed to call my Swiss Chard Spanish Chard.

My apologies to any Swiss offended, I should have checked their passports...

Just A Quick Post...

2006-08-05T21:01:00.000+02:00

... to say that today after checking my germinating seeds, that I planted my Beetroot, Spanish Chard and Cabbage Lettuce.

The Beetroot and Spanish Chard were already sprouting, but the Cabbage Lettuce were not, but they went in anyway. It's the nothing ventured nothing gained time.

Also started germinating my Curly Kail, will probably plant them during the week.

Last Ditch Attempt & The Accidental Pumpkin

2006-08-02T20:45:00.000+02:00

Last Ditch Attempt
I know it's late in the season, very late, but the time has come for a last ditch attempt to restore some pride in my ailing allotment.
On Sunday I started to germinate three lots of seeds. Beetroot (Bullet 2 Bolivar), Spanish Chard (Lucullus) and Cabbage Lettuce (Hilde). The Beetroot & Spanish Chard I already have in the allotment, but they have been something of a failure. Only three of my Beets have grown and one Spaniard has bothered to turn up, and it looks as if something has eaten at it before I got a chance to harvest that. Pest control is something I have to get to grips with, which is evident if you ever see the fruit trees. The potatoes were the only real saving grace, but they are almost due for howking and we have already had some nice New Potatoes from them, so it's time for something else to hold the torch. And before I forget I also got some Curly Kail (Westland Autumn late type) to try out before it gets way too late.

Make Your Beds!
Part of the reprioritising (is that a real word?) of the volkstuin is planning the beds and paths. This I'm doing with bits of spare wooden planks lying around our back gardem, surrounding the beds, with the boards and cover the paths with gravel or wood chip, whatever is cheaper.

The Accidental Pumpkin
I sow two pumpkin seed (the big orange Halloween type) and nothing happens, but drop one accidently and lo and behold the thing grows! I was sure I was getting three fruit from it, but one is doing very well and the other two have shrivelled to nothing. could this be a survival tactic from the very dry spell in July? The big one sooks the moisture from the little ones? Survival of the fittest?

Rain
Finally, rain! Four weeks of nothing and now we are getting plenty! Great, thumbs up here. But please clear up before we go to the Folkwoods Festival on the second weekend of August.

The story so far...

2006-07-29T15:54:00.000+02:00

My girlfriend is going to kill me, another blog...

Anyhoo, back in 2003, I think, my girfriend Veronika and myself decided to rent from the council a 20m X 10m plot of ground with views of growing our own veg.

After getting the council to clear the ground for us ;) we set about planting our seeds and totties, the first year being a mild success, although the grass and horsetail still to this date seem unwilling to shift...

We have had mixed fortune, with good crops in our first year, an indifferent 2004, to an almost disastorous 2005 where I was ready to throw in the towel.

Also the allotment has shrunk in size as the council reclaimed land, which also rearranged several other longer established plots, as they are currently building a new street alongside the allotments.

Below are some pictures as it was a couple of years ago, I would post more recent photies but my digital camera has died on me. :(

The willow trees in the background are no longer there, as the new road now sits where they were growing, which is a shame because we had a nice wee secluded spot there.