The Nursery Overflow!

Despite the bad weather for sowing and planting, we have a lot in pots. The bedrooms may be full but that doesn't stop us.

This is our lounge!

Tomato Troubles

This year my tomatoes seem to be having trouble. I think it's down to the nre compost I tried staying too wet and causing the browing of leaves.

I've sown back ups in case they don't recover.

Red Fuego Cabbages

These cabbages are doing really well - taken just prior to potting on.

I think the magic trick has been the addition of a little extra lime in the compost. Something has certainly helped them this year.

Cauliflower Awaiting Potting On

These cauliflowers (Mayflower) are ready to move on.

Potted On

This is a cauliflower moved into the last pot before it gets planted on the plot.

Giving them a good start should get me half way to a good crop. We'll see.

Mixing Compost

A tip I picked up at the NVS meeting was to give your brassicas a lot of lime. It certainly seems to be working.

This is me mixing ordinary multi-purpose compost with lime to up the pH. I put about 2" of compost in my potting tray and then dust it with lime, prior to mixing it thoroughly. You don't want to add too much lime.

Incidentally, this is not hydrated lime, it's ground limestone which is not harsh and holds longer.

Onion Seedlings on plot 5

Just after planting some more onion seedlings.

Sets are certainly easier but growing onions from seed is cheaper and I think the onions store longer for some reason. They don't look much at this stage, but I hope they'll be full round succulent onions in time

Stocking up the supplies

Stocked up with multi-purpose compost, fish, blood and bone fertiliser and dolomite lime. Luckily the car managed to avoid sinking into the mud before I got it unloaded. The dustbin makes a great dry store for fertiliser and you can see onion seedlings on the table.

On the right, next to the shed, are the side panels for the anti-pigeon brassica cage.

Salad bed on plot 29

Taken after I cleared the weeds this is the salad bed on plot 29.

You can see the spring onions on the left and right rear. In the centre at the rear are two lettuces that have overwintered. Considering we've had minus 6 a few times, it is quite amazing that a lettuce should be so hardy.

On the left rear in the white box are the Arctic King lettuce awaiting planting.

Chitted Sweetcorn

I decided to try chitting (pre-germinating) my sweetcorn for the first time this year. These have been between damp sheets of kitchen roll paper in a sealed plastic food container for just four days.

I popped them onto an envelope to photograph as they were lost on a white background.

Brassicas on the Patio

I'm extremely pleased with the progress of my brassicas and here they are sitting on the patio hardening off prior to being planted out on the plot.

My brave cats will frighten off any pigeons that try to eat them, in theory.

I think they speak for themselves.

Comfrey Patch

Last year I managed a cut of the comfrey on 19th April. You can see on the photos for April 2005. This year it's still not high enough for a cut on 24th April. I reckon we are a good three weeks behind last year.

Whenever this happens, a cold season, we always worry but it always seems to catch up.

Site Rep and Plot Holder

Our Site Rep, Larry caught chatting to a plot holder.

The social interaction is an important aspect of allotments and you can always be sure of getting advice on an allotment, Of course, ask three plotholders and you'll get four opinions!

New Coldframe

I thought a picture of my birthday present on site was called for.

Inside you can make out the onion seedlings waiting to plant out when they're a little bigger.