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Ups and downs
Life with the allotment is a mixed bag. I thought I'd post a running total so that people can see that we neither have perfect green fingers, nor any total disasters. (There's nothing more depressing than people who never make any mistakes, except perhaps people who never have anything go right)
Lessons learnt:
1. If you have a greenhouse of any kind, even if it's any one of those little portable ones like we have, make sure you ventilate it properly in hot weather. If you don't, it can get far too hot -- hot enough to prevent some of your seats from germinating...
2. The same thing can apply to cloches on the allotment. If the weather is really horribly hot, then using a cloche will probably be the death of your newly planted radishes, spring onions and leaks.
3. If things get horribly hot under cloches, they're probably even more likely to get flea beetle.
4. The best way to deal with pests is to stop them reaching your crops in the first place. The technique I have yet to try is to place fleece, or enviromesh over the seedlings. Fleece is mainly to provide warmth -- and I should have put some over my young sweetcorn before planting them out, as they're looking very pale and sorry for themselves. Enviromesh is designed to keep out insects; though not totally sure yet what the mesh sizes and which insects it can keep out -- but it certainly prevents butterflies from laying eggs.
Things that are going right:
1. Pea and bean weevils are not the end of the world. They damage the leaves, but they don't usually destroy the plant. Some of broad bean plants are now flowering in spite of the damage, and the plants are steadily getting bigger.
2. Rhubarb is foolproof.
3. I can do raspberries. I'm really getting quite good at raspberries. I shall do a decent post on them, some day when I have the energy.
4. A load of tatty little seedlings from another allotment holder can turn into an impressive group of baby lettuces. Never look a gift plant in the mouth -- unless it comes from somebody with club root... (club root affects members of the brassica family, and once you have it you can never get rid of it)
5. Allotment work is incredibly relaxing. I never thought I'd enjoy all that weeding. Even shovelling manure has its pluses.
Lessons learnt:
1. If you have a greenhouse of any kind, even if it's any one of those little portable ones like we have, make sure you ventilate it properly in hot weather. If you don't, it can get far too hot -- hot enough to prevent some of your seats from germinating...
2. The same thing can apply to cloches on the allotment. If the weather is really horribly hot, then using a cloche will probably be the death of your newly planted radishes, spring onions and leaks.
3. If things get horribly hot under cloches, they're probably even more likely to get flea beetle.
4. The best way to deal with pests is to stop them reaching your crops in the first place. The technique I have yet to try is to place fleece, or enviromesh over the seedlings. Fleece is mainly to provide warmth -- and I should have put some over my young sweetcorn before planting them out, as they're looking very pale and sorry for themselves. Enviromesh is designed to keep out insects; though not totally sure yet what the mesh sizes and which insects it can keep out -- but it certainly prevents butterflies from laying eggs.
Things that are going right:
1. Pea and bean weevils are not the end of the world. They damage the leaves, but they don't usually destroy the plant. Some of broad bean plants are now flowering in spite of the damage, and the plants are steadily getting bigger.
2. Rhubarb is foolproof.
3. I can do raspberries. I'm really getting quite good at raspberries. I shall do a decent post on them, some day when I have the energy.
4. A load of tatty little seedlings from another allotment holder can turn into an impressive group of baby lettuces. Never look a gift plant in the mouth -- unless it comes from somebody with club root... (club root affects members of the brassica family, and once you have it you can never get rid of it)
5. Allotment work is incredibly relaxing. I never thought I'd enjoy all that weeding. Even shovelling manure has its pluses
no subject
Further to this, also bear in mind that even just opening a window for ventilation allows plants to lose water much faster, even when it doesn't seem all that warm.
no subject
What would you suggest for growing indoors, in a kitchen where the windows don't open?
no subject