Summer update

We have reached the very satisfying time of year when I can easily raise a plateful of fresh food at dinner time. So far we have harvested: Radish, lettuce, spring onion, carrots, garlic, potatoes, peas, courgettes, French beans, raspberries and blackberries (those last berries being a benefit of having a wild bramble at the end of my plot). Currently waiting in the wings are: Onions, sweetcorn, leeks and parsnips.


I'm pleased to report my peas were delicious - one of the things I have been really looking forward to was my own fresh peas, as I can remember beign invited to eat them straight out of the pod by my dad when I was a boy. Here's a picture of one of my pods.




'Old Mike's' wise advice on plot location was proved right again last week, when I received a tip from two of my experienced neighbours about onions. Since we've had a hot dry spell, now's the time to lift my onions before they start growing again. Apparently if that happens once they've started to dry out, then they'll split and not store so well. I didn't have time to lift them all or anywhere to dry them (it's been raining since they told me) so I've bent all the tops over as instructed. They should be ready to pull up very soon and with any luck, will store until next year.

Mike's Wisdom Shed: Tip No.1

Moog thinks we should use the blog to collect any advice we get about the allotment. So I'm posting this tip from my Dad, who's advice is normally very valuable and gained through experience. Moog likes Dad, he sits on his feet and stares up at him in silent admiration whenever he comes round. Tickling behind the ears often helps.

Top Allotment Tip Number 1:

"Yes, a plot with an active old gent next door is good. My neighbour once dug my bit for me when it got a bit overgrown! Never did get the hang of how people like that can do so much with apparent ease, when I used to sweat, but he was an ex BR fireman on steam trains! Next point, if there isn't a hut, build one, just a small one, saves carting all your tools around, provides shelter from downpours, & you can always have a pee if necessary! Of course you need to make it really strong & properly locked, but mine, built from scrap wood lasted many years after I gave up.

Don't worry too much about bindweed, couch grass etc, it's an ongoing problem, but has little overall effect on output.

Depending on whether your plot has been recently cultivated or not, it is always a good plan to break the ground up initially by growing potatoes the first year. You can spend money on expensive Scottish seed potatoes, or just use your favourite supermarket variety,"shopping basket specials" always seem to do well. Expect to have enough potatoes to last the year out, stored in paper or hessian sacks they keep well, but don't use them as seed for next year, it encourages disease problems. A good idea is to stagger production by planting an early variety first. They are very simple to plant & grow, all you need is to keep earthing them up to protect against late frost. The bonus is you can eat them an hour or so after digging them up & they tase SO much better, as does all fresh produce! (Some folk don't understand this, and say why bother when you can get veg. from the supermarket these days? D'oh!)."

More top tips to follow from Old Mike's Wisdom Shed.

Moog thinks: 'I like the idea of peeing in a shed...' I've told Moog there's actually a toilet provided by the council so that shouldn't be necessary, but he's got that faraway look in his eyes again. Moog pees on just about everything and is always keen to expand his horizons.