Sunday, July 19, 2015

THE HARVEST - July 2015

Me Podding Broad Beans

Alderman Peas

Gooseberries

Raspberries & Strawberries


Blackcurrents

Our Sunflower Bed

Broad Beans

Tomatos developing in Polytunnel




Raspberry Canes

Allotments at their best

Currently gathering the produce from our plots and either freezing them or making jam or wine.
It is almost a full time job right now,with still so much produce there still.
The Pumpkins are taking shape and should be a huge amount again this autumn.
The Tomatos are still green, but should not be too long before they start ripening.
The main job at the moment is watering everything, especially the polytunnels which need doing twice a day.
The Runner Beans are beginning to form now so we'll soon be deluged with those!
It has been another successful year though by the looks of things.

Tuesday, July 07, 2015

ALLOTMENTS UPDATE- July 2015

View of Two Plots of ours


Strawberry Bed 3

Sweet Peas

Inside Polytunnel

Chard


Pumpkin Patch

Spring Onions

Peppers

Raspberries and Polytunnel

Everything is looking great now on our allotment plots.
Started picking the Strawberries and Raspberries and even some of the "Charlotte" potatoes last week. Everyday there is something ready to pick, which is very rewarding after all the earlier hard work. Now its a case of enjoying the produce you have grown and water when needed.
Though this week we've had some rain, after a two week dry spell.
The plots needed the rain of course and it is much better than watering by hand.
Our allotments have one communal tap for 21 plot holders to use, which means connecting a long hosepipe to the tap and then put the hose into your water butts to fill them up. 
But the water is on a meter, so careful use is required and mainly on veggies that only really need regular watering, like Runner Beans, Pumpkins and Peppers and Tomatos.
Root vegetables like Onions are not really in need of much water.
The Polytunnels are looking good and the Chillies & Peppers coming on now with flowers forming. The Tomatos have a few fruits but not ripening as yet.
They now require regular feeding with a potash based liquid feed diluted in a watering can, probably twice a week. Also remove all Tomato leaves that are below the first truss of flowers at the base of the plants. This gives more strength to the fruits forming.