14 October

Put some onion sets in on top and bottom allotment - Red Electric.

Started digging up all the raspberries on top allotment. They didn't give me much this year and I've got plenty on the bottom allotment so it's time to make way for other crops on the space they take up. It will also make it easier to manage the weeds on the side between my allotment and the old guy next to me and also I want to try and reduce the bindweed that creeps in at the bottom of the plot. I've got all winter to tackle it - got to have a project! Before:

After:

Got a bonfire to light some time this month!

7 October

Decided to get all the pumpkins due to potential frost. Really pleased with the harvest:

Got a few sweetcorn after all and loads of butternut squash - not particularly large but tasty!

September

What a busy month!

Took a good while to dig this lot up.

Reasonable crop.

14 August

Third trip to the allotment since my last post, mainly weeding, watering and harvesting now.

Haven't had any rain for 3 days and it's been fairly warm so went down in the evening to water. Everything was really dry but looked healthy enough.

The largest pumpkin is swelling nicely and the yellow courgettes are producing in abundance! The squashes seem a bit slow but getting there.

The runner beans are well behind but cropping now as are the cobra beans.

I've had my first florence fennel

Used 2 lots of shallots so far, others still in the ground. Also pulled nearly 50 of the red onions up for drying - these will be strung up in one of the sheds at home. 21 still left in.

I've sown some spring onions which I will cover for the winter later on. Keep digging up the second earlies (Kestrel) as we need them. 9 of 20 used so far. We've found these to be a decent cropper and are very tasty boiled or roasted.

The King Edwards at the back of the top plot are dying off but the other 2 main crop potatoes (Desiree and Cara) are still growing well in a different part of the top plot.

The chioggia beetroot has cropped better this year, much bigger. Still loads to pull! I've taken down the broad beans now but left the roots in situ.

The bed of carrots on the bottom allotment have had a bit of carrot root fly - I should have protected them! The carrots on the top allotment are unaffected.

I have way more pasnips than previous years - love them roasted. Pulled a few more of those up too.

The celeriac looks healthy - don't know if I'll like it!

The sweet corn is finally putting a spurt on - hopefully it's not too late to get some decent cobs this year.

The bed of salad and radish I sowed a few weeks ago is performing well.

Back home in the greenhouse, I'm really pleased with the peppers

and the sungold tomatoes are doing brilliantly. Got a few red cherry too

5 August

Got to allotment for 07:30 on my bike. First trip since a weeks holiday in Whitby. Parents had done a bit of weeding and watering so not too bad!

Top allotment:

Bottom allotment:

Loving the yellow courgettes! The butternuts are growing well and the pumpkin plants have gone ballistic - had to chop 6 foot lengths off to keep it under control.

Pulled 4 parsnips - couldn't resist it:

Dug up a couple more second earlies, 6 down, 14 to go. Over 2Kgs, reasonable yield:

8 July

Bit later than usual, about 9 a.m. Weeded beetroot on bottom allotment and picked 5 full punnets of strawberries (weight 2.3Kgs). Also picked a few raspberries.

The pumpkin plant is about 6 feet long now and the butternut squash has started to shoot too.

Loads of broad beans coming now, took some of those home along with a bunch of sweet peas.

Covered up the strawberries with the Wondermesh at last now I can get into my shed.

Sun came out at 11:00 for the last 40 minutes - wow! At least it didn't rain.

Dug up another 3 early potatoes - still some left in the first bed.

1 July

Got to the plot at 8ish Sunday morning - it was lovely and sunny for the first day of July but by 10:30 had clouded over. Rediscovered the red onion sets - completely filled a trug with weeds - oops! Also weeded the parnsips again and hoed up the second earlies.

Dug up another 4 roots of earlies, filled a seed tray. Had them for tea with a barbeque.

The strawberries have started to perform - filled a seed tray full of lovely sweet ripe berries. Also picked some broad beans and ate a few peas (breakfast!).

The pumpkins plants have started shooting - trailing about 2 feet now. Some yellow courgettes have formed but they seem a bit slow, 'menteer next to me has some green ones and they are much further on - oh well...

No apples - I think a late frost got it when it was blossoming - damn. Plenty of plums coming, no sign of pears yet.

Everything else seems to be growing well, hoping for some more harvesting soon.

Left after about 3 1/2 hours with the plot looking much better.

In the greenhouse at home, the tomatoes are growing strongly, I have rigged up some twine to above head height so I can train them upwards. Got 4 or 5 sets on them now and lower trusses have plenty of tomatoes coming. The peppers are a decent size but still green - need heat/sun, not much sign of it changing this week.