Spring – My Plenty Food Project

It’s Spring and change is in the air

It’s 12 months since I first saw my plot – and an unprepossing sight it was too! I was given the option of taking it on from 1st April 2018 or waiting until it had been rotivated as part of the council’s downsizing works on the site. Not being a fan of rotavation I opted not to wait. And am I glad I did – the works have finally started this week! My plot is still very much a work in progress but I am satisfied with what I have achieved and learnt over the last year and am so much better prepared for this year.

Waiting for the works to commence has had an impact on my plot though. I’ve had to leave the top 5-6m vacant to allow access for machinery to clear brambles from the vacant half-plot next to mine. And also to allow for drainage to be installed – this will also run through my top section. So not only could I grow anything in this area I also haven’t been able to erect my shed – and it also meant that I couldn’t site my polytunnel at the top end of the plot.

Plot east of mine

Plot south across the road

The plots to the east and south of mine have been vacant and completely overgrown. Although this is often thought to be problematic due to spread of weed seeds etc I have actually found it to be beneficial to me. Every time I felt a bit down about my progress I could look across at the next plots and see what mine would look like were it not for my interventions. Also as a first time (not counting a half shared plot 30 years ago!) and slightly experimental grower I have quite enjoyed being tucked away in my little corner with no-one sucking through their teeth and telling me they wouldn’t be doing it that way if they were me 😉

Contractors came onto the site on Monday this week to start the full programme of works which are scheduled to take 5-6 months and will include the installation of stone roads, improved drainage, more water taps, car parking, community room and trading shed and fully-accessible raised beds. I had anticipated that work on the plots may be the last on the schedule but was delighted to discover that they are actually first. First chance I had to take a look was yesterday afternoon – appropriately a very sunny first day of Spring. And there parked next to my plot was a massive digger – and those vacant plots have been cleared, along with the brambles at the back and side of mine. I wish I could have seen it happening but am very pleased with the results.

Something’s been digging my plot

Brambles gone

So as I prepare to start my 2nd year on the plot not only is the Spring energising me but also the changes that are taking place across the whole site and what I hope that will do for our community of growers.

Shedding light on it….

Tiny patchwork of seedtrays under the growlight

I may have jumped the gun too soon by starting off a lot of seedlings in February – seduced by that week of almost summer weather – time will tell. But my thinking was that if seedlings didn’t germinate or did but seedlings failed to thrive then I would have time to have a second try in March or even April. And I also thought that I may have my polytunnel up and running and providing a sheltered haven even for those crops destined to grow to maturity out in the raised beds.

The burgeoning number of seedtrays soon outgrew the kitchen windowsill and I gave over my spare bedroom with two very large flat trays covering the bed and those seeds such as peppers needing some bottom heat found a home on top of the wooden cover of the radiator. Despite a couple of failures (chives!) I was very happy with the germination and took great pleasure in stroking the tiny seedlings to encourage strong growth. But soon they started to show that what they really needed was light and they were growing at ever increasingly acute angles towards the window, probably not helped by worsening weather and greyer days. I took to carrying a lot of the trays outside during the day and back upstairs at night and then leaving some hardier types (kales and cabbage) in my lean-to which had some overhead light and a little protection. But the daily transportation of the seedtrays quickly palled and I also need to reclaim the bedroom for human use by the end of the month. So what to do?

Well as overhead light was what they seemed to be craving it seemed that a growlight might be the solution. I have to confess to getting a little confused by both the websites and Youtube videos I watched as to what size of light I needed. But finding myself close to a hydroponics shop last weekend I went in to see what type of lights they stocked and what they might advise. I don’t think most people shopping in such shops are actually allotmenteers interested in growing vegetables. I think its another leafy crop they are keen on propagating 😉 The shopkeeper was knowledgeable about the products but not so able to advise what was best for my situation. But I walked out with a large 125W CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lighting) bulb giving out 6400K (Blue spectrum light) for about £20. For some reason I couldn’t quite fathom it didn’t come with a lampholder and plug. I wasn’t sure that I wanted a reflector as thought I could make something suitable from cardboard and foil! But when I got home and researched online for an E40 size bulb holder and method of mounting the bulb it soon became apparent that a reflector would provide the socket, lead and plug and a means of suspension with handy loops on the top. So that’s what I went for with a side order of ratcheted cord hangers.

On Thursday it rained on and off all day – but what did I care? I spent the day sorting out my new growing room 🙂 Previously known as the ‘shed’ it’s actually a breeze block built structure and has electricity if no water supply. It’s got some free standing shelving and a fixed bench which I use for my potting. It also housed a certain amount of junk! But a couple of hours chucking out the rubbish, reconfiguring the shelf units and I had space for the light and for an array of seedtrays on the floor. The ratcheted cords allow me to hang the light at differing heights. My understanding is that it could be placed very close to the seedlings but I’m trying it at about 1.5m to give light coverage of the area I have. I’ll monitor it carefully over the next week or so to see if the seedlings are growing straight and staying healthy. Luckily my tidyup of the shed had unearthed a timer so at the moment I’ve set it to be on from 7am to 8pm but may make this a little longer. There’s a window in the shed which I can see from the house so I can tell its on and working. There’s also some glass bricks in the rear wall but I’ve blocked these off – I back onto a park and I don’t want to advertise that I have a growing room in case it attracts unwanted interest from those who think I might be producing something more exciting than green leafy vegetables 😉

I’ll be monitoring the growth of my seedlings over the next few weeks and hopefully if the weather warms up again I’ll be able to move them out of the growroom and into either my lean-to or my polytunnel (when I dare to put the cover on) before being planted out in late April onwards. If all works well next year I may be tempted to make a start with seed sowing even earlier in the year…….

Giving peas a chance…

For someone that doesn’t normally eat a lot of peas I seem to suddenly have a lot in my seed stash for planting in 2019. I do have childhood memories of eating peas straight out of the pods on my Mum’s allotments and enjoying them this way much more than eating them cooked and served with my Sunday lunch a couple of hours later. In later life shelling them seemed to be a bit of a faff and why bother when you could either have mange tout or sugar snaps – or frozen peas. And I do like a tub of mushy peas with my fish ‘n’ chips 😉

I didn’t have much success this year – possibly due to the hot weather – with the varieties I grew: Charmette (dwarf petit pois), Rosakrone (tall) and Golden Sweet (Mange tout), all from Real Seeds. The latter was particularly attractive though and did crop for a long time even though I indulged my inner child and very few pods made it home 😉 I still have seeds of all these varieties left over and will give them all another try.

Roi des Conserves

Parsley Pea

Doug Bray of Grimsby

Charmette

Rosakrone

Kent Blue

To these I have added Roi des Conserves from D T Brown. This is a tall variety and as the name suggests is for canning or for saving as dried peas. I was also taken by a couple of varieties on offer through the Heritage Seed Library: Kent Blue, which can be eaten as a mange-tout or allowed to mature; and Parsley pea, which produces a mass of tendrils and so I will be growing primarily for pea-shoots. And then to add to my collection the ‘freebie’ surprise packet of seeds from the HSL was yet another pea! Doug Bray of Grimsby is another tall variety producing regular peas.

So a variety of types which should give me a continuous harvest for several months – and will also provide some beautiful flowers to rival some of my neighbours sweet peas with the bonus of an edible crop too 🙂

STOP PRESS:

My first order from Hodmedod came this week and I must have had peas on the brain because amongst the items I ordered are a selection of pea related lovelies: Tinned and dried Carlin peas, Kabuki marrowfat peas, roasted peas (horseradish flavoured!) and yellow pea flour. I shall probably have a go at sprouting (& possibly growing on ) the marrowfat and Carlin peas just to see what happens. Watch this space!

Oh dear – it’s been a while……

So much for my good intentions to write regular blog posts about my allotment adventures over the summer! It’s not that I haven’t written anything but its been in my personal journal and not for public consumption – apart from the occasional tweet. So for the record and to catch up I’ll try and summarise what’s happened over my first 6 months on my plot.

April –

Windowsill seedlings

New compost bin

Germination

Bokashi bin

Seeds

1st pallet collar raised beds

Mulching weeds

Frustrating first month as waited for ground to dry out, weather to warm up, seedlings to germinate and to find a source of ‘cheap’ manure/compost. But the seeds did germinate and I had them all over the house on window ledges and in my shed. Assiduously labelled everything and enjoyed watching them grow. But quite a few got bit too leggy and spindly before conditions were good enough and I had some beds set up to plant them out. Constantly on search for more cardboard as mulch as I gradually used up all of my stores from the house move. Failed to stick to my plan – carefully drawn up in my garden planner.

Positives – found good source of pallet collars for raised beds. Also tracked down Care Compost for £2 per bag and eventually got hold of the manure man. And most seeds did OK.

Negatives – V disappointed with cheap(!) compost bin I had bought – thought it wouldn’t last (I was right!)

May –

Field beans

Lovely stuff!

Loading manure into bed

1st bed planted – gooseberries, strawberries with wool fleece protection

Tractor delivery

1st rustic bean frame

Chitting oca

Scorzonera?

Mad rush to get everything planted out and established before my trip to Canada at end of month. Financially strapped so couldn’t afford to splash out on enough compost etc so got fewer beds planted up than planned but manure man had eventually put in an appearance – delivery by tractor! Made a start with adding woodchip to paths between beds – with son’s help. First bed planted with free strawberry plants and gooseberry bushes from a Handsworth allotment by way of Gumtree. Constructed some bean wigwams for runners and french beans. Field beans planted out too.

Positives – definite signs of progress and v pleased to actually see some plants in the ground.

Negatives – shortage of compost/money! Huge storms at end of month put paid to some plans before holiday.

June =

First half I was in Seattle/Vancouver whilst kids looked after my plot! Did do a bit of horticultural tourism – a visit to University of British Columbia Farm for the Farmer’s Market and tour of their sustainable farm which was great. Worthy of a whole blog itself but a few pics will have to suffice.

UBC Farmers Market

UBC Farm Tour

Came home mid-month into a heatwave which was to continue for next couple of months or more. Son had done watering and most seedlings had survived but there were a few casualties – notably courgettes and squash which had disappeared completely. A & R had also gone ahead and used pallets I’d left to build a compost bin – not quite the design – or the position – I’d anticipated but I appreciated the gesture 🙂 Its proved useful since for several things but not yet making compost!

I’d missed the allotment auction but my neighbour T had bid on my behalf and I discovered I was now the proud owner of an 8×8 shed and a 20ft long polytunnel:-)

Field Beans

Polytunnel

Shed

Positives – great holiday! Excited by shed & polytunnel

Negatives – loss of courgettes & squash etc. Weeds! Sleepless nights trying to work out how to move shed and polytunnel.

July –

Beetroot

Manure with worms

Potatoes in woodchip

Velvet Queen – a stunner

Onions – Red Baron

Carrots

Field Beans

More beans

Leeks

1sr French beans – Cosse violette

Well this is when I really started to see results! Real actual harvests! From tiny seeds germinating on my windowsill back in the cold of spring to harvesting radish, onions, potatoes, carrots and beans in the heat of summer. This felt like success. But was still struggling to get my replanted courgettes & squash going and was on to my third unsuccessful sowing of lettuce. And there were some other casualties too – achocha, brassicas looking very peaky and most of my raspberry canes had all succumbed to heat or insects.

Positives – harvests and my beautiful Velvet Queen sunflowers

Negatives – hours of watering, crop losses and still those sleepless nights working out the logistics of moving shed & polytunnel!

August –

Aidan & me

Propping upthe beans – again!

Tree spinach

Bergamot

Digging trench for the polytunnel

Bee friendly sunflower

Tackling the brambles – this will be site of my mini-food-forest

A little helping hand with clearing brambles

Fermenting purple french beans

Chinese Gooseberry in the garden

Summer gloriousness of Velvet Queen

Chinese gooseberry

The heatwave continued unabated and lots of time still spent on watering. Some things still looked peaky – brassicas very motheaten (probably literally!) but decided not to uproot in the hope they’d perk up and I hadn’t got any plants to replace them with anyway! Still very little progress with the courgettes/squash and sweetcorn very slow. But lots of purple french beans (Cosse Violette) so had a go at fermenting some with OK results even if they lost their colour.

Having acquired blackcurrants from my neighbour’s plot in July this month I found plums & damsons on trees at the margin of our site – and apples in the communal ‘orchard’ – they found their way into crumbles and gin. And sheltering from a sudden deluge in one of my neighbours many structures I made good use of my time and helped myself to a couple of bags of her blackberries (with permission of course!) Good size but flavour not so good as wild brambles.

Had a helping hand from son and we made an impact on tackling a lot of weeds and brambles at top of plot and covered over to prevent further growth. Plan to put shed and move compost bin up here. After some rain we also managed to dig out the polytunnel I’d bought and my sister then helped dig out a couple of trenches around the space where it was going to go on my plot.

Positives: Clearing weeds, harvesting, and general progress

Negatives: Clearing weeds and sleepless nights thinking about the polytunnel!

September –

Month started very well with the moving of the polytunnel:

And then there was even some planting in the polytunnel:

But then we had the first of the named UK storms – Storm Ali – and this was the result:

Oh dear! I hadn’t completed the job of digging in the polythene cover – but it seemed sturdy enough and had been weighted down either side so I couldn’t imagine it moving very far. But the day I went to tackle the digging in ahead of impending storm Bronagh I walked down the path and suddenly realised I couldn’t see it behind my neighbours’ runner beans as I approached. It simply wasn’t there – and at first glance it wasn’t anywhere in sight at all. It was only after I’d walked up to the top of my plot that I spotted in in the distance having come to rest against someone’s compost bin right up against the boundary trees. I managed to get the cover off – surprisingly appearing to be in one piece with only a couple of small tears in the ventilation mesh – and stashed away. The frame appeared pretty mangled on first view but at the time of writing I have a plan to salvage it if possible with the help of Dave on my neighbouring plot. So all may not be lost just yet!

September wasn’t completely a failure – I discovered that where allotment growing is concerned patience really is a virtue! I finally harvested my first courgettes, lettuce, broccoli and kale. But can’t claim the tromboncino – that was from Kings Norton Farmers’ Market.

First courgette 🙂

Morton’s Secret Lettuce Mix

Yellow courgettes

Tree spinach next to oca

Mizuna seedlings

Mange tout with flowers

Pink tresses on sweetcorn

Tromboncino – from farmer’s market

And the month – and my first six months of being allotmenteer ended with a real treat. No! – not my Allotment Association AGM at which my election as treasurer at an earlier EGM was confirmed 😉 But a trip with my sister to the Malvern Autumn Show – an absolute delight.