Diary - 2021

January 2021

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  • Changed my mind regarding the greenhouse.  Decided to dig that area and turn it over to herbs.  Will grow rosemary, lavender, parsley, chives, coriander & mint.

  • Ordered more veg seeds: cucumber, spring onions, cabbages (Tundra), salad leaves, rocket and Cos lettuce.

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February 2021

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  • Started the potato chitting in garage (frost free).

  • Early February I sowed Pepper seeds, sprouts, geums and geraniums.  Peppers, geraniums and sprouts all germinated within a week.

  • Erected plastic greenhouse in garden as overflow for the glass greenhouse.

  • On the allotment, I prepared the potato bed with chicken manure pellets and well rotted horse manure.  Asparagus bed was fed with both horse manure and chicken pellets too.

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Clingfilm on top of trays is industrial wrapping used in the Packaging Industry

March 2021

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  • First week of March, I sowed all Tomato varieties (Alicante, Beef Steak and Cherry), Vanilla Marigolds, Parsley, Mint, Petunias, Busy Lizzie, Chilli Peppers, Salad Leaves, Sweet Peas and Dahlias.

  • Also, I potted on the sprouts and two new Dahlia Tubers Called Eveline (white in colour).

  • Geums just germinating after 3 weeks.

  • Prepared bed for first early potatoes mid March and planted them on 22nd March. Charlotte and Maris Peer.

  • March 24th - planted chives and buried a large plastic pot in the herb plot.  The pot was for mint in order keep it constrained.

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April 2021

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  • Last two days of March we experienced a mini heatwave but by April the Arctic blast returned.  The first image was taken 12th April 2021.  We had widespread snow in the morning but it had all melted by midday.

  • I sowed Chives, Sweetcorn, Parsley, Basil and Leeks in the first week of April, all under glass 

  • Second week of April, we sowed Pumpkin, Sunflowers, Beetroot (Boltardy) and Burgundy Sweet Peas.  The pumpkins and Sunflowers all germinated within a few days.  The seeds were either under glass or in the house.

  • I have prepared an area on the allotment for my second early potatoes (Maris Piper & King Edward) and some spring onions. These will be sowed in the third week of April. Spring onions will be under a cloche - second image.

May 2021

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  • Sowed second batch of sweet corn 4th May (first batch had a low germination rate due to cold weather), runner beans and corn flowers

  • First early potatoes Maris Piper through soil on 5th May.  Charlotte potatoes came through 11th May

  • Dug trench for sweet peas and runner beans, fertilised with well rotted horse manure and chicken pellets. Constructed bamboo cane wigwam for supports 5th May

  • Planted sweet peas, beetroot boltardy and 3 lavenders (in herb bed) 11th May

  • Sowed 12 Italian beans and Cabbage Tundra 12th May

  • Hardening off plants 13th May to 20th May

  • Transferred cauliflowers into planting area15th May

  • Sprouts and Carrots transferred to planting area19th May

  • Very strong winds (50mph) 21st May.  Blown over a shed (not mine!) and knocked out panes of glass from greenhouses up on the allotments.

  • Planted out runner beans, courgettes and leeks 25th May.

June 2021

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  • Planted Savoy cabbages, tomatoes, spinach perpetual, sweetcorn and cornflowers 2nd June

  • Trying some sweet peppers on allotment - planted 2nd June.

  • Planted dahlias and harvested broad beans on 6th June.  Cooked beans in their pods and ate both pod and bean.  If they are too mature, the pods become stringy so take beans out of pods.

  • Planted 10 Italian beans 9th June

  • Beans were big enough to eat out of pods from13th June.  Attacked by black fly from mid June.  Using soft soap to eradicate but having mixed results

  • Sowed more beetroot and spring onions 10th June germinated 20th June

  • Harvesting spinach perpetual 15th June

  • Heatwave from 1st June to 16th June. Weather broke 17th