Leeks, Sprouts & Squashes

Not much happened in May, it was too cold, nothing was growing. All it needs is sun and warmth and within a week everything looks a lot different. The peas and potatoes at home had hardly done anything at the beginning of the week, by the end the potatoes had flowers and the peas were at the top of their netting.

I had loads of plants in pots waiting to be put out either on the plot or in the garden. Starting on the plot I put in the leeks, sprouts and white cabbage. At home I put in all the french beans, runner beans, butternut squash and the other squashes. I still have a lot more to go in over the next week, courgettes, cucumbers, celeriac plants. These would normally have been put in weeks ago but the weather was just not right, now they are more than ready.

Strawberry plants look better than last year so far, last year was not a good year and so I’m hoping for better things. We did manage to pick some strawberries but hoping for a lot more. Squash plants are in the garden but I need to plant some out on the plot too, so far I have yet to have success apart from cucumbers and courgettes. I’ve prepped the ground this time and I’ll dig in more compost around the plants with the hope to prevent things from drying out. That’s for the coming week.

Potato plants have flowers, broad bean plants have loads of broad beans and now quite a bit of black fly. The idea of growing over winter is so that the beans have matured enough to survive any black fly attack and they have certainly done that.

A sudden purchase at the weekend was a 2stroke petrol strimmer, something I have been keeping an eye out on Facebook market place for weeks. The first person never really replied or answered my questions (like, can I see it running), but the second one was friendly and was selling what seems to be a good make, cheap too. It will take a bit to get used to, and it’s set for a righthanded person which I’ll have to see if I can unscrew bits to reconfigure it. I need to get some strimming wire as there is not much left, but it did also come with a metal cutting disc which is a bit more robust for an allotment and so I’ll have a go at fitting it.

We are eating a lot of radish…