Bridgend allotment week ending  3rd May 2008

This week the main crop potatoes were planted - Kerr's Pinks -, the grass cut and edges trimmed, weeding done especially in the former wild flower area where a good crop of thistles was on the way and another layer of leaves put down on paths.

The blossom on the cherry tree was delightful and the blossom and leaves are now on all the fruit.

The first swallows of the season were seen swooping low.

The broad beans and peas planted on 10 April have not come up; I think the mice had them since there was no sign of the seeds in the ground so more were planted, broad beans Stereo and Witkiem Manita, peas Early Onward and Hurst Greenshaft, beetroot Bolthardy and turnips, Snowball and Purple Milan. Our allotment is well positioned between the rabbits under the Portacabin and the mice in the wild area along the fence!

More spears have appeared in the asparagus trench so another layer of sand and compost was laid over them.

Open Day on Saturday 3 May was warm and sunny and a goodly number came to look round, buy plants, have their face painted, and have a cup of tea while listening to the sax band and the drummers.

Bridgend week ending 19 April 2008

An organic pest controller aka blue tit was working through the raspberries when I arrived this week and so good to see the growth on all the fruit with the first blossom- on the pears- being about to open and the willows coming into leaf.

This week more potatoes were planted: the second earlies - Kestrel - the salad potato- Charlotte -and Heritage varieties of Shetland Black, Dunbar Rover, Edzell Blues and Highland Burgundy. The seed bed was dug over again but the ground still too wet for riddling and work continued with creating the raised beds.

The red onions, Red Baron were planted.

The fruit cage bed was dug over.

The bed for the first of the carrots was dug over again and riddled for the first sowing next week.

The shed was emptied of the hose, plastic bags and weed suppressing matting and all put in one of the composting bins temporarily so it will be easier to find what we are using at the moment.

Jobs for the week - weather permitting

Sow carrots and cover with enviromesh, 

Sow beetroot, turnips, chard, kohl rabi and cover with fleece. Seeds and instructions in the shed.

Fork over the comfrey bed

Cut the grass edges