My New BOL/Allotment Diary

[dannytsg]

21/06/2015

Just a bit of an update as it's been a while due to the house move and everything else.

I decided today to visit the allotment, making the journey from our new home by pedal bike. This was a test to see how quickly I myself could 'bug out' taking my BOB and pedal bike. Having set off at quite a pace it took me 4 minutes and 11 seconds to reach the allotment gates along the green lanes and off road tracks, even quick than from our old house when travelling by car! A success I would say.

Anyway here's some photo updates of our inaugural crop so far.


Carrots and asparagus coming through


Onions coming on strong and starting to sag in the stalk


Onions and flowering broccoli


Awash with leaves, rhubarb lower in the photo and my black current bush behind


Potatoes


More potatoes!

We also have a strong crop of peppers coming up with broad beans as well as strawberries, black berries, cherries and more.

[Decaff]

Wonderful to see all that healthy, wholesome food appearing!! Good stuff

[slugbert]

Looks decent pal keep it up enjoying it

[Stasher]

Danny, firstly this all looks FANTASTIC, you must be so thrilled. I always get a kick out of the polytunnel looking bare and hopeless before suddenly turning into a jungle!

Also, someone else mentioned leaving thepolytunnel doors open during the hot weather. We do that as well otherwise everything just wilts in the extreme heat. We leave them open atm overnight

It is our intention once we have all of the raised beds de-weeded and turned over to cover them with a black tarp to try and surpress any weed growth further until we need the beds for use.

A packet of fenugreek seed from the local Asian shop will provide the cheapest green manure there is, keep weeds down, boost soil fertility and structure, maintain microbial activity, and make the plot smell nice. I don't cover with tarp any longer.

I also have a few projects to get on the go in the interim. I am going to build a mini tunnel over the beds with the leeks and sugar snap peas in which will allow me to lay the green netting over it a lot more efficiently, rather than the quick hotch potch I have done with canes and bricks. I am also going to build a tipi on the bottom corner for my daughter/nephew/neice to play in when they are at the allotment.

The leeks don't need covering, the peas do though.

Why do the peas need covering? Just curious cos we don't cover ours. We just set up the wigwam of bamboo and the irrigation tubes and transplant the young plants. We've not had a problem before. Just wondering

[dannytsg]

28/6/15 the first harvest

So having gone to the allotment today to water the poly tunnels, we realised that we were in time to take our first small harvest from the allotment. Everything is well and truly on its way and we are looking at a very good crop this year.


Strawberries coming through


Parsnips coming on strong


Carrots emerging


Blackberries


Apples and/or pears


Gooseberries need a few more weeks


We took 5 of our Potato plants that we had potted and decided to uproot them. These are the Jersey Royal variety. Off 5 plants we got a total of 60 fresh new potatoes! We still have a good few plants in that we are going to leave for another week or two.


Our first mini harvest crop. Jersey Royal potatoes, a few broad beans, rhubarb and some Gooseberries.

We are feeling great about this, especially with the promise that we can see.We will also be having this beg tonight for tea.

EDIT:

Here is the above veg used to accompany our evening meal, roast turkey crown, Yorkshire puddings, green beans, sugar snap peas, baby sweet corn, roasts and new potatoes

[Arzosah]

Congratulations! You must be thrilled to produce such lovely food - especially in the first year, and from a plot that was more or less abandoned. Well done you!

[dannytsg]

Congratulations! You must be thrilled to produce such lovely food - especially in the first year, and from a plot that was more or less abandoned. Well done you!

We are very pleased. 4 months into having the allotment and we have a useful yield with plenty more to come in the coming weeks/months. We still have a massive amount of work to do sorting out all the beds as they are full of weeds from the previous neglect however I have decided my motto for the allotment growing is 'production not perfection'. I'm going to be going for production over a perfect looking, trim and clean allotment.

I know it also sound cliche but the veg really did taste entirely different. It was harvested and on the plate within 4-5 hours and just had an added depth.

[Decaff]

Bloody fantastic!!!! Well done, you must feel so proud to be providing fresh food for yourself and family.

We need a smiley clapping and cheering!!

[dannytsg]

Bloody fantastic!!!! Well done, you must feel so proud to be providing fresh food for yourself and family.

We need a smiley clapping and cheering!!

We are very pleased indeed. Sadly we will have a lot more yield than I feel we will be able to use so I'm going to try and make plenty of different jams from the excess fruit. I have the following available so suggestions for combinations would be appreciated:

Strawberries
Gooseberries
Cherries
Black currants
Black berries
Red berries
Apples
Plums
Rhubarb

[Decaff]

Bloody fantastic!!!! Well done, you must feel so proud to be providing fresh food for yourself and family.

We need a smiley clapping and cheering!!

We are very pleased indeed. Sadly we will have a lot more yield than I feel we will be able to use so I'm going to try and make plenty of different jams from the excess fruit. I have the following available so suggestions for combinations would be appreciated:

Strawberries
Gooseberries
Cherries
Black currants
Black berries
Red berries
Apples
Plums
Rhubarb

You can freeze them and use in crumbles and pies for the winter!! If you have a dehydrator they add to your stores in a big way.

I will hunt down jam combinations and get back to you!!

Don't forget smoothies!! Add half a frozen banana and a bit of cold water to get it all started and you can have the most amazing fresh smoothie, great for breakfast. Add to basic muffin recipe and bulk freeze them, again great for a grab and go breakfast or snack for the kids, add one frozen in school lunch box and it will be defrosted by lunch time and help to keep the rest of the lunch cool. Piled into a dish with yoghurt on the top add a crumbled biscuit to make a crunchy topping. Apples can be made into pies, sauce, butter, or juiced! Lastly (maybe ) don't forget you can waterbath preserve fruit in jars with a simple syrup and store for later use.

Jansman had a chutney recipe made from rhubarb which should be easy to find.