Category: Fork To Fork

Catch Up

On By TontowilliamsIn books, Fork To Fork, Garden / Allotment, Wildlife/Nature, writing

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve managed to post here and there are a few things to catch up with.

Allotment

 It’s been a busy couple of weeks on the plot, with lots of the seeds I’ve sown germinating and coming along well. The potatoes have shot ahead, and are now earthed up in their final ridges. I’ve got my fingers crossed that we won’t have any hard frosts because they are a little exposed. I’m sowing and planting most weeks now, and by the end of May most things should be in, and then succession sowing can begin. It’s also been a great couple of weeks for seeing birds on the plot. Buzzards, heron and kestrel have been some of the highlights.

I’ve also written and submitted my first blog for Regatta. I won a competition to write for them, in return for the exposure and free kit. Writing for them stopped me from writing here last week as I was up against a deadline, but hopefully normal service can resume. I’ll post a link to that post when it’s live.

The last few weeks have also been pretty dry, with little rain, so it’s meant hand watering the plot. As most of the seedlings are under cover this takes a bit of time, as they have to be uncovered first. Yesterday we had a lot of rain though, which has even things out a bit. Not sure what the long range forecast predicts for the next few months but hopefully it won’t be too hot and dry, and although it’s an old wives tale the Oak was out before the Ash this year.

Work

Probably most significantly in the last two weeks is that I’ve found out I’m going to be made redundant at the end of July. This is partly voluntary, so I have at least been able to make some short term plans, but it means I’m going to be job hunting soon, which I’m not particularly looking forward too, having pretty much been continuously employed for the last twenty years!

Reading

Has been a pretty mixed bag. I finished reading “The Peregrine: The Hill of Summer and Diaries. The Complete Works of J. A. Baker” which was a fantastic read. It was an Easter present, and a book (The Peregrine) that I’ve been meaning to read for some time. I have another copy of the single book, but have never gotten around to reading it until now. I’d recommend if you like nature books.

Allotment Update 11th April 2015

On By TontowilliamsIn Fork To Fork, Garden / Allotment, Video

It was raining when I made it down to the allotment this morning, as the video above explains. The rain did clear relatively quickly but I didn’t add to the video. I did manage to get some weeding done, and get the plum tree in the ground in the fruit bed. I also managed to sow some more seeds, including; turnip, beetroot and carrot.

The carrot I split across a couple of different methods to try something new. Some I sowed normally into the ground as I have done many, many times. I also sowed some others in some drainpipes which I filled with a mixture of sand and fine compost. I think these will hopefully grow longer and straighter, and as they are in drainpipes which are slightly raised off of the ground might be less susceptible to the low flying carrot-root fly. A bit of an experiment for this year so we’ll see how it goes.

Looking back across a wet allotment
Looking back across a wet allotment

The blue sky starting to break the cloud in the distance.
The blue sky starting to break the cloud in the distance.

One of the young brassica plants
One of the young brassica plants

UPDATE: I had to upload the video again.

Seeds Are Sprouting

On By TontowilliamsIn Fork To Fork, Garden / Allotment
Radish Are Go!

The first of the seeds that I sowed a couple of weeks ago are starting to sprout. Great news!

So far; radish, lettuce, peas, rainbow chard and broad beans are all poking through the soil. Most of these are under cover, so I spent quite a bit of time watering them. The parsnips haven’t shown any sign yet, but they’re always slow to get going. The cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower plants are also doing well so far.

The wind was back again yesterday, although quite mild generally, it was keen and kept things distinctly chilly.

Purple Sprouting & Kale

I also harvested some of the kale and purple sprouting broccoli, I’m pleased how this has done over the winter and I’m looking forward to my Easter Sunday lunch!

Batten Down The Brassicas, It’s Windy Out There

On By TontowilliamsIn Dog, Dogs, Fork To Fork, Garden / Allotment

It’s not often my sleep gets interrupted, but at 3am this morning I woke to the sound of the wind whistling around the house, it sounded quite wild out there. Today was also “bin day” and as I walked to the railway station it was clear it had been. Many bins were lying on their sides, their contents strewn around the street. I made a mental note to check on the allotment when I got home.

After work I walked down with the dogs, hoping my weekend preparations had stood up to the worst of the weather. Fortunately it seemed to be the case. The fleece on the brassicas had worked free at one end, which I quickly resecured; and a piece of carpet that had blown from a neighbours plot was returned.

Other than that no damage, so I took a bit of time to check on some of my sowings. I could be wrong but I think the peas might be poking their heads through (see below), I’ll check again at the weekend.

Peas Or Not Peas

Wilson is an old hand at the allotment, we’re often there harvesting after work, however for Ruby, it’s a new experience, however I think she’s starting to get what it’s about.  

Wilson & Ruby Waiting Patiently

Frosty Start, Sunny Finish

On By TontowilliamsIn Fork To Fork, Garden / Allotment

 

After a busy weekend on the allotment, with my early spuds going in the ground as well as shallots, radish, lettuce, parsnip and a complete set of brassica plants that arrived last Friday, I was hoping for them to escape any significant frosts. Knowing that to be unlikely I did make sure that they were all under cover. I made good use of the cloche that I built a week or so ago.

 

  

This morning I woke to a proper frost however. The roof of our house was white, as was the ground, I hoped that my preparations were enough. 

After work this evening I walked down to the allotment with the dogs to check how my new plants were. By now the sun was out and the Mercury had risen. Everything appears well, all of the brassica plants that went in only a few days ago seem fine, my cloche has done a good job. I’m sure they’ll be more frosts to come, but it’d good to know that my preparations seem good.

Allotment Video Update 12th March 2014 & 14th March 2014

On By TontowilliamsIn Fork To Fork, Garden / Allotment, Video

I finally managed to get the video I recorded earlier in the week to upload so here it is, scroll down for more recent updates.

Since then I’ve been busy planting broad bean seeds (eight rows), peas and rainbow chard. I’ve also dug trenches for my early potatoes, which weather permitting will probably go in on Monday. The temperature however has dropped from a balmy 11° when I shot the video above to around 2° this morning.

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Building A Timber Frame Cloche

On By TontowilliamsIn Fork To Fork, Garden / Allotment1 Comment



Having the ability to grow plants early in the season “under-cover”, means getting a head start on the growing year. They keep plants warm and protect from frosts. I’ve used plastic cloches for a while, mostly ones that I’ve bought ready made (for about £5 each) these are relatively small, covering not more than a single row of plants and not giving much headroom. So I decided to build something myself. Partly to have something custom made to my plot, and also to see what it would cost me in materials.



The basic frame is made from 38x47mm treated softwood, and the overall frame is about 2m long and about 0.8m wide. 

I strengthened the corners and other joints with off-cuts. All held together with wood screws. I pre-drilled all of the screws to make assembly easier.

The hoops are made from flexible 15mm waterpipe, and screwed to the frame. I allowed for about a half-metre height above the centre of the frame.

The covering is 250G plastic purchased from E-Bay. I had a sheet that was 4m x 3m, and used as a double layer. Ideally slightly thicker plastic would have done as good a job and therefore a smaller sheet would have been needed. The sheet was secured to the frame using staples and trimmed with a knife.

Costs:

  • Timber £10 (plus some off-cuts from other projects)
  • Plastic £8
  • Water pipe: I already had some left over but it sells for around £2.30 for a 2m length.
  • Screws & Staples: Again I already had these but expect to spend less than £5.

Tools:

Drill, screwdriver, staple gun, Stanley-knife, hacksaw (to cut plastic pipe to length)

Construction Notes:

In total I spent about half a day building this (incl. shopping for materials). A nice level surface helped get the frame together. I’m pleased with the end result and it will give me a flexible area to grow plants early in the season. Cost wise this was probably on the expensive side but I did already have some of the materials and only really had to buy the wood and plastic.

The same type of framework could be used with netting instead of plastic to protect brassicas and other crops. With the plastic on, don’t forget to water the plants underneath.

I didn’t film a “How-to” video as there are plenty on YouTube, if you’re interested.

Planning For Next Year

On By TontowilliamsIn Fork To Fork, Garden / Allotment

IMG_0727.JPG We had our first frost last night, the signs that autumn is truly upon us.

The allotment is winding down now. There’s still lots to do in preparation for next year, but in terms of crops most things are coming to the end. I’ve still got beans up, but only to let them dry and go to seed, and there are still courgettes, squashes and pumpkins. I’ve also got my garlic in, this needs several consecutive cold nights to properly set bulbs for next year, so hopefully this should have plenty of time.

I’ve sown some overwintering broad beans. I used to do this each year but stopped a couple of years ago, as I lost them to winters that were either very cold or wet. I’m gambling that we will have a mild, and hopefully relatively dry winter, and I’ll have an early broad bean crop. If they don’t survive I’m not too bothered as they’re in an area where I want some winter cover, so they’ll provide that if nothing else. I’ll sow more in spring regardless.

The allotment shop took delivery of its seed order this week, and so I made sure I was at the front of the queue to stock up. The above is just a sampling of what I’ll be growing next year, I still need to get runner beans and a few other things before spring.

IMG_0728.JPG Speaking of pumpkins, I made pumpkin soup last night. It was fantastic, if I do say so myself, and the good news is there was enough for this evening as well. This is what an allotment is all about – fork to fork.

I also had a practice ahead of Halloween.

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