Harvest Tales

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Harvest Tales

Spring / Summer 2011

Though we say it ourselves 2b is looking great! Actually other allotment holders are commenting on how good the site looks since Harvest took over and we’re building on that, having a committed, consistent group spending time there really helps – especially at this time of year.

The green manures that we used over winter – Hungarian and Italian rye, red clover and seaweed have been a real success. The rye was difficult to dig in (and we’ll try to do that earlier next year). We left it roughly dug under plastic for a couple of weeks and were rewarded with fab crumbly soil that really seems to retain moisture.

The seaweed was much easier to dig in (though more effort to collect – we checked with the marine dept and were told that it’s ok to take seaweed that isn’t attached but also to leave some for beachlife creatures). It caused a lot of curiosity with the neighbours!
 
So things are growing beautifully in that half of the allotment…

There are salads, herbs and other low rooting crops closest to the plum tree as it’s fibrous roots would hinder other crops. Onions and garlic are being pulled, parsnips, carrots and beetroot are doing well too. We’re trying companion planting which seems to be attracting lots of ladybirds so hopefully will keep the aphids down.

At the other end it’s not quite so good as we made the mistake of digging in horse manure from the local stables that we thought would be well rotted as it was from the centre of a HUGE pile but it seems plants in that area, runner beans, peas, squashes, raspberries and strawberries are struggling and looking yellowed. The neighbours have been full of handy tips and what we don’t know about manure now just isn’t worth knowing!! The pumpkin seems to be loving it there and is massive with lots of flowers but the butternut squash, cucumber and courgette all look rather sad. Having said that we do have a butternut squash the size of a golf ball growing so maybe they’re supposed to look half dead!

Most of our labour is going into watering and weeding. With the dry spell we’ve had it’s been a bit of a job to keep on top of the watering and it’s amazing to see that weeds thrive in any conditions – pity we can’t eat them. We have also realised that we need to plant more of everything as there’s a group of us! We’re learning and next year we’ll be even better!
 
The joy of an allotment in the summer, this was taken just after 9.30 the other evening – beautiful!

Autumn / Winter 2010

To tell us your food growing stories, email andit@eci.org.uk.

2b Allotment Update

2b can grow anything! Well, that's what we're hoping! We've done the groundwork over the latter part of 2010 (and we don't just mean digging, digging and more digging) to get 2b into good shape ready for the winter months. We've constructed a rather lavish (large!) compost bin or two using some reclaimed wooden pallets one of which is currently composting the remains of 2b's summer and autumn growth while the other bin waits patiently to house some horse manure.

Meanwhile back on the soil, in one section we're experimenting by growing some green manure (Hungarian and Italian rye grass and clover) that will be dug in early next year.  In another section we've put down a lovely mat of seaweed that was carefully gathered (after advice from Marine Conservation) by Helen from a handy spot in Plymouth. We planted some radish in September and some garlic, broad beans, onions and winter lettuce in October and November... the lettuce has been reluctant to show any signs of growth and the onions may be wishing that we'd added some soot the to the soil while planting them (handy tip from the locals noted for next year's attempts!). The garlic and broad beans have come up well and will hopefully remain strong throughout the winter.

The plan for next year's planting is to split the plot into four main sections - legumes, potatoes, root veg and brassicas - unoriginal but it seems to work! We'll grow raspberries and other soft fruits and grow salads in their shade and flowers and herbs to attract beneficial insects. We're interested in companion planting, matching plants that will provide each other with nutrients and protection from the elements, pests and diseases, an example being to plant onions close to carrots, as they have a stronger smell the carrot fly can't sniff out the carrots (or so the theory goes).

We have a wormery on long term loan; no worms in it yet though so they're on our xmas list!

Our final effort on 2b this year was to relocate the shed to make the most of the available space, cover a hole in the hedge and provide shelter for a new bench arriving in the spring. This event involved seven women, two large bits of wood, rope, mulled wine and mince pies... our next seasonal social event at 2b will no doubt involve an Easter egg hunt!

2b Growers are Helen, Vicky, Cath, Lena and Jackie