Entries Tagged 'Harvesting' ↓

Well, this weekend I have been doing the compost. Every year I empty out the composter and sift through it to get the big lumps out and then use it for my planting and as a soil improver.

My garden is not the best soil, as it seems to have a hard base one spit down. So I try to improve the surface with my own compost.

I have also been fighting the ant as they have been trying to consume my Peony Roses. I think I have got on top of the ants before they ruined them, but it was a close run thing and now I am fighting a running battle all around the garden because as soon as I move them on from one of my plants they are trying to set up home in another one. Ant powder is my friend at the moment and I am using a lot of it.

On another note, I now have bees setting up home in the garden. That?s always good as it shows they like the garden for its flowers and they have decided to be near where they feed. I will keep an eye on them and see what they get up to over the summer.

Well, these are my strawberries this year. They are coming on nicely. This year they are in tubs as I am not doing the plot. I thought they might get a bit dry in the hot weather we had back along, but they managed to survive, even when I had to leave them for a week or two. As they are flowering so early I hope to be able to get two or three crops out of them if I am lucky. I will let you know.

My strawberries seem to not realise it is getting on towards winter. They were still flowering last week. I expect the frost this week will have put paid to them by now, but it is still nice to see a flower in this cold weather.

I am going to try and grow some in pots next year as I may not have enough time for the plot.

I have been saving these beans for seed, though I?m not sure I will be able to grow them next year due to work commitments. But, you never know, I might not be able to refuse the urge to get to the plot.

Well, the courgettes are also done for this year. I have picked them as often as possible now and they are small, but if left any longer they just go to mush.

I was please this year that they took and provided such a bounty. I made lots of soup and used them in world cooking for friends and family.

It hurts that I wont be able to grow them next year and will have to buy them instead. I might try using a large pot. We will see.

I have been growing squash again this year and they are all done now. Here are some pics of them.

Recently it has been wet and windy at the plot. Truth is I have harvested almost everything that can be harvested at the moment. There are still some courgettes growing and pumpkin/squash, but they need a little more time.

I have made a decision that I will be focusing on my garden next year. I have a new job and it will allow me less time to spend at an allotment. That doesn?t mean to say I wont be posting information and pictures, just that I will be more selective about it.

As for growing veg, that will be on the back burner for a while. I?m hoping once things settle down I will be able to get back to it. I?m not giving up the plot, mothballing it maybe. I intend to cover it with all the cardboard I have been saving. That way if I feel particularly vindictive one weekend I can lift it and go on a slug pogrom and add nutrients back into the soil. I?m actually curious about how the soil will look after being covered for so long. I will still be composting at the plot otherwise I wont have soil for my plants.

So, don?t be strangers, I will still be around and posting. I may even decide to grow fruit/veg in pots as an experiment.