Life on The Weald, April 2022

Life on The Weald - Plot 247

(and out and about) - April 2022

A few days away at the beginning of the month................

Parque Natural de las Salinas de Santa Pola - 3 April

We returned from our brief break on 7 April and thankfully all the seedlings indoors  at home had survived.  We had been worried that everything on the allotment might dry out as rising temperatures had been predicted, with no rain expected. Whilst we had been away, however, temperatures had fallen with some heavy frosts on occasion.  There had been snow in many parts of the UK and Hove had experienced sleet and strong winds.  The following day I went to review the possible damage at the allotment.

Fortunately, the broad beans had withstood the wind and the autumn sown ones were in full flower.  The only real damage was to the Duke of York first early potatoes which appeared to have been caught by the frost.  This is how they looked when we left them a fortnight earlier:

Duke of York 17 March

...and this is what they looked like on our return

Duke of York - 10 April

The wind or the frost had blackened and killed off some of the leaf growth but thankfully there were signs of new growth.  I think the mulch of grass cuttings that we had applied last month might have helped their survival.

We gave the potatoes a good watering and earthed them up hoping the Duke of York would recover.  The later planted Nicola & Charlotte  did not appear to have been affected by the weather.

There was a lot of rhubarb waiting to be picked.

8 April - rhubarb

The peas were coming along nicely altough there were some gaps. 

Mangetout peas - 8 April

I sowed some more mange-tout in some guttering at home so that I could fill the gaps later.  Some of the spinach was going to seed but there was lots to harvest and we were also able to pick a good supply of purple sprouting broccoli.

There was also the first sign of blossom on the plum trees

Plum tree in blossom - 8 April

The temperature was not wonderful the following week. On 19 April the temperature rose to 15C, but with a chilly wind, and was down to 6/7C at night.

I did take a risk, however, of planting out some patty pan squashes as I was running out of space at home and in our mini-greenhouse in the garden.  We also managed to pick five spears of asparagus and a good supply of the last of the broccoli.

At home I sowed some Crown Prince squash in pots but discovered I only had two seeds left from last year, so will have to buy some more seeds or buy some plants from the garden centre - unless someone on the allotment has some spares.  I also sowed one giant pumpkin seed.  We are limiting ourselves to one plant this year as we had a surfeit last year - and still have one at home!

One of last year's pumpkins

The autumn sown broad beans were now in full flower and, fingers crossed 🤞, are free of blackfly.

Autumn sown broad beans in flower -10 April

Autumn sown broad beans in flower -10 April

At home the front garden was a riot of colour with tulips and anemones

Tulips at home in April

Anemones in the front garden - April 2022

In the backgarden the Snowbells seemed to have taken over a corner of the garden.   

Although it has been with us since the 1700s, the Snowbell (Allium triquetrium) is classified as a non-native species in England and Wales and since it can outcompete native spring plants such as primroses and violets, it is illegal to plant it in the wild (Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act)  It appears to have taken over one of our border beds and has now spread to the lawn! But it is very attractive and All parts of the plant are edible (leaves, roots, flowers): it has an oniony/garlic smell and tastes like chives or young spring onions. The flowers look very attractive in salads or as a garnish.  It is also known as “three cornered leek” (the leaves in cross-section are triangular), “onion grass” and “onion weed”.  It  tastes like chives or young spring onions. The flowers look very attractive in salads or as a garnish.

Snowbells

Snowbell flower

At home, the spare Charlotte potatoes, planted in a growbag have just appeared above the surface.

Although I have managed to increase the "no dig" areas on the allotment, there is a long way to go.  I had allowed the area where the brassicas are to go to become somewhat overgrown in the autumn but had largely cleared it of perennial weeds and had emptied one of the compost bins on the area and had left the pile over the winter.  On 16 April I spread the pile and begun to lightly fork it in. 

Preparing the brassica bed

This year's brassica bed

Last year's Rainbow Chard had survive the winter and was puttig on new growth but was showing signes that it was about to go to seed.  Neverthe less there will be pickings for some weeks to come.  Some of it was self-seeded - often in inconvenient places - so it will have to be removed but whilst it is still producing leaves, I am happy for it to remain.

19 April - Rainbow chard

More Rainbow chard

We were away for a few days towards the end of the month and when we returned on 29 April we were pleased to see that we could probably look forward to a good crop of broad beans but sad to see that the blackfly had arrived.  Usually the autumn sown crop matures before the blackfly arrive - not this year it seems!

29 April - the first Broad beans

29 April - the dreaded blackfly

Blackfly on our broad beans

We are trying to avoid the use of pesticides, so I started by hosing down the plants to wash off as many blackfly as possible and then sprayed the plants with soapy water, including the underside of leaves.  I had read that the addition of a few drops of pungent natural oil such as rosemary, peppermint or clove oil to the spray was effective - apparently almost any natural oil will do.  I had some mustard oil in the kitchen cupboard which we use in Indian cuisine, so added a few drops.  So far it appears to have been effective.

On the last day of April, I noticed that the redcurrant bushes were fruiting so the time has come to repair the cage and replace the netting if we are not to lose the entire crop to the birds.

30 April - redcurrants

30 April - redcurrants

The potatoes seem OK, particularly the Nicola and Charlotte second earlies. The First Early Duke of York, which were planted perhaps a bit too early have not yet fully recovered from the late frosts, but we are still hopeful.

30 April Potatoes: Charlotte & Nicola in foreground

The sugar snap peas were looking good but will need some support - another job for next month!

30 April - Sugar snap peas

It was also time to start thinking about climbing beans and some repairs were needed to the frame.

Preparing a frame for the climbing beans

The planting season was now in full swing and we have picked the last of the purple sprouting broccoli as well as a few more spears of asparagus.  Just hoping that May will see some higher temperatures and that the cool wind will disappear.

John Austin

Hove, April 2022

Life on The Weald - Plot 247 - May 2021

 Life on The Weald (Plot 247)

and in the garden

May 2021

Garden tulips on May Day

Last month had been the frostiest April for 60 years.  It had also been one of the driest, so many of the plants were a bit behind. May appeared to start well but then disaster struck with 60 mph cold winds!  The nice new mini-greenhouse went the same way as the polytunnel.  It couldn't withstand the strong winds and took off.  Fortunately the frame remained intact, and the cover sustained only minor damage as it caught on the plum trees.  I am sure we can patch up the small holes with repair tape but we will delay trying to put it up again until the weather improves.

There were clear skies on Saturday 1st and I was able to make a start clearing the area where the brassicas had grown in preparation for planting out the squashes, courgettes and cucumbers and also making room for more beans.

There was, of course, the annual battle against bindweed and couch grass and in particular, removing it from around the gooseberry bushes.  But after digging out the perennial weeds and hand weeding newly seeded annuals I forked in some some organic  material - partially rotted down compost from my compost bins.  It felt like good progress.  Much of the plot is raised beds where we pursue a "no dig" policy and I am hoping to extend this to the rest of the site.

1 May - preparing the ground

We were still able to harvest some edible material from the kalettes and broccoli before chopping the woody stems to add to the compost bins.

1 May creating space for squashes

I had removed the cage and netting that had protected the broccoli and kalettes from the pigeons and used it to cover the blueberry bushes which were just coming into leaf.  The blueberries are growing in large tubs as the South Downs soil does not suit them.  They are growing in ericaceous compost and we also feed them from time to time with an fertiliser suited for rhododendrons and azaleas.

I carried on with the task on Sunday which was another clear, dry day.  The apple tree was now covered in budding blossom and it felt more spring-like.

2 May - Apple blossom

All four rows of potatoes were now through - two of first early Duke of York which I had already earthed up and one row each of second earlies, Nicola and Charlotte which also needed to be earthed up.

5 May - the potatoes

On the May Day Bank Holiday (3 May) the weather turned bringing heavy rain and strong gusting winds.  On Tuesday 2 May we visited the plot to see the damage.  The broad beans had held up well but the min-greenhouse had come down in the storm, scattering all the seedlings and plants to the floor.  After rescuing the greenhouse cover, which had a few repairable tears, we inspected the frame and were pleased that, although it had come apart in some places, it was still intact and could be re-erected.  The rest of our time was spent picking up the plants and we were able to re-pot those which had been disturbed.  Surprisingly few had been damaged and the brassicas and chillies had survived but the runner beans had not fared so well.

Last year I had bought some runner bean plugs from a garden centre which had been very productive and at the end of the season we saved some for the seeds. They were French/runner cross varieties: Moonlight , Firestorm and Tenderstar  
We had sown these indoors last month and then had moved them to the new min-greenhouse.    As a back-up we had bought some more runner cross seeds (Moonlight and Firestorm) earlier this year and had also sown a few indoors and transferred to the mini-greenhouse.  Sadly these had all fallen to the ground when the greenhouse cover blew off and some were damaged so we decided to take a risk and plant them out.  We will fill the spaces between with directly sown seeds so we hope to have a succession of crops or a back-up if the earlier ones fail.

At home the conservatory, porch and windowsill in the spare bedroom were full of seedlings and rather leggy plants, so on 6 May I decided it was time to try hardening off some outside during the day. 

6 May - leggy tomatoes indoors

A brief dry spell on 9 May provided an opportunity to plant out some of the brassicas, Brussels sprouts, Collard greens, Kalettes & Purple sprouting broccoli and to erect the net cage to protect them from the pigeons.

9 May brassicas

The apple tree was now in full blossom

9 May - Apple blossom

The Silverbeet Chard was mostly looking very healthy, but some showed signs of bolting.

9 May - Silverbeet chard

The potatoes were looking good but the plot was in need of a good tidying up. I just need a few dry days!

9 May - potatoes looking good in an untidy plot

Back at home, as the early tulips were just finishing, new later varieties began to appear.

9 May - more tulips

With a brief respite from the rain on 14 May a quick visit showed that most of the runner beans were surviving - just!

14 May - runner beans

14 May - runner beans

None of my parsnips had germinated, so I resorted to buying a tray of seedlings from the garden centre.  I was also tempted by a rainbow mix of beetroots and planted out both.

14 May planting out parsnips

We still had a surfeit of chard!

14 May - Silverbeet chard

On 18 May I finally put together the frame for my cucumbers and also made a start on putting up supports for the climbing French beans which had yet to be sown

18 May cucumber frame and bean supports

18 May cucumber frame and bean supports

The beetroots that I had planted out a few days earlier appeared to be doing well

18 May - beetroots

After one of the driest Aprils on record, May brought heavy rains which were welcome but unfortunately accompanied by cold winds.  I had planted out some tomatoes in tubs in the garden but sadly most of them suffered from windburn and it is doubtful whether they will recover.

It was too wet to do much on the allotment but, between showers,  I did manage to harvest some silver beet and rainbow chard.

23 May - Silverbeet & Rainbow Chard

The cold and rain were forecast to end around 25 May and the front garden was beginning to look spring like and colourful 

25 May - the front garden in flower

On 26 May, with the change in weather and a good outlook forecast, I ventured to the allotment and took the opportunity of planting out some of the rather leggy plants that were hardening off at home.  As the winds had also dropped, I had contemplated putting the cover back on the mini-greenhouse - but all these plans had to be abandoned as the heavens opened and I retreated to the shed.

The weather took a turn for the better on 28 May and the crops, particularly the potatoes, had benefitted from the rain.

28 May - Charlotte and Nicola potatoes

28 May - potato patch

At last, the broad beans appeared to be filling out

28 May - Autumn sown broad beans, Aquadulce

28 May broad beans

I also took the risk of planting out some cucumbers.

28 May cucumbers

28 May cucumbers

The mangetout peas were flowering and some pods already setting.  These were Oregon variety and I had acquired the seeds for free (with a voluntary donation) from the community organised Seedy Sunday, seed swap which had not taken place due to Covid lockdown.

On 30 May, with the arrival of warmer weather and the prospect of frost hopefully gone, I risked planting out the home-sown courgettes.

30 May courgettes planted out

Back at home the alliums and irises were flowering in the front garden

30 May our front garden

When I planted out the potatoes, I had a few spare so during March and April I had planted the surplus in grow-sacks.  This is how they looked on 31 May - from left to right, second earlies Charlotte & Nicola and first earlies Duke of York.

31 May l to r  Charlotte, Nicola & Duke of York

31 May Duke of York

31 May Nicola

31 May Charlotte

April and May have been difficult months; not very spring-like!  Hoping for some summery weather in June.

John Austin

Hove, May 2021