Plotholders Progress June - July 2015

The Allotted Month JUNE - JULY 2015
I’ve been spending a lot of time at my allotment over the last month – probably about 8hrs a week weeding , watering, planting etc. The temperatures in the greenhouse have been well up and then well down which has played havoc with my tomatoes and I’ve had a few casualties which needed replacing.
I also had two decent sized courgette plants which I bought from a garden centre and had potted on however the high greenhouse temperature one day appears to have killed them off.
I’ve sowed a couple of rows each of beetroot and carrot however the allotment soil has a tendency to dry out in hot weather due to the large amount of leaf mould I have dug in over the years and I have had to visit every couple of days to give everything a good hose down.
I have brought my garden peas and French green beans on in the greenhouse and they have come on very well so I hope to plant them out before the weekend .
My asparagus bed has been providing me with some spears of widely varying size and thickness!
I’m not sure what has happend since I planted the crowns about 3 years ago but some appear to have dissappeared /died and others are sending up deformed spears. It may be contamination in the leaf mould I used in the raised bed but i’ll give it another year and if the results don’t improve then I may well scrap it .
June 21st is the summer solstice and the days will start to get shorter again! This is the last chance to plant most crops so get going.
Make sure you check your Brassica’s for signs of caterpillar eggs and wipe or wash them off as they can wipe out your crop. Slug and snail control is also essential at this time of year .
Tomatoes need some attention until they grow to their full height. It is important to pinch out the side shoots to prevent too much leaf growth which will retard the growth of the tomatoes.
Crops to Grow in June : Sow directly into the ground -
Beetroot; Broccoli; Cauliflower ; cabbage; chickory; kale; kohlrabi ; garden peas; Swedes; turnips; rocket; salad leaves; radishes; spring onions; French beans; runner beans .
Successional sowings of lettuce;rocket should be made so that it does not all mature at the same time.
Sowing under cover:
Pumkin; marrow; courgette; sweetcorn
Greenhouse crops:
Tomatoes; chilli pepper; bell peppers; cucumber; aubergine
Happy planting.....
J Greenfingers
I’ve been spending a lot of time at my allotment over the last month – probably about 8hrs a week weeding , watering, planting etc. The temperatures in the greenhouse have been well up and then well down which has played havoc with my tomatoes and I’ve had a few casualties which needed replacing.
I also had two decent sized courgette plants which I bought from a garden centre and had potted on however the high greenhouse temperature one day appears to have killed them off.
I’ve sowed a couple of rows each of beetroot and carrot however the allotment soil has a tendency to dry out in hot weather due to the large amount of leaf mould I have dug in over the years and I have had to visit every couple of days to give everything a good hose down.
I have brought my garden peas and French green beans on in the greenhouse and they have come on very well so I hope to plant them out before the weekend .
My asparagus bed has been providing me with some spears of widely varying size and thickness!
I’m not sure what has happend since I planted the crowns about 3 years ago but some appear to have dissappeared /died and others are sending up deformed spears. It may be contamination in the leaf mould I used in the raised bed but i’ll give it another year and if the results don’t improve then I may well scrap it .
June 21st is the summer solstice and the days will start to get shorter again! This is the last chance to plant most crops so get going.
Make sure you check your Brassica’s for signs of caterpillar eggs and wipe or wash them off as they can wipe out your crop. Slug and snail control is also essential at this time of year .
Tomatoes need some attention until they grow to their full height. It is important to pinch out the side shoots to prevent too much leaf growth which will retard the growth of the tomatoes.
Crops to Grow in June : Sow directly into the ground -
Beetroot; Broccoli; Cauliflower ; cabbage; chickory; kale; kohlrabi ; garden peas; Swedes; turnips; rocket; salad leaves; radishes; spring onions; French beans; runner beans .
Successional sowings of lettuce;rocket should be made so that it does not all mature at the same time.
Sowing under cover:
Pumkin; marrow; courgette; sweetcorn
Greenhouse crops:
Tomatoes; chilli pepper; bell peppers; cucumber; aubergine
Happy planting.....
J Greenfingers