2021 - What I did today

Quick visit to the plot today.....

Sowed some DFB's & CFB's in the gaps.

Sowed some carrots.

Tied up some toms in the GH/blow-away - Watered

Cemented  a step into position in morning then after making lunch for myself and 'her indoors' I had a couple of hours at the allotment.

Cleared the spring sown broad beans (total waste of space,  zero harvest).
Cleared the spring sown peas & mangetout (total waste of space, hated the heat, galloping mildew, zero harvest). Both autumn sown peas and broadies do well, so I'll stick to them in future.
Added garden compost, dug out the tunnels and planted Red Russian and Thousand Head kales, and early PSB. Planted out lettuces, some had been pricked out into pots, some were still in the tray, but they were all the same size.  It'll be interesting to see how they grow on.
Armpitted tomatoes.
Potted on chillies sugar rush peach & rose fatalii who'll all be overwintering in pots.
Cleared out three pots of daffs and put the bulbs to dry ready for planting in the ground in the autumn.
Weeded the leeks.
Removed some rooted pieces of ice plant from a big tub and potted on ready for planting out in the gravel below our gates.
Pricked out January King cabbage.
Potted on some spare tomatoes; no room in beds so I may as well see if they fruit in pots.

It’s been raining all evening so it’s poly tunnel work. Side shooted tomatoes and tied them up, also clipped off a number of lower leaves, then a good feed of seaweed tomato feed. Trimmed all my strawberries of dead leaves and dead buds, then a good feed of seaweed fertiliser. Fed and watered chillies, peppers and gherkins with the seaweed fertiliser. Puled some carrots for the dinner.

Mostly work. Did manage to feed everything and sterilise the fermenting barrel ready for my elderflower champagne.

Still planting out stragglers in any free/available space. Things will once again be overcrowded. I have a third tromba with nowhere to climb but who want three trombas anyway? But do I have the heart to throw it in the compost? The gardener's dilemma. Same goes for tomatoes and cucurbits.

Happily nursing a slightly sore head after dinner with friends last night (the first evening out since late 2019 so I blame being out of practice!) so just quietly plaited up the garlic this afternoon.

Just an hour at the plot tidying / moving crap

I mulched. Question. Do I need to leave a gap around the stem when mulching with grass mowings?

I mulched.  Question.  Do I need to leave a gap around the stem when mulching with grass mowings?

I hope not!