Most Improved Allotment Site

Well the results are in and it’s good news. Our site has won “THE MOST IMPROVED SITE IN THE BOROUGH” Yes!!

Obviously a lot of thanks to our site rep, Larry, who almost lives on the site extolling people to more efforts with his whip and threats of expulsion cheerful advice. Top plot on the site went to Lee & Karen from plot 18, well deserved in a very close competition. It’s really wonderful seeing the site as a whole looking so well.

One thing I did hear that was pretty shocking, was that on a couple of sites good plots entered into the competition had been nobbled. Crops torn up and weedkiller sprayed. Obviously done by someone looking to improve their own chances in a competition where huge prizes like £10 can be won.

I hope whoever it is gets found out. If they won the competition due to their cheating, I wonder how good it would feel? Prizes only have a value when earned and deserved. I mean, if there was a thousand pound prize, I could understand it. Thieves are thieves, but how can these people be proud if they win in this? I understand the judges took these tricks into consideration.

We’ve had a fair bit of rain over the last few days, I hadn’t realised how dry things had got until I went down to for an hour on Thursday. Actually the rain has arrived at the right time, I’ve not been too well either so haven’t felt up to much.

Harvested some more first early potatoes. Unfortunately a little bit of slug damage and some split potatoes in this batch. Splitting in potatoes is caused by them being short of water and then getting plenty. The tuber swells too fast and splits apart.

There’s no cure, just prevention by ensuring they don’t go short of water. In my defence, a few times I’ve thought of watering and the weather forecast has been for rain so I’ve left it, but no rain arrived.

Just after getting some potatoes up, it started to spit again. Into the greenhouse where some more carrots came up. I’ve a row about 7′ by 1′ and it’s amazing how many carrots we’re getting from it. They’re just scattered in the patch and pulling some leaves room for others to grow on.

Over to the tomatoes, where fruit is swelling on some plants, and side shoot removal and tying in to the canes. It seems you only have to turn your back and a side shoot is 6″ long. I’ve got quite a few plants from my friend in Canada that I’m trying but only one Gardener’s Delight.

One of the sideshoots from the Gardener’s Delight was low and actually had roots on it so potted that up with another couple of shoots from the plant. Should provide some crop late in the year. I’ve got them in the small greenhouse and, if they take, will move them onto larger pots,

One of the aubergines in the small greenhouse is looking pretty sick for some reason. Leaves yellowing at the bottom and the whole plant just looks ill. The other is fine. We’re not great lovers of aubergines, so not too bothered. If it doesn’t recover soon, I’ll take it up and the space will accommodate a tomato in a pot.

It’s been a funny old week at home, the book stopped ticking along and about 30 orders came in over a couple of days at the start of the week. We’ve plenty of envelopes to send them out in, having cleared the shelves at Wilko’s a couple of times but I realised there were only about 40 books left on the shelf here.

Rang up the wholesaler to order more and still the orders came in so on Friday morning, I ran out of stock. I hate being let down and letting others down so was just starting to put a note up on the book page advising delivery might be a few days late when the door bell rang with the delivery. Talk about just in time! Can’t quite believe that’s seven hundred sent out in just over three months. There is a reprint underway, but judging from the position in the online bookshops like Amazon, I wonder if that’s going to arrive in time.

Posted in Allotment Garden Diary

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