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An end to the snow?

3/4/2013

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I notice that in my last post, over three weeks ago, that I commented on how the weather had changed for the worse. It certainly did! As you will know from the news, we had a bout of very extreme and unusually cold weather for the second half of March. Blizzards swept in and counties Down and Antrim were severely hit. The farmers will have a very difficult year, twelve foot drifts at lambing time. Poor creatures.

So, as you might imagine, nothing at all has happened on the plot. It has been under snow for almost two weeks now. Thankfully, apart from some onion sets and garlic, I had nothing out early this year. A thaw set in today.

My potatoes have been chitting for so long now, that I wonder will they be ok. There will only be one way to find out, I suppose!

I also have some large broad bean seedlings in my little greenhouse that could do with going out. I will start to harden them off in the thaw, then get them put in an about a week. It will feel good to have a few plants out!

Apart from that, I used a spell of not so cold weather today to sow a few trays of seeds for the mini greenhouse. Nasturtiums (easy, edible flowers); Turnips in modules (to give them a head start); Red Cabbage (did ok last year) and chives. That'll keep me busy!

I checked on everything else. The melting snow has topped up my water butt nicely. In the mini-greenhouse, I have some fairly decent Greyhound Cabbage seedlings now. Lettuce seem a bit leggy and slow. Marigolds ok. Cornflower ok. Hopefully we get a little heat now during April, so that everything gets some strong spring growth!

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Marigold in the snow

22/1/2013

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Pot, or English Marigolds are known by the name Calendula. I remember reading that they acquired this name because they can remain in flower on every day of the calendar year.

Well, here is a great example - after a couple of weeks of freezing January weather, a single flower remains. A little, brave reminder that spring will come.

Calendula are easy to grow, and look great sown freely in rows or swathes. I like to pop in a row or clump here and there to brighten up the allotment. Bees, our freat pollinators, also love them.

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A winter's evening at the allotments

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Brassica net in place

20/5/2012

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I planted out my Brussels Sprouts - nine plants, and three Green Kale plants. I raised them all from seed, potted them up a while back. Now they must fend for themselves... almost... this year I made them a brassica net from net, old metal chair legs and bamboo. I hope it keeps them safe. Cutworm seems to be my worst enemy - two years in a row I lost every single brassica to these little grubs. This year I wrapped the lower parts of the cabbage stems in tin foil. Might work.

I didn't wrap the kale or sprouts. I might not - and see it as an experiment in cutworm deterrent this year.

The weather has finally warmed up a bit. Weed seeds are germinating everywhere now. Time to get the hoe busy!

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No improvement in the weather.

10/5/2012

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It really has been unusually cold.

Not much growth from anything really. The peas and beans are just sitting there waiting. I have two 14 foot rows of peas in now. The two short rows with an earlier vriety called meteor are coming along slowly. I have some Milan Purple Top turnips that made an appearance and then stopped growing. Same with the lettuce and even the radishes.

I am going to put out some red cabbage this weekend. I really hope not to lose them to cutworm this year. I also have three nice Kale plants to go out. They should be fine - sturdy things!

The garlic I planted back in February is doing well. There are also some raspberry plants coming along nicely that made their own way in from another plot - nothing like free plants!

My neighbour is a very generous man too - and he gave me more strawberry runners than I could use. He is a really decent man!
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It is to be cold again...

31/3/2012

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I had to pop up to the plot this evening. We are in for a freeze tonight, so I covered the Meteor peas with a bit of landscaping fabric. I also mulched them up a bit with compost. They would probably be ok - but peas can be a bit sketchy with their hardiness...

I have all sorts in the greenhouse now - kale, black kale, cabbage, spinach, dahlias and some Delaway Cabbage from Co. Mayo. Aswell as more preans peas. I got the delaway cabbage and the preans from the Irish Seed Savers website. They collect old and Landrace varieties to try to preserve them. Great idea. Landrace varieties are ones that have been locally selected over generations - thus building up the strongest seed for that exact geographic location.

The preans that I planted out are doing very well. They are strong and vigourous. I hope they cope with the cold week ahead! Beside them I put in another old variety - Martock Beans - also doing just fine!



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Tempted to sow...

20/2/2012

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I spent a good couple of hours on the plot yesterday. It was a cold but beautiful day. There was snow on the hills all around and Cavehill looked grand dressed in white.

There was some snow on the plot too. It thawed fairly quickly though.

The very first daffodil had flowered! Very early. We have avoided any long lasting cold this winter, so I think the soil is already warming up. I found a few small weed seeds germinating and some bigger ones doing ok under my black covering fabric.

So I decided to fork over a section and I will wait and see what the weather does. It would be nice to get a longer than normal growing season this year. I popped some onions I had grown in pots into the cold frame. I will give them a week or two there and stick them into their permanent bed in early March.

I also picked up a cheap clear plastic box that I amgoing to pin down as a cloche and then I will sow a few broad beans underneath in a week or so, once the soil underneath might have warmed up.

I feel that spring is almost here, but perhaps that is just wishful thinking....





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Another rough day.

4/2/2012

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Today was another rough and nasty day. In England they are having heavy snow, but here it is cold, relentless rain.

I did manage to squeeze in a little gardening, in between dropping kids to parties and all the usual household duties!

Despite the terrible weather, I can feel the gardening year gathering pace. In ancient celtic tradition, the first of February was the beginning of spring, or the beginning of the growing year. In the freezing cold and damp I found myself questioning this - but in a way it is true. I realised that this week I have really started to plan for the week ahead. I have sown a few broad beans (sutton) in pots for an early crop. I have also sown a few sweet peas in pots (love those) and dahlias from seed for the first time.

As well as all that I have put seed potatoes 'Red Duke Of York' and 'Ballydoon' (both first earlies) in trays to chit.

Today myself and my daughter dropped a few cabbages up to the cold frame to harden off a bit before planting out. My poor girl was shivering after only five minutes so that was enough plot time today!

We popped into the local garden centre too and she picked up a nice pack of Calendula (pot marigold) to sow. I love calendula - they are easy, free flowering and throw up the odd surprise bloom or two.

So, yes, maybe this really is the start of the growing year!
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An awful day yesterday

30/1/2012

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I had hoped to spend a bit more time on the plot yesterday, but it was such an awful day. The kind of day that you only get in the middle of winter - dark, cold, wet, grey....you name it...

They say it is to be cold all week. It certainly is today. It is all a bit of a surprise after the mild winter this year so far!
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    My name is Richard, I have an allotment near Belfast, Northern Ireland.

    Seeds:
    www.thompson-morgan.com
    This website is well worth a visit. An extensive range of high-quality seeds
    including old favourites and new arrivals. Also has great advice pages, blogs
    and regular special offers.

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