Summer bits and bobs.

[Geoff]

They should keep me in chips for a week or two! 37kgs Maris Piper from 18 seed so just beating my 2kgs/root target and, like the Charlotte earlier, just over twice the yield I got last year. Also had the first of the Burlesque beefsteak tomatoes on toast for lunch today and found it delicious.

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[oldherbaceous]

Not a lot of gardening going to be done for a few days, as made a last minute decision, to have a few days in Holt!

[Clive.]

Holt...who goes there..?

Is that Holt as in North Norfolk Railway.?

C.

[Cider Boys]

That is an impressive batch of good looking potatoes Geoff, I have this afternoon just finished lifting my potatoes which I have been very pleased with. I grew, for the first time, maris peer but your maris piper do look excellent.

I hope you enjoy your stay in Holt OH, I understand it is lovely over there. I often visit a place called Holt in Wiltshire, near Bradford upon Avon, where there is a small NT garden called The Courts which is a favourite of mine.

Barney

[oldherbaceous]

Yes, Holt in Norfolk….the Lady next door has an allotment!

[Westi]

Wasp's have been evicted! My nice neighbour is bringing his grandchildren down over the school hols as their parents still have to work on & off. He bravely took every plum off the tree & trimmed his overhang side. Fortunately the normal plum next to it didn't get 1 fruit this year so smaller job just trimming. I've gone through the apples removing any the wasps have had a nibble at but they aren't interested in these as not sweet or ready yet.

Just to be even more helpful or a bit bored he cut off the grass seed heads on my front area. I will respond to cutting this right down as a bit of a hint in there - any excuse to try the new mower, I so hope it works & I can assemble it as not keen on hands & knees trimming with scissors!

[retropants]

Picked my first aisla Craig tomato yesterday, a few more almost ready. Cherry toms have been ripening for a couple of weeks already. Cobra beans have been cropping steadily, but no too many to handle, as it’s been so hot. I think they might get a bit of a shake on now it’s been cooler for a few days.

[oldherbaceous]

Blooming noisy seagulls…

[Westi]

No such thing as a quiet seagull OH! We had a resident one on the old shed roof & it never shut up! No old garage for it so it moved on only to be replaced by another loud git!

[oldherbaceous]

That’s made me smile, Westi… x

[Westi]

Went a bit off piste with the 'To Do' list & mostly plodded on with some weeding as everything looked like it was behaving, but did have to re-sow the spring onions which I found unusual as they usually do their thing without any bother & of course I watered. Did the 4 beds with the stones around making a channel & nearly removed the stones but thought I'd just leave it be just in case it is a wet winter & the flooding comes back but think it will be OK as all the big machinery has gone so nothing to squish the water my way.

Started on the asparagus beds but not finished, but will be done on Friday & I can tackle the back of Plot 2 where the wasps were. Can't see any bad weeds so should not take too long to sort but do have some raspberry & blackberry canes to cut down. Then I will do a tidy up & cut up all the canes & branches to put in the rubble bag for the neighbour to take to the tip. Might be 2 bags I think but better that way as each bag will be lighter for him. At his rate I might even be able to get the shed cleared, tidy & painted...or maybe not!

[retropants]

I cut back my strawberries yesterday, took the shears to them, not a lot left! (they had some sawfly) I then gave them a good water/feed to mitigate the shock haircut. The sweetcorn is still diddy, honestly, I've no idea why they are so small!

[Westi]

My sweet corn is not as tall as usual but is producing with a few cobs showing a bit of brown tassel. Weird gardening year all round I would say retropants!

We got some very nice rain on & off today which was received gratefully. No lightning but a couple of thunder claps quite a way off. Watering shouldn't be necessary tomorrow as it was very heavy, running down the middle of the road as overwhelmed the gutters, luckily the gaps in it's delivery should mean some of the rain actually got down deeper, along with the puddles.

[Westi]

No watering required after the rain = more time! Used it wisely, well did my best anyway.

Tackled the bind weed first up as everywhere, not from my side of the fence but invading on both sides & the front, got ridiculous trying to get it out from under the fence line & reach over so ended up nuking it. As had the spray out also painted the ground elder in my beds.

That done got on with the asparagus but have a wee bit to do yet. There were lots of baby spears coming up in the old beds which seems late so just had to be more cautious with where I was kneeling. I closed these beds early for harvesting this year as they looked a bit bare with few decent spears last year & thought it was a bit tired. It is my old bed (20+); but my most flavoursome spears. Plan this year is to top up all the beds but not too deeply, but with some seaweed compost as was wondering if the top up last year was too high & took the stems longer to navigate up. Now thinking the soil level would have settled, washed away or whatever so just try one of their favourite feeds to give them a bit of oomph! What do you reckon? That's about the asparagus not the fool writing this & over thinking!

[oldherbaceous]

I don’t think the late spears are because of the deep mulch, Westi, as the Asparagus is doing the same here….I put it down to some seriously dry, hot weather.
Well back from Holt and the allotments look much the same as when I went…..normally I can never believe how the crops and weeds have romped away.
The allotments in Holt were very nice but, didn’t see anyone to have a chat with!