Well. What do I say? The warnings of fellow allotment holders were left unheeded. The weeds that first started to show their heads in early May have now exploded over the allotment, spreading seedlings into all the beds. Because we onlyhave a push-along mower, any grass more than 1 inch high becomes un-mowable. Bah!
Fortunately, my dad has a petrol strimmer and I have begged him to help out. I promise never to let it get this out of control again.
On the vegetable side of things, overall I think we're doing OK.
Courgettes - Absolutely loads. And very tasty too. The only thing I would advise is that you need to go up and check them regularly because they will turn into marrows in the blink of an eye and taste watery.
French Beans (Blue Lake, BBC 'Dig In' Seeds) - Have started to crop heavily, giving flavoursome beans. They have become infested with blackfly though (a memeber of the aphid family) and some of the plants are beginning to become strained. I'm not sure wether to chop the ill ones down or leave them. I sprayed the leaves with fairy-liquid and water to try and kill some, and have been transporting every ladybird I can find up to the row of beans. Hopefully, if I get enough they will eat most of the fly. Next time, I will plant nasturtioums close by as these attract the blackfly away.
Sugarsnap Peas - I bought 4 plants from a man who advertised in the chad. They got badly eaten by birds in the first 2 weeks, but I covered them over with netting and used twigs for them to grow up. The pod are so delicious, I have been eating them raw. They seem to be happy in the poor soil we have, and I have collected loads.
Sweetcorn - Planted in a row, and every one has at least two cobs on it. I think there are 16 plants. They aren't as big as others on different plots.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli - Only one plant so far has reached the flowering stage, and its very difficult to get them before the buds open. The few I have tried are delicately flavoured, but very small. If planting again I will have to buy more.
More Veg analysis' to follow...
Fortunately, my dad has a petrol strimmer and I have begged him to help out. I promise never to let it get this out of control again.
On the vegetable side of things, overall I think we're doing OK.
Courgettes - Absolutely loads. And very tasty too. The only thing I would advise is that you need to go up and check them regularly because they will turn into marrows in the blink of an eye and taste watery.
French Beans (Blue Lake, BBC 'Dig In' Seeds) - Have started to crop heavily, giving flavoursome beans. They have become infested with blackfly though (a memeber of the aphid family) and some of the plants are beginning to become strained. I'm not sure wether to chop the ill ones down or leave them. I sprayed the leaves with fairy-liquid and water to try and kill some, and have been transporting every ladybird I can find up to the row of beans. Hopefully, if I get enough they will eat most of the fly. Next time, I will plant nasturtioums close by as these attract the blackfly away.
Sugarsnap Peas - I bought 4 plants from a man who advertised in the chad. They got badly eaten by birds in the first 2 weeks, but I covered them over with netting and used twigs for them to grow up. The pod are so delicious, I have been eating them raw. They seem to be happy in the poor soil we have, and I have collected loads.
Sweetcorn - Planted in a row, and every one has at least two cobs on it. I think there are 16 plants. They aren't as big as others on different plots.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli - Only one plant so far has reached the flowering stage, and its very difficult to get them before the buds open. The few I have tried are delicately flavoured, but very small. If planting again I will have to buy more.
More Veg analysis' to follow...