Progress and Events 2007
Detailed below is the progress of our plot throughout 2007, chronichling the huge anticipation of the germination of our seedlings in early spring, to the routine jobs of weeding and watering during the summer months, with plenty of ups and downs to be had in the meantime. All part of the fun of allotmenting.
February
This month we added a new wooden edge to the path we had developed in our first season and more bark chippings to help supress weeds as much as possble. We also began our "rabbit proofing" exercise to try and deter the four legged long toothed pests we had blamed for the majority of the damage to our crops in 2006. More mundane tasks such as turning of the compost bin and tending to our fruit patch also had to be looked to, all of which were helped by some low winter sun. We then focussed our attention indoors and started off the germination of some of our early crops as well as organised our seed supplies for the rest of the year.
March
In March we rotorvated the ground ready for some crops due in later that month, we also set about the removal of several stumps dotted around the seed bed area of our plot which regularly hampered us in our daily activities. Seed beds were then prepared and soon after, saw thier first inhabitants in the form of spuds, parsnips and beans, then provided us with hopes of our first crops in the form of emerging Rhubarb and some overwintering cabbages. We did however, suffer some destruction from pests, in particular the local pigeon population waging war on our poor sprouting broccoli plants. Despite this we continued sowing our crops for the new year and basking in the beauty of the early spring bulbs in our small decorative border.
April
Soil preparations and sowings continued on into April, along with much needed repairs and maintenance to our on site structures. We also continued to have some harvests from our early brassicas to see us through the "Hungry Gap" before our new crops got fully underway. Onion sets and shallots went in, we saw the first small bits of foliage errupting from our potato trenches, salads had germinated sucessfully and runner beans took thier place among the beds. We also saw the first good crops of Rhubarb, netted our fruit area and observed as our more tender indoor plants such as sqashes began to establish well.
May
This month we saw the removal of the old and the true begginings of the new in 2007. Our old brassicas whcih had cropped were removed and replaced with new baby plants to harvest the following year. Our fruit patch was coming on in leaps and bounds, along with the spuds and salad crops. We did suffer some more significant pigeon damage however on our new crops despite measure which we had taken to prevent it and hoards of blackfly on our handsome broad beans. To tackle these problems we thought organically and increased the barriers to the pigeons and tried spraying the broads with very stinky rhubarb waters. In may we also saw the ressuraction of our prototype moveable poly-greenhouse "The Monolith".
June
We were the very happy receivers of out first true crop of strawberries during this month, accompanied soon afterwards by gooseberries, broad beans and salads. We were also able to plant our our more tender crops such as pumpkins, courgettes and tomatoes. In general we got the plot in good shape and continued the cycle of watering, weeding and maintenance which is essential during the drier months, whilst enjoying the sunshine and lovely displays from our floral areas.
July
July seemed a very long month not only because of the long hours of daylight but also the ammount of time we were able to spend on the plot, the numerous harvests we had and also thanks to some of the problems we encountered. Initially it started well with crops of potatoes, shallots, all kinds of fruit, beans, salads, rhubarb and caulflowers, as well as the settling of some nice infant squashes and pumkins giving us some autumn promise. However, following repeated pigeon attacks, heavy rain, infestations of blackand white fly and destruction wreaked by blight, the plot was not looking as happy or chipper we would have liked. Yet this time was brightened by the wonder ful colours and variety of decorative plants on the allotment.
August
During this month we were not able to dedicate as much time as we intended to to the allotment, however still saw some productive visits. We made our onion & shallot harvest, although due to all the wet conditions of the year they were not in the best condition for long term keeping. We watched our beautiful pumpkins and squashes swell in the summer sun, reaped ammounts of beetroot, courgettes, beans and carrots. We were also able to make use of some of our perennial plants by training runners from our strawberries into pots to create new plants.
September
Activities during this time included the clearing of the monolith to remove all dead and infected plants. We were on the receiving end of a sweetcorn harvest, along with baby swedes, beets, salads, parsnips and enormous carrots. Other jobs involved protecting the brassicas, processing and storing our onion harvest along with planting new overwintering crops for our needs in spring. We were also able to photograph some great shots of the wildlfe on our plot and started up a wildlife gallery. We also gethered flower seeds of various kinds and saw our last eddible strawberry.
October
October really signals the end of the productive season as you begin to harvest and ripen off your larger crops such as pumpkins on sunny windowsills at home and you watch the leaves on our flowers take on hughs of chestnut and brown. Still, reapings of parsnips, carrots and celery were yet to be had and the tasks of improvnig the soil and the facilties on your plot during the cooler months began. We began gathering manure and useful supplies, as well as built ourselves some more compost bins to house said poo and added a brazier to warm us during the coming cold! In a way it seems sad that the time fo sowing and harvesting s pretty much done, however it is also good to look at it as a break for your soil from its toil during earlier months. It also still holds the promise of broccoli, brussels, leeks and swedes to keep us going throughout the leaner times to look for ward to.
November & December
The latter months of this year were very hectic and we found fitting in the allotment during preparations for our wedding occuring in January rather difficult. Luckily there was not that much that we had to do thanks to the furious activity we had undertaken in the early weeks of the summer season and throughout. So, apart from a quick rotorvate and removal of any remaining old crops, we felt rightly justified to take it easy. One thing we did that we had not experienced before, and we can definately reccommend, was to visit our allotment on christmas eve to harvest leeks, brussels and cabbages for use the next day. In the few quiet moments that we were there, if ever all the work, ups, downs, expense, trepidation and dissapointment were worth it, it was right then, on that clear, frosty afternoon, with a handful of produce in your hand to prepare and present at the christmas dinner table only a day later. Take a few moments and try it next year!!!!!
