Progress and Events 2009
Below are the monthly updates from 2009, detailling our progress and activities on our allotment throughout the year. As usual, we took on new projects, faced fresh challenges and reaped a decent harvest. With most of our sapped energy of the last few years refreshed; we found ourselves looking forward to the new season with renewed hope and vigour.
January
Our first trips down to the allotment in 2009 were a bit of a clear-up operation, but well worth the effort in getting the place spick and span. The Rhubarb bed inside the plot was re-located next to the herbs and unfortunately, we suffered some brassica damage courtesy of local pigeons, despite the nets we had put in place to deter them. Parsnips, Leeks and Swedes all made welcome additions to our wintertime lader, giving us a taste of hopefully, the bounty of summer to come.
This is a time when we normally plan for the rotation of this years crops, gather our resources and repair any items of equipment that have suffered from a long summers use, so often proves to be a very busy time for us on the plot and at home.
February
A cold and snowy February began with the decision to enclose the whole seed bed area in a waist high chickenwire fence, in an attempt to avert the crop decimation we suffered in 2008 at the hands of the local rabbit population. Crops of Rhubarb followed quite swiftly and we also added another fruit area on the side of the plot. At home, we were sowing our first seedlings and chitting our potatoes ready for spring, which we were hoping might be just around the corner. A wish which soon proved closer than we had thought, as the Garlic bulbs we had planted before Christmas, began to push thier little tops through the layer of soil above them. Once again, the cycle of life turns and we get another chance to replay the summer season for all its worth.
March
The milder weather and warming spells of sunshine this month prompted us into a frenzy of activity down on the plot. We saw a fine display of spring flowers and completed preparations to the ground including muck spreading, rotorvation and marking beds ready for planting. After digging the trenches for our potatoes we also installed a small wildlife pond next to the shed in the form of a broken Belfast Sink we found on the plot in 2006. We also re-located our Strawberry bed in hopes of a fine crop in the summer and began some seedlings of various types off at home to give us a head start.
April
A pleasant, but changeable month and one which saw us totally amazed by the effectiveness of our bunny repelling fence. A significant investment in terms of money and effort but worth every penny! Early sowings of Radishes, Carrots, Salads, Beets, Parnips, Leeks, Swede, Onion and Shallot sets went into the ground to begin our cultivation for the season. Our main job however, was to erect and secure our very own Poly Tunnel at the rear of our Lottie to grow some toms and chillies etc. This went up quickly and looked quite impressive, but not quite as pretty as the blossom and flowers we found on the plot. Harvests of Gooseberries and Rhubarb were also available as an early spring treat.
May
May means summer-proper and never a dull moment. With still plenty of watering, weeding, planting and sowing to be done, we saw sucessful harvests of salads, chard as well as fruit. Pumpkins went in to thier summer residence along with Tomatoes, Beans, Sweetcorn, Courgettes and the Brassicas into thier assigned areas. It seemed to be quite a positive month, apart from the mischevous Raspberry runners which began to appear all over the plot.
Fruit of all kinds was in abundance and we spent many hours harvesting gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and the first few raspberries which we turned into wonderful puddings and even a few jams. Less sucessful was the strawberry bed which seemed to dry out quickly in the early summer sun and in the process, killed most of the plants it contained. Another devastating blow for the Lottieblogs fruit harvest and something we are determined to get right - eventually!!
June
This time of year is always when an allotment looks its best and with the fence serving to keep the bunnies at bay, combined with the pleasant weather – this month was no exception. With beans on the way, as well as the Brassicas, Courgettes, strawberries and Tomatoes all looking well, there was little to do but stand back and enjoy the view.
July
Lots to report from down on the plot this month, first and most importantly is the Ladybird invasion we were subject to in July. An unusual phenomenon which was most welcome to stop veg munching pests in thier tracks. They seemed to settle anywhere there was a permanent, or semi-permanent structure, chrysalise and emerge as a brand new insect - a fantastic process to observeThe spuds were a fantastic result this year culimating in 39 Kilo’s for our winter store. Other harvests of shallots, beetroots, fruit, carrots, beans and salads also kept us well fed.
August
Late summer this year was a time of abundance on our allotment, which is not surprising with the amount of rain we had! Apart from the Tomato Blight it bought with it, the moist weather seemed to agree with the runner beans (including one 17 inch bad boy), pumpkins and fruit trees. We took home our first ever cucumber, a crop we will definately be growing again next year. We also erected new compost bins at the back of the plot to replace the old rotten ones and generally spruce up the whole area. We harvested Onions and Shallots, which although initially seeming to be quite a good crop, had definately suffered at the hands of the incessant wet.
September
The month of September this year was a very dry one, with little rain and harsh winds.The plot desperate attention, mostly due to the rain the month before the weeds stood as high and strong as we had ever seen. Well... that would have been the case, apart from one thing which is guaranteed to ruin your enjoyment of an allotment – SHED VANDALISM. The locks on our shed luckily had stood firm and not allowed the criminals to gain access, which pleased us greatly. Unfortunately they stood up so well that it meant that we also could not get in, not at least until some family members and more substantial tools could be located. Very Frustrating!!! Anyway, once that annoyance was out of the way, we moved on to clearing up and also turned our attentions to preserving some of our crops for winter, including a batch of homemade tomato sauce for the freezer. One little creature who is most welcome was a Toad we found lurking near to the makeshift pond we created. This was a great achievement, as the whole purpose of the water garden was to invite more positive wildlife into the area.
October, November and December
Our time on the plot this winter was not as regular as we would have liked due to the very cold weather and difficult working conditions. Safe to say though that we spent much time planning activities and crop placements for the next season, tidying round making everything neat, preparing the ground with rotorvation and harvesting winter vegetables. These included (finally, after four years worth of attempts - and much to our delight!!!) some good stems of Brussels Sprouts, along with parsnips, carrots, swedes and leeks. Unfortunately wiith all the bitter cold and snow, we missed the garlic planting window before christmas and so, are keeping our fingers crossed that the weather will improve so that we can put them in in very early spring. Roll on 2010!!
