Seed and Cultivation Diary

Seed and Cultivation Diary

Here we keep a log of the sucesses according to variety on our plot and document the types of seed and veg we are going to be using this year. This is in order that we can plan what to use according to our soil's preferences and type in order to maximise yeilds and sucesses of crops on our allotment.

2007 Varieties

In the table below are the varieties we are intending on sowing and using on the plot this year, this includes some Winner varieties fom the lists below and more new varieteis as we still are in a period of experimenting with our soil type and what seeds it likes.

The table shows the variety, when in was sown, whether it was in or outdoords along with how well it germinated, grew and cropped for a full report on its progress throughout the year.

All crops marked with a * are varieties we have used and proved successful ont eh allotment onprevious years and are what we refer to as WINNERS!

Sown In or out? Germinated/Comments? Grew? Crop?
Runner Bean
Hestia
April In X
Runner Bean
Prizewinner
Stringless
April     In √
Runner Bean
(Lottieblogs
2007) *
April   In √
Runner Bean
(Lottieblogs
2006) *
  April   In √ Better than 2007 Beans
Runner Bean
Sunset *
  April   In X
Dwarf Bean
Purple Tee-
Pee
  April   In √
Dwarf Bean
Opera
  April   In X
Climbing Bean
Blue Lake
  April   In √
Broad Bean
Cobra
March   In √
Broad Bean
Aquadulce *
March In √
Broad Bean
Bunyards
Exhibition
March   In √
Purple Sprouting
Broccoli
Redhead
March   In √
Broccoli
Calabrese
  March   In X
Purple Sprouting
Broccoli
Early Purple
Arrow *
March In √
Cabbage
F1 Minicole
March In √
Cabbage
Kalibos
March   In X
Cabbage
Early Savoy
March   In √
Cabbage
Greyhound*
  March   In √
Brussels Sprouts
Falstaff (Red)
March   In √
Brussels Sprouts
Bosworth
April   In √
Brussels Sprouts
Trafalgar
April     In √
Swiss Chard
Bright Lights *
May Out
Swede
Bora
May Out √
Swede
Invitation
May Out
Cauliflower
All Year Round
March     In √
Cauliflower March     In √
Parsnip
Javelin*
April   Out X No sproutings, old seed anyway
Parsnip
White Gem
April   Out √
Parsnip
Tender and True*
April    Out √ Germinated best and sproutngs transplanted
Lettuce
Lollo Bionda
April Out √
Lettuce
Little Gem*
April Out √
Lettuce
All Year Round*
April Out √
Lettuce
Iceberg
April Out √
Lettuce
Mixed Leaves
April Out √
Beetroot
Boltardy*
April    Out √
Beetroot
Alto F1 *
April    Out √
Beetroot Globe 2* April    Out √
Beetroot Detriot April    Out √
Radish
French Breakfast
April    Out √
Radish Scarlet
Globe
April    Out √
Carrot
Early Nantes
April   Out √
Carrot
Baby Ideal*
April   Out
Carrot
Chantenay Red
Cored 2
April   Out   √
Carrot
Kingston F1
April   Out √
Leek
Mussleburgh*
May Out √
Leek
Autumn Giant 3
May Out √
Onion Sets Red Karmen   April   Out √
Onion Sets Turbo   April   Out √
Onion Sets
Snowball*
April   Out √
Shallots Golden Gourmet April   Out √
Shallots April    Out √
Garlic
Elephant
December Out √
Garlic Christo December Out √
Pumpkin
Jack Be little
May   In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly
Pumpkin
Hooligan F1
May   In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly
Pumpkin Becky   May In X
Pumpkin
Atlantic Giant *
May √ Germinated but rotted off quickly
Squash Crown
Prince*
  May In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly, one survivor
Squash
(Lottieblogs 2006/7) *
  May   In √ Germinated but some rotting off
Butternut Squash
Watltham
May   In √ Germinated but some rotting off
Butternut Squash
Avalon F1*
  May In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly, one survivor
Courgette
Defender F1 *
May   In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly, some survivors
Courgette
Tondo Di Toscana
May In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly, one survivor
Courgette
Orelia F1
May   In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly, one survivor
Courgette
Gold Rush F1
May   In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly, one survivor
Sweetcorn
Incredible F1
April   In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly, some survivors
Tomato
Sweet Million F1
April   In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly,
  Tomato
Totem F1
April In √ Germinated but rotted off quickly,
Tomato
Alicante *
  April   In √
Tomato
Moneymaker *
  April   In X
Chilli
Jalapeno *
  April In X
Chilli
Cayenne *
  April   In √
  Chilli
Inferno F1
  April   In X
Chilli
Apache F1
  April   In √
Pepper
Californian Wonder
  April   In √
Pepper
Yolo Wonder
April In X
Potato
Rocket*
March Out √
Potato
Kestrel
March   Out √
Potato Anya March Out √
Potato
Pentland Javelin
March Out √

Cultivation Results

Please find below details of some of the seeds and plants we have used in our soil over the past few years and how sucessful they proved to be. In our initial year unfortunately, we were foolish enough to throw away some of the packets of seed once we had finished with them and last year we tried so man varieties we have only documented the great sucesses for your and our reference. They have helped us to decide which varieties to use again and even avoid in future.

We hope this proves useful to anyone needing guidance in the Northamptonshire area or people with simmilar soil types and we would be delighted to hear if you can comment, confirm or expand on any of our findings.

To email the Lottieblogs crew please click here

These results of course are only from our experiences on Northamptonshire Soil so please do not exclude any which we have not included and keep experimenting as new varieties and strains are developing alll of the time.

2006

Leek Musselburgh Excellent leeks of various sizes produced will use again.

Onion Ailsa Craig Large, strong flavoured and has good keeping qualities.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli Early Damage by Pigeons, good recovering charactaristics.

Carrot Baby Ideal Large crop and tasty, if left turn into good larger carrots.

Spring Onion White Lisbon Good crop, strong Flavour. Tendency to bulb.

Tomato Alicante Huge crop of good tasting fruits.

Tomato Sunglod Excellent highly sweet species.

Beetroot Globe 2 Very sucessful and high yeild, tasty and keeps well.

Salad Leaves Niece Oriental Mix Tasty if picked young. But has tendency to bolt early.

Carrot Chantenay Red Cored OK crop, tasty. Fanging and splitting present.

Parsnip Tender ad True Some canker, fanging and leaf rot. Good harvest.

New Red Fire Letticue Some resistance to bolting.

Little Gem Letticue Some resistance to bolting.

Wilja Seed Potato Reasonable crop. Prone to scab slightly.

Rocket Seed Potato Very high yeild, better resistance to scab.

2007

Celery Giant Red Very good germination rate, hardened off and

potted on, planted out and growing on well, now

substantial plants and continuing to grow

healthily. Cropped Poorly

Leek Giant Strong seedlings, continuing to grow well, once

at transplantable size dibbed into holes and

have settled well, large leeks forming.

Leek Musselburgh* Strong seedlings, sucessful last season

transplanted into dibbed holes well, some losses

but most plants grew well & good tase.

Broad Bean Aquadulce 100% germination sucess rate, strong seedlings

hardened off and planted well. Growing well,

slower progress than longpod but less prone to

blackfly. Eventually became infested but pods

less damaged and plants endured longer than

expected.

Tomato Moneymaker Quick germination, seedlings strong and stout,

resisted becoming leggy transplanted well

Destroyed by Blight

Tomato Alicante* Fast germination, strong seedlings, some need

to thin however made strong robust seedlings

however, transplanted well Destroyed by Blight

Jalepeno Pepper Moderate Germination, Strong Seedlings,

growing and plated out well. all peppers

and chillies thriving in Monolith.

Cayenne Pepper Moderate Germination, Strong Seedlings,

transplanted well, all peppers

and chillies thrived in Monolith.

Tomato Sungold* Reasonable germination, strong seedlings,

growing well, became leggy quite quickly.

Planted out well, Destroy

Welcome to Lottieblogs!

News and information from our allotment in Northamptonshire.