Garsington Allotmenteers – progress diary
11th April – A trench one spade width dug across the top of plot 6 for drainage. This was on the advice of other allotmenteers on the site. Also dug a small section of plot 6 near the main drive up the site.
12th April – More digging on plot six and some potatoes planted at the driveway end.
13th April – more digging on plot six and another row of potatoes next to first one.
15th April – more digging on plot six.
17th April – more digging on plot six, this is heavy going now with top drying out to near concrete but just underneath still claylike. Eddy has dug square well on plot 3.
18th April – more digging and planting of potatoes. Marked out one third of plot 6 for potatoes and started on second third for onions. A frame for a compost heap has been set up.
30th April Sue Leahy has about a dozen sweetcorn which have just germinated. Gutter row of beetroot are also doing quite well.
2nd May - more potatoes and onions planted and more digging on plot 6. Potatoes planted 12th April and some onions have started to sprout.
8 raspberry canes planted.
Doubts on suitability of plot 3, boggy, smelly and full of weeds.
3rd May - 2 rows potatoes planted. Another bin sunk into ground for water.
4th May - Decision to take plot 2 rather than 3. Well on 3 should be usable especially if no one else takes it.
9th May - 12 pea plants round teepee, 10 bean plants on canes. More to come in this area. Leave free please. Lorna and Ann planted a row of sunflowers at the western edge and a row of marigolds just east of them. Later 8 raspberry canes were planted next to these. During the week, two of these appeared to have been attacked by something.
So far 11 rows of potatoes of which 2 are sprouting, the earliest planted. 5 rows of onions, of which 3 sprouting.
16th May - Now 6 rows of potatoes are sprouting and the onions are growing well. Some digging started on plot 2 and a small row of raspberry canes have been put in this plot. The doors for our shed are on the north west corner of plot 2. A kind neighbour plot holder John on plot 1 has agreed to rotavate our plot. Some rain today at last but probably not enough to make any difference. The well is still filling within a couple of days of emptying.
23rd May - erected small shed on plot 6 with assistance of 5 people. Paul has fixed and repainted so this looks good. Some hoeing done. More rain clearly needed. Several raspberry canes on plot 2. Our neighbour on plot 1 has kindly rotivated plot 2 for us saving much work.
28th May Some beetroot in plot 6 and some sweetcorn on plot 2. Other sweetcorn has still not germinated. May be forced to buy in!
29th May Two globe artichoke plants put in plot 2. Some weeding. Left old watering can and hoe in shed.
6th June another row and a half of potatoes planted by Roger.
10th June Sue weeded most of plot 6.
13th June Judy weeded another few rows of plot 6. Potatoes now flowering.
28-29 June group planted courgettes, gourds and 50-60 sweet corn plants, thus starting to use plot 2. spring behind trees at top of allotment field is running very quickly into stone trough and is a good source of water especially for plot 2.
25 July - Potatoes are being dug now, each time someone goes up. Onions are looking ready. Apparently the stems start to bend over and after that you are supposed to lift them and leave to dry out. This process allows the bulb to absorb nutrients from the stem. However you mustn't let them get wet so maybe they should be taken home. There has been almost no rain here for more than a month. The stream has been crucial but it's tedious going up to it to fill cans with water. Sweet corn planted end of June not doing well, some plants lost, others not thriving, but initial block planted by Sue is doing well. Tassells have appeared on top and beginnings of ears. Runner beans are producing a half dozen every few days so should be picked. Courgettes and gourds are flowering. Sunflowers on plot 6 are in flower and looking great.
1 Aug - More potatoes have been dug. Sunflowers are now all out. the Arran victory potatoes are flowering. I thought they had flowered before. Is this a second flowering? All the onions have their stems fallen over. I have taken three to dry out as recommended by Nigel. After the stems have dried out apparently the nutrients will have drained into the bulb and you can then store the onions. We'll see. Have moved all the building materials to the same end of plot 2, under the canvas. I was able to use the communal hose to water plot 2 and leave it for a few hours to water the area previously under building material. Will get up there in the next day or so, to start digging this bit. Sweet corn planted by Sue doing very well, lots of ears with silk. Remaining corn planted end June not doing well. Only 15 or so plants survived and progressing too slowly to do anything. At least is got us digging over the plot. They'll make good compost. Gourds and corgettes racing away.
8 Aug - Continued clearing plot 2. Sweetcorn plants in Sue's original block looking very good, at least one ear on all plants and some have two. Courgette and gourd plants really getting going. Some rain yesterday Saturday so ground not too bad to dig. Potatoes all ready to dig and are being dug on plot 6, plus beetroot and runner beans. Apparently we mustn't plant potatoes on plot 6 next year, maybe use plot 2 for this?
13 Aug - Have not been to allotment but this is just to note that we had an all-day rain on Tuesday and some heavy showers yesterday, Thursday. Looking forward to seeing how allotments looks on Monday.
16 Aug Soil on allotment much easier to dig since rain. Some weeds even pull out. Sweet corn really beginning to have large ears. Have gently pulled back leaves to see that ears have full set of kernels, although still too small to pick. Some cabbage or other brassica has been planted on plot 6. Potatoes still available to dig and main crop have finished flowering but not yet died down. Runner beans still coming. Blackberries at top of field plentiful and plump.
22 Aug Really as 16 Aug, no news to report. Some rain last week, no new crops planted.
Veg to go into plot(S)
Sweetcorn – Sue, Lorna, Fee, Judy(not yet germinated), Roger.
Beetroot - Sue
Beans – Fee
Peas – Fee
Rhubarb – Fee
Broccoli – Fee
Green globe artichoke – Judy
Blackcurrant – Ann and Roger
Leeks – Ann and Roger