Work on the lottie

Our allotment work tends to be spasmodic and is governed by the weather, available time and the urgency of the tasks pending. We had a slow start: winter was colder than usual and spring sunshine was slow to warm up the soil. We impetuously put in our runner beans at the beginning of May, only for a frost a few days later to do rather a lot of damage. They have since recovered and things are now looking far better.

After the set-back of a frost our runner beans are doing nicely.

Drayton Allotments, Daventry. 28 May, 2018 

Rhubarb is pretty foolproof and is doing well, but we won't attempt to pull any of the sticks this year and instead let it build its strength up. It is in the Dock Family, Polygonaceae, and will occasionally attract Dock Bugs, but not so far this year.

It is tempting to pull a stick or two of rhubarb but we must show restraint.

Our allotment, 28 May, 2018

Taters are doing nicely. We grew a lot in 2017 but this year are confining ourselves to 'Charlotte', one of the best of the earlies. We took a risk (only a very slight one) and used 'ware' potatoes - bought simply in a bag at Waitrose - rather than 'proper' seed potatoes. They seem to be doing fine and should be O.K. It is important to avoid ground where they grew last year.

Potatoes seem to be doing well

I put in a row of Phacelia, Phacelia tanacetifolia. This annual from the south-west of the U.S.A. is not only ornamental but is very attractive to bees. I have lots of seed and will use it as a 'green manure' towards the end of summer, digging it in when it is maybe six inches high.

Phacelia should give a colourful show of pale lilac

flowers and attract lots of bees.

We are very pleased with our raspberries. They are growing strongly and we are hoping for a good crop from early August onwards. Gooseberries are doing well too.

Out raspberries are a late variety so we'll have to be patient.

28 May, 2018

But there have been failures. We sowed some sugar snap peas but didn't net them quickly enough; a rather nice row of seedlings was completely taken by Wood Pigeons, Bluddi nuisancii. We won't re-sow.

Tony White: diaea@yahoo.co.uk