Some Warm Weather at Last

.....but it won't last long.

Everyone had the same idea this weekend and the allotment was full. Seem like everyone was making hay while the sun shined and get as much done as they can, before the rain kicks back in on Monday for the week.

However, despite the nice days we had a frost Saturday and Sunday morning. It was unexpected and un-forecast. Not even my local weather girl Ann Brown expected it. As a result, I lost an early batch of eating runner beans and my potatoes just got caught on the tips lightly. I hope they will still be ok and not check back too much, after the good start they had.

The recent warm weather has also got things moving at last. Up to now, everything has been so slow and I was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to get going.

The celery I planted out last week barely poked up over the collars but now in only a week they have risen to stick their necks right out.

My first batch of long carrots are further behind than last year but have come one a lot in the past week and I have now removed the collars. I am hoping they will catch back up, ready for the Southern National

My second batch of longs have also started moving but I don't have anything from last year to compare them to.

My stump carrots look great especially compared to last years ones. That's mainly down to the set up, as last year I only grew them in round tubs with a makeshift cover which made it hard to open and water. I am using a different mix from last year and I won't have any idea if I can grow them to a reasonable standard until I pull them.As they say, it's not what's above the surface, it's what's beneath it that counts.

My second batch have also picked up but like the longs, have nothing to compare them to.

In the greenhouse, the both the cucumbers and cauliflowers are moving nicely

I just hope that now the temperature is maintained so that things can continue growing on schedule.

Plot of Spuds

The spuds have been coming on well in the tunnel and the time I thought I was going to lose through the delay in receiving the mix, has been made up by starting them off in 5" pots and also by the warmth of the tunnel. As a result, I was able to put them out on the plot, with a good start.

So far I have put out 4 different varieties each consisting of 16 bags, Kestrel, Blue Belle, Winston and Sherine. My Amour are a bit further behind and have only just started poking through, so I have left them in the tunnel for another week

This year after listening to Barry Newman, I decided instead of putting the bags in single rows, I would put them with in rows of pairs. The rows were 14" apart. This would save me space as well as have the spuds helping to support themselves. Then I put a steak in each corner of the rows with a rope around them to support the helms once they are bug enough.

Celery Out

Celery is one of those impressive veg which stands tall on the show bench and you just can't help but be in awe of it.I remember visiting the New Forest Show a few years ago and seeing some pinned up on a collection board and thinking, how the hell do you grow something like that. I though never on my wildest dreams, would I ever be able to grow something like that. This may well yet still be the case. Anyhow, this year I thought I'd have a real go and see what happens. The variety I am growing is called Morning Star. There are a few different top varieties and different growers have their own preference. I have no idea how I will do and may be a total failure but it is just one of those veg that I really want to have a go at and see.

I am told for showing, it is all about timing with Celery and the sowing dates are crucial. However the local weather has been a lot colder than normal and everything seem to be moving a lot slower. This is my first attempt at growing Celery for show, although last year I did trial it on my allotment, with no real commitment, so I don't have anything really to compare it to.

The Celery has been coming along nicely in the greenhouse. Now they are in their final pots and the roots have started to come through, I decided it was time to get them out in the bed.

The bed is 8' long by 3' wide and will hold 10 Celery, 2 rows of 5. The Celery was planted evenly along the bed. I did this by marking the bed out first, then digging in a pot of the same size that the Celery were in. Then it was just a case of lifting the pots out and dropping the celery in the remaining hole to a perfect fit.

The Celery when gathered, is approx 13"-14" high. So, once all in position, I then wrapped with some cardboard at 12" high, to encourage the Celery to draw up. Canes were then placed around the outside for support