Blicky's Blog

Carrots Sown / Celery update

2012-03-04T13:14:00.000Z

The long and stump carrots are now all sown. Just as well I managed to get all done before today, as it is raining hard and is bitter cold again. I sowed 4 seeds per station for long and stumps and watered in.

Unfortunately, I do not have any pics as I had planned to take today and rain has stopped play.

My celery is doing well. I am giving them bottom by way of heated propagator and they appear to be coming on quite nicely compared to the ones I have in a normal propagator.

The shallots are now ready to go out. They started off slow but as soon and things started to warm up, they have shot off. I have prepared the patch in which they are to be planted, by digging over and sprinkling with some fish blood and bone.

The onions are still alive, yes believe it or not, I have managed to keep some alive this year. They still are moving slow and probably need some bottom heat but the celery has to take priority.

Bored Filling Weekend

2012-02-26T19:55:00.002Z

With the hard cold period behind us, I managed to get the long carrots drums bored and filled. I can't say it's my favorite part growing long carrots, as being an office bod, I find myself using muscles I don't normally use.

The method I choose is to core with a pipe, removing the sand leaving a hole and then replacing with the mix. Some shower prefer to bore or drill with a purpose made borer, with the maximum diameter at the top and tapering as it goes down. I don't believe there is a wrong or right way but it depends what suits the individual.

I also made up my stump carrot mix, bored and filled, ready to sow. I made up a template with 2 3/4"holes, 6" apart. I then laid the template on the bed of sand and cored each hole. Once bored, I tipped the bag of mix onto the template and pushed the mix in the holes. I got his method from the NVS DVD of Graeme Watson method. I is a very fast and clean way to fill the holes.

This year I am going to try Ian Simpson's mix. I didn't have a great deal of luck last year, but I think this was mainly due to the length of time I had them growing. I believe 22-24 weeks is ideal but I know of some who managed to grow them in less. I guess it depends on weather conditions and where you are in the country.

Hopefully I will have sown all by the end of next weekend. Some people chit their seeds by dampening on paper towel, then sowing when they see the seed sprout. It's a matter of preference but I prefer not to. I'm natural a heavy handed person and I',m afraid that I will damage to shoot when sowing.

Big thanks to JBA

2012-02-23T19:51:00.001Z

I owe a huge thanks to Iain and JBA, they really bailed me out the crap after I lost the majority of my spuds to the frost.

My rescue supply of spuds came today, 1 bag of Armour, Blue Belle and 2 bags of Sherine. Where else can you get customer service like that? .......Exactly, you would have to look extremely hard to find anywhere else.

Arghhh Frost

2012-02-21T19:29:00.001Z

The frost we had recently has hit me very hard

I lost all of my NVS Sherine potatoes and many more others. All my exhibition onions are dead and many of my 250gram onions also

Still, JBA have come to my rescue and after liaising with them today, they have managed to get some more out to me asap. Now you can't beat that for service and I doubt if you would get it anywhere else

Not all is bad however, my Toughball onions seem to be toughening out. Although have checked back, they are still alive which is much better than my disaster last season

Toughball

Also, after trying Celery out for the first time last season and doing reasonably well, I though I'd try to bring my own on from scratch and give it a better try. I sowed them in a propagator and they were up in just 8 days.

I have also re-potted up some into 2" pots

Still too cold for anything else yet and waiting for it to warm up significantly before continuing

2012-02-14T17:44:00.000Z

Anyone welcome, members and non-members

Onions, Onions and more Onions

2012-01-29T20:54:00.001Z

I don't profess to the best onions grower in the world. In fact I don't profess to be an onion grower at all, due to all my past failures last season and almost this. I just love onions, I love to grow them, cook with them and eat them most of all.

One batch of onions I had coming on indoors, were so poorly that I gave them to a friend to try to save for me and I am told they are now doing well. They were all wilting and flopping over and it was suggested that the conservatory I had them in was too hot and not enough light.

I came to the conclusion that I was going to lose all my onions and so as I had nothing to lose, I decided to put them all out in the greenhouse despite having no artificial heat or lighting out there. I put out the ones already pricked out into pots and also a couple of seed trays with young seedlings in.

Just a week later to my amazement they had all started to pick up. I suspect this is mainly due to the mild weather. I just have to keep fingers crossed that the temperature doesn't go down so much as to kill everything off.

Today as the seedlings in the seed trays were doing so well, I pricked them all out potted up into 2" pots. I remember being told last year, that I had potted up too much too soon into to big a pot. This year I am trying to be really conscientious and not rush things this year, so everything is going into 2" pots first.

Due to the onions I thought I was going to lose, plus the additional ones sown as a result of fearing I would lose the others, I now have onions everywhere. (50 Toughball, 75 Vento and approx 85 Kelsae)

Filling up my staging as the picture above, and below

On the first shelf

On the upper shelf

And on the floor

I also got some Kelsae onions from Brereton's from the garden news paper. They weren't too expensive but I soon found out why. You only get what you pay for, I can remember my father constantly telling me.

They were quite small and not long been pricked out. They weren't really any bigger than my own which had just been pricked out into pots. I did what I was told last year and stood them in a jam jar of warm water over night as they would have been stressed from being put in the post. Then I transplanted them into 2" pots the day after. Out of a hundred, approx only 85 were ok to plant on the rest had roots damaged where they twisted round each other and broke when trying to separate. Some may have even been damaged during transportation and packaging. A fellow grower also told me that sometimes it's not worth getting them via the post even if they are from the best grower, as they often would get damaged or stressed via transportation and it would appear that they were right.

As you see below, they are now looking quite poorly and are not doing very well at all. They are all flopping over and I have lost a few already. I shan't bother next year. If I can't grow my own, then I won't be growing any, unless I get them locally

I was also given half a dozen Leeks to try out. I though if I could practice on them this year and enjoyed it as growing them successfully, I may take it s step further next year. So far I have put the first collar on up to the button.

Hampshire Potato Day 2012

2012-01-28T19:12:00.001Z

It doesn't seem that long ago since I was at last years Potato Day but it has soon come around again. Last year was the first time I attended a potato day and this year it was just as good. Hundreds of different varieties including organic and heritage.

As I was assisting on the NVS stall, I was there before the doors opened and managed to pick up a couple more bags of spuds before the big rush. Just as well as I only needed a bag of Blue Belle and Kestrel each and all the Blue Belle went in the first hour to the disbelief of the organiser. Looks like it was really popular as there was a further queue of people all asking for it.

When doors opened, it was like a heard of cattle coming bursting through the doors. It was almost like the Debenhams Christmas sale where all the shoppers had been camping out all night to get a bargain. Within seconds the hall was full and queues starting to form for the till, around the hall

It was another great stall by the NVS Hampshire and there was plenty of interest. I also managed to get a few new members signed up also

NVS Spuds become new favourites

2012-01-24T20:19:00.002Z

Today I took delivery of some more spuds from JBA Seed Potatoes
I was so excited as I am trying to new varieties which I thought were fantastic when I saw them on the show bench last year.

They were NVS Amour

and NVS Sherine

Both these varieties are only available from JBA as they were reintroduced by them. These two varieties have instantly become my new favorites. The Amour has such a beautiful coloured face and great shape

Whereas the Sherine were perfect in shape and so clean and white even in their seed condition. As I was washing them, I could almost tell how white they could be when freshly harvested

Both varieties are also good all round eating potatoes, able to be boiled, mashed, chipped and roasted. Also they are both good disease resistant

I was just like a kid with a bag of sweets and I'm so pleased with them both.

Potting on Onion Seedlings

2012-01-12T21:28:00.001Z

It hasn't taken any time at all for the onions to grow. They are already at the crook stage so I decided to pot on. Not having much confidence after last years efforts and after potting up into too big a pot too soon, I have decided to be cautious and only pot up into root trainers.

After carefully pricking out and making every effort not to stress the plant too much and getting all the root out, a hole was poked in the root trainer filled with compost mixed with vermiculite, and the seedling carefully dropped in and firmed up.

The pots were then dropped in a tray of water until sufficient was taken up. They were then replaced in the windowsill. I also made sure I took note of the weight, so I could tell when that when the pots were lighter, indicating that they were dry and in need of watering. Hopefully, once the onions have taken in some of the water, they will stand upright more.

Once the seedlings have become stronger and the roots are well formed, I will pot up into either 2" or 3" pots.

Seed Potatoes

2012-01-10T21:21:00.001Z

I'm so looking forward to the Whitchurch Potato Day on 28th and 29th January. However, due to my impatience I went to Charlton Park Garden Center which organises it, as it is close to where I work. They didn't have the number of varieties that they have at the Potato Day but they still had quite a few to choose from. I couldn't help myself and ended up buying 4 bags of seed potatoes. They were Winston, Blue Belle and Bonnie.

Blue Belle

Bonnie

Winston

I also ordered some NVS Sherine and NVS Amour from JBA seed potatoes. These are special show varieties which JBA have sponsored and brought back to make available.

I couldn't wait once I got home and as soon as the kitchen was cleared from the dinner things, I took it over and begun to prepare the potatoes.

Each potato was washed under a running tap to remove all dirt and any disease which may be present. They are then dried in paper towel and stood on more paper towel to dry off some more. Once they were dry, I then stood them in a tray ready to chit. I then put them in the potting shed, in plenty of light, to ensure they don't get too carried away. I will now keep an eye on the weather and if there is any danger of frost, I will cover with fleece.

Onions sown from seed

2012-01-08T14:53:00.002Z

I can't believe it's almost the time as last year, where I was having so much trouble with bringing on my onions which practically brought me to tears in more ways than one. I am hoping to do a little better this year, learning from my previous mistakes.

I sowed some Kelsae, Vento and Toughball onions on New Years Day and they started to show 6 days later, which I feel is quite quick. I wasn't expecting them to show until approx 10 days.

I sowed some more today, using the same method as the previous batch. I simply filled my trays with a seed compost, then sprinkled the seeds on top and covered with a fine sieving of compost. You can use vermiculite if preferred. I then stood the seed trays in a tray of water until I could see the water rise to the top of the seeds tray. Then I covered with a sheet of glass and stood on my window shelf above the radiator.

I don't have the set up to be able to compete at the top level to show, so this is the next best thing. To be able to compete, I would need grow lights, possible a grow tent and a lot of electricity. Having just paid out a considerable sum for my Long Carrot set up only last year, I don't think I would get away with it, with the Mrs just yet.

My opinion is that if you are going to spend this amount of money and high running cost, you need to be able to compete at the highest level or it's a waste. At least with most other items, once you have forked out for the set up, the running costs are minimal.

2012

2012-01-01T21:14:00.000Z

Happy New Year

It's been a while since my previous post as there has not been much happening. I delayed getting my Hative De Niort Shallots so much that I am now unable to get a sufficient amount. Last year I had them and potted them up on the 12th December. A friend I made at the shows last year, Clarence Thomas is sending me up any spares he has from his own supply and mentor Bob Brown has a few extra I can have, so I may just be lucky enough to get a few in the ground.

All my raised beds at home are now completed. I have one for my first real attempt at Peas and 3 more for Celery, Runner Beans and Stump Carrots.

My seeds came just before Xmas from Medwyns Of Anglesey

The main items I hope to attempt to grow for show this year are as follows

Long Carrots - New Red Intermediate
Celery - Morning Star
Stump Carrots - Sweet Candle
Pea - Show Perfection
Runner Beans - Stenner
Cucumber - Carmen
Potatoes - Amour, Blue Belle, Winston, Sherine
Cabbage - Ramco
Cauliflower - Cornell

I'm not going to grow Parsnips this year due to too many Parsnip burns last year and the fact that I didn't really enjoy growing them

I am going to grow some Kelsae Exhibition onions along with 2 types of under 250gram onions, Vento and Toughball, which I sowed today. I won't be growing these for show, as I don't believe I have the equipment to compete. I am still going to have a go at growing them, one as I still need some to eat and also to try to learn from mistakes I made last year, after a catologue of disasters

Vegetable Transportation

2011-12-12T18:47:00.001Z

My set up costs seem to be spiraling up again but some may say, this is a bit extreme for a hobby.

Having had difficulties this year transporting my veg to the shows, folding down the back seats, laying out sheets as to not get the boot dirty and generally having trouble squeezing the vegetables all in together, I decided to get me a Land Rover.

Now next year, I shouldn't have any worries, as what won't fit in the back, will go on the roof. I even have a tow bar, so can get a trailer if needed.

I am also hoping I won't have to worry about trawling through muddy fields, trying to park the car and then hope I can get back out.

Remember this last year? Well I am also hoping I won't have so much trouble this year.

Soil Retribution

2011-12-08T18:10:00.000Z

Well after contacting Woodfields to advise them of the soil disaster I had with their courier, they kindly apologised and reimbursed by whole original fee

I feel slightly bad as I appreciate it wasn't their direct fault but then I am also of the belief that they are responsible for who they employ to deliver on their behalf and the service in which they deliver

All in all I am quite pleased and I will use them again whereas if I hadn't heard anything, I wouldn't have. So in the long run, they will be better off for it, as they have some good products I am interested in using annually

Soil Disaster

2011-12-03T19:23:00.000Z

I had a load of soil delivered from Woodfields on Friday. The team at Woodfields when ordering were very polite and helpful.The product also had a god right up and seemed really good, so I was quite looking forward to it, so I could finish off my raised beds.

Well then disaster struck. I had a call from the driver about 3:45 to ask if I was going to be home to sign for. I told him, not for about an hour and he responded that he couldn't leave it in case someone pinched it. We are talking about a cubic meter of soil at least a tonne in weight. Who the hell is going to be able to pinch that with an hour, by the time anyone spotted it, got a truck with lifting equipment I would be home.

Then he called me again to say it was very busy and he didn't think he would be able to get it on my drive. I challenged him and he said he would try. Then he called me again to say that the pallet had collapsed and the load was in the road and that there was nothing he could do and had to go. He moaned saying he only had a pump truck and he has been saying for ages that it wasn't sufficient for the loads he had to deliver. I just thought, how the hell is this my problem?

Well when I got home, I couldn't believe what I saw and was amazed that there wasn't an accident, as the cars were shooting up my busy road where I lived and I will never know how none of them drove into the bag at the side of the road.

I pulled my car in front for protection for me and the oncoming traffic and the proceeded to move the soil from the bag by hand, using shovel and barrow. I was fuming and not very impressed at all. I was so disappointed with the service, especially following the good and helpful beginning. To be fare, the team at Woodfields were very helpful all the way, as I was in constant contact with them throughout this ordeal but I'm afraid there courier had let them down, big time.

I have written to Woodfields detailing my ordeal so it will be interesting to see how they respond.

On a brighter note, I had the VegiMix soil and it does look reasonable stuff for only £70.

What a load of Crap

2011-11-27T19:51:00.001Z

With Xmas just around the corner, it is hard to justify to the Mrs, spending money on gardening rather than on her present. Still, as they say, the show must go on.

With that said, I received this years load of manure. I get my manure from a local supplier, Henry Stanley Compost, who also supplies Hampton Court Palace, so it is no rubbish. I originally arranged it to be delivered at 8am on Saturday but then after being proud to inform the supplier that this was no problem as I am an early riser, he called back shortly after to advise me he had double booked and could he come at 7:15. I could hardly say no.

I forced myself out of bed at 6am, had my cuppa and made my way down to my allotment. It was pitch black and I couldn't see a thing. All I could think of was I'm gonna get knicked by the police for acting suspicious in the dark on a plot which suffers frequently from vandalism. He arrived at 6:55, 20 mins early than the rearranged time and I was hardly prepared for him.

I was extremely pleased with the load, as it was well rotted and nicely shredded with hardly a lump in it and a lovely strong smell with plenty of steam coming off the top. The load was a full tipper's worth and cost £45 including delivery.

The load had to be delivered slightly away from my plot due to lack of access for the tipper truck, so it then had to be wheel barrow'd in place. A whole half hour later it was starting to get light but I had hardly put a dent in the pile.

Shortly after, I had a couple of my allotment buddies turn up to lend a hand and we were done another hour and half later.

To show my appreciation, I laid on breakfast, that and the fact it was my turn to cook and I'm the one with the 16'x8' shed come kitchen.

Dee and Martin after a full English breaky

On the Sunday it was back working at home, starting to shred the compost once again. I am hoping to get all this done before Xmas as I still have my short carrot bed to fill with sand, and my celery bed to fill also.

Previously I have been shredding just outside my shed which is fine when the weather is nice b ut this time of the year, even when it is nice, it is still bloody cold. So, I decided to set up in my new greenhouse for some protection from the cold winds. This will work out well as now with a light and a heater, I will also be able to work in the dark evenings.

A Day Off Work

2011-11-07T14:32:00.002Z

What with Xmas here in just seven weeks and the added family pressure during the weekends, as they believe that now the shows are all over, it is 'closed' season with nothing to do, so you can spend it with them.There seems little time to get things done, especially if you are a beginner like me and are still building much of the set up. Well, I decided to remove some of this pressure and took the day off to put together my final lot of raised beds together. These will be 8'x3' stump carrot bed, 8'x3' celery bed, 8'x2' pea bed and 8'x18" runner bean bed.

The remaining scaffold planks I obtained were not much good, as they were all split or just in very poor condition. They will probably be ok for the allotment but not ok for in the garden and long lasting beds. Therefore, I went to the local builders merchants and purchased some 16'x12" planks and cut them in half to make two sides of the bed. I joined two together with metal plates and wrapped in polythene as I previously did for the long roots.

Once the planks were all prepared, I fixed together with 3"x10 screws and rested on 4 concrete blocks, one in each corned, which I had leveled out.

With the wife and kids up getting ready for work and school, despite hoping to relax and have a lie in, I found myself up at 7:30 and in the garden starting work, so by early afternoon I had finished. Still, at least I can now rest easy knowing my setup is now practically complete. All that is left to do is fill the carrot bed with sand,and the rest with anything, topped with manure and good quality top soil. There is no rush now, so the pressure is off.

I can now bimble around the plot or spend some quality time with the family at the weekends and stack me up a few brownie points for when the new year starts and it all kicks off again.

Autumn Blues

2011-11-05T18:47:00.000Z

Well with the green house finally done, I could get back down the plot and take a look of how things were. It was a cold day but dry and things looked pretty bleak and bare. The only things I have left in is some remaining Swede, Sprouts and some Autumn Salad Leaves.

I had previously dug over all the empty sections but due to the mild weather and no frosts, the weeds were starting to creep back up on me, so I had some hoeing to do. I was still amazed to see swarms of White Fly about. They covered my Sprouts and Swede's and even attached themselves to the larger weeds. As soon as you brushed by any of them, the white cloud of fly filled the area. What I will do next is to water the soil with Armillatox before turning the soil over in clumps ready to let the frost in. Hopefully this will kill all the white fly ready for next year, otherwise when I come to plant my veg under enviromesh, the fly will remain in the soil and hatch out and be kept inside. You can also use a strong solution of Jays Fluid but I didn't find this very successful previously.

Most of my show vegetables will be grown in the new beds and greenhouse at home for the new season but I will still use the plot for Cabbages, Cauli's and Shallots. The remaining plot will be used to focus on my eating veg, what with the current financial climate and increasing cost in the weekly food shop, I hope to be able to get some sort of rotation going in an attempt to keep veg going all season. At the local NVS DA meeting, we had a talk from John Branham about 'Veg All Year Round' which was probably the most enjoyable talk I attended and which I hope to have picked up some great tips to assist me.

A Glazed Look

2011-10-30T14:20:00.000Z

Finally 4 weeks after starting it, my greenhouse is a finished. We glazed it yesterday and despite us thinking it would only take a couple of hours, we started at 10am and finished at 4pm. The same under estimating we have made throughout the complete erecting of it. Therefore, when it comes to you, do not under any circumstances think it will be a 5 minute job.

The glazing didn't go too bad but we had 3 roof vents and a side louvered vent to engage, which were ok to put together but slightly trickier when installing and lining up. Also there needed to be a bit of tweaking when it came to installing the last pane of glass on each end and the lining up of the doors were a slight challenge also. It really is essential to ensure everything is square and level and I have to thank my mate Martin for perseverance in the initial preparation, as if we took the "that will do" approach, we would have had to take everything out and re-align anyway. Therefore, take that initial time to get it right at the beginning and be patient, as it will pay in the long run.

Now it's all done, I now have the new dilemma of how I am going to set up the inside and what staging I need. I will probably get some removable staging from "The GreenhousePeople", where I got my greenhouse from, so when it's not needed I can simply take it out and use the whole greenhouse to grow in. I was thinking of using the tray type staging, so I can put capillary matting or even heating cables and sand in, or simply use it as a standard work station.

Chris Hewlett and Bob Brown both told me, "if you're going to get a greenhouse, get the biggest you can afford". Well in my case it was more a case of what would fit, or how much space of the garden the wife would let me have. What I will say is, if you have a choice, don't compromise quality. I have looked at many other greenhouses before and since buying mine and I haven't seen any as strong or with as sturdy supports as mine. All the types of cross sections are solid and strong which has helped make the greenhouse rigid. Some of the ones I have seen have had pathetic cross supports which don't really look like they are doing anything. But like I say, it is what you can afford and they key thing I guess is, fit for purpose.

Framed

2011-10-23T12:55:00.000+01:00

It seems really manic at present with all the preparation for next season being done during the winter period. I hardly have a weekend to relax.

Yesterday was spent all day erecting the 10'x12' greenhouse frame. I didn't realise the work involved and thought I would have it all done in a day easily, but it wasn't until I started, did I realise quite the daunting task ahead. Luckily for me, I had a my mat Martin help me who use to put up greenhouse for a living when he owned his own Garden Machinery business. Even with his knowledge and experience it wasn't a quick task but I now know I would have been stressed to hell without his help.

We started by checking all the components and laying them out, getting familiar with everything first. They say poor preparation leads to piss poor performance and in this case, it wouldn't have been truer.

Once all the bits were laid out in in sections, we had to fit the base plates together and line them all up and square and then the sections were assembled, sides front and back.Then we stood them up and bolted together.That sounded easy didn't it, yeah right, have you ever tried balancing one side while trying to line the other up and fix it in place.

Once everything was up, we then had the task of ensuring everything was level and even or else the glass wouldn't fit. This was one of the fiddliest and time consuming bits. By this time it was 4pm and starting to get very cold, so we called it a day with a view of putting the glass in next weekend.

Base Complete

2011-10-08T16:40:00.000+01:00

Well this weekend was totally different from last weekend. Whilst setting out the greenhouse base, the sun was beating down and it was the hottest day of the year and just 7 days later, rather than the shorts and 'T' shirt I had long trousers and a jumper on and found myself working in rainy showers.

I had to finish off the greenhouse base as the greenhouse was being delivered during the following week. I made a dry concrete mix up in my cement mixer and filled the inside of base. Then with a long piece of wood, I scraped it level between the block footings. With the dry mix level, I simply placed the slabs on top. This is the easiest way I have found, for laying slabs, as they just sit nicely and evenly on the mix. The mix will then set on it's own.

I then level up the raised beds I had put together previously and as I had some spare slabs left over, I put a patch between them

Phase 2 Planning

2011-10-02T18:43:00.002+01:00

Well with my first season now out of the way, the answer to my original blog question, "will I or won't I get a red card" I am pleased to say that it was a massive 'YES' and much to my surprise, it has to be said. Believe me, I am as astonished as anyone, that I have had such unbelievable good fortune in my first ever season of showing.

Now I am focusing on my next mission which is obviously the 2012 season. This year I will have to prove to my critics that it was no fluke and need to do it all over again with the long carrots but also branch out and try a few other things. Many fellow showers have given me some strong good advice, which I will most definitely be following. That is to not try to do to much and to only look to focus on 5-6 items. With this in mind, I have decided to scrap the Parsnips, as I was pissed off with getting the parsnip burn, which was bloody painful and also the fact that I struggled like holy hell to get them out of the drums, snapping four off in the drums. As well as the long carrots, I hope to be doing, peas, runner beans, Celery and stump carrots. As secondary items, I may also throw some potato's in polypots, try the large cabbage again and also some Cauli's.

The celery, peas, runner beans and stump carrots, along with the long carrots, will now be grown at home. This is so I can give them the ficus and attention they need and also as the peas last year got the pea moth in about 75% of them on the plot.

The project is already underway with the celery and pea beds already build and just waiting to be filled. The beds have been made in the same way as the beds for the long carrots, I did last year.

The celery bed is 3' wide and 8' long allowing me to plant 2 rows of 5, the pea bed is 2' wide and 8' long and I will also put 2 rows in. This time I decided to put the threaded bar in before I filled them, as I also wanted to put a couple in at the bottom of the bed to prevent the planks from splaying out with the pressure of the medium once filled.

As I had so much trouble trying to bring my own plants on in my potting shed last year, I have also purchased myself a nice 8.5' x 10.5' greenhouse whilst at the Malvern show last week and have been busy this week starting to make the base up for which it is going to sit on.

It took me ages to decide just how I was going to do this as there were a few options. The greenhouse comes with spikes, so I could have simply leveled the base and stuck it straight in the soil and then decided if I wanted a soft or solid base. Or, to put the base on a solid foundation and then decide about a solid or soft base. In the end I decided with the assistance of a good friend, Martin Jackson, to put a solid foundation all the way around using concrete blocks, which were dug into the soil at one end and then where the ground was uneven and the blocks came out of the ground at the other end, I cemented them in place. Next I will fill the middle with a dry concrete mix, scrape a long piece of wood over, so that it is all even and lay some slabs on top. The mix will then set on it's own, cementing the slabs in place. This uses a lot more concrete up than if you spot dab'd each slab but I have done this a few time and believe me it is the easiest way I know to lay a patio with little stress.

The greenhouse is coming in a couple of weeks so hopefully it will up and finished very soon. Then I will have to make my stump carrot and runner bean bed and fill all four.

Medwyn Williams

2011-09-26T20:42:00.000+01:00

I had the great pleasure of meeting Medwyn this weekend through my mentor Bob Brown. Bob and Ann have been good friend of Medwyn and his wife for many years so through their friendships I was able to get introduce and even snuck a cheeky photo in

Medwyn Williams is one of the most well know people in gardening. Not only is he the previous chairman of the NVS until recently, he is also chairman of the RHS.

As well as having his own seed company, Medwyns of Anglesey, a regular writer in a number of gardening publications he is probably most know for being the 11 times gold medal winner of the Chelsea Flower Show

He has achieved most thing there is to achieve in showing vegetables and truly one of the greats at his game

Malvern 2011

2011-09-25T19:25:00.003+01:00

I have just got back from a fantastic day at Malvern. It is where the NVS Midlands Branch Championships are held annually. There are two competitions being held, the NVS championships and the Malvern Vegetable Show.

The show itself was incredible and each class was well supported with large numbers in each. The Long
Carrots which is obviously close to my heart, had 16 entries with Ian Simpson taking first place with the same

carrots which won Harrogate the week before, which just goes to show, if kept right they can last this long.

David Thornton took 2nd place with another nice set

And my mentor and good friend Bob Brown came in a close 3rd with a fantastic conditioned set

Bob also took 3rd with long carrots in the Malvern vegetable side of the show

Another result of significance to me was in the Celery class, where fellow NVS District Association member Tony Stevens came 2nd with a nice pair

All in all a great day where I put many new faces to many names within the NVS family, Ciderman (not I'm not posting the seeds on, they're top secret), Smithveg, Colin Higgs and Gareth just a few to mention. It was pointed out to me by one of them, that it was a much about the associations and social aspect as anything else and they were right.

The Last Show

2011-09-14T20:16:00.003+01:00

Well it was my final show last night. The (NVS) National Veg Society Hampshire District Show. I pulled the night before and only had 7 to choose from. I was a bit worried with the amount of rain we have been having as I imagined they would all be split.

The first I pulled was split and I though, here we go. The second was forked right at the end of the tap root. I then pulled a cracking Carrot which carried the weight all the way down the tap root and had lovely rounded shoulders. It was what I believed to be the perfect specimen. Yes you guessed it, out of the rest I pulled, there was not another match and it is no good having a carrot that good, if it is the only one and an odd set. Anyway, I pulled another nice carrot but not quiet as big all the way down as the previous and then another to match. With two carrots left I was starting to get a bit nervous. Then next I pulled has a kink at the bottom and a regrowth ring where the carrot had stopped and started regrowing again, through inconsistent watering, mainly due to the rain. I had one left and it needed to be a match for the other two. Well someone was watching over me, as when I pulled it and led it down next to the other two, it was a perfect match.

As they had been in quite a long time as I sowed for the Southern Championships, I expected them to be quite old and ropey. To my surprise, once they were cleaned, they looked smashing to my delight.

Still being a novice despite my recent success, I was still not fully appreciative of just how good they were but was soon advised once I entered the show to stage, from my mentor and formed National Champion, Bob Brown and the rest of the members. They seemed to know before the judging of the results. Looking at them after, I have to admit, they would have pushed the Southern Championships Carrots all the way and probably look slightly better.

My friend Damo also had a cracking set and to be honest, despite his being the first of such carrots he has grown and shown, I have to admit, I was slightly nervous but would have been delighted for him if he had nicked me to it (Nah only joking, I would have been gutted). He got a good second and I got the first.

Photo courtesy of John Trim

Then it was down to the Judge, newly appointed NVS National Chairman, Barry Newman, to review all the winners of the respective classes and choose an overall best in show. I heard all the whispers around me saying, it has to be the carrots, but it was down to the judges opinion and there were plenty of top exhibits to choose from. Well to my delight, I got it and what pleased me even more was when Barry said that there was only ever one winner by some way and it was well deserved.

Well that topped of my season nicely. In my first ever showing season I had achieved winning the Southern National Championships with my Long Carrots. Coming third with my Cabbages. Doing well at my local show getting 16 out of 19 firsts, 2 seconds and a highly commended for sweet candle with a slightly under developed stump, in an RHS show which don't require a full stump, with the judge stating he believed they were long carrots and in the wrong class. Even the best of us can't get it right all the time. I also took all trophy's in the Veg Categories as well as the RHS Banksian medal for most over all points in the Horticultural section and most points in overall show. Then of course to top everything, I won my NVS District Show competing against my local peers and also took Best in Show.

I have now already started to plan for next season. I am in the process of changing the garden around and making some more raised beds for other stuff and am converting my parsnips drums into more carrots drums.

When it goes wrong

2011-08-20T20:12:00.001+01:00

As all gardeners know, it doesn't always go smooth and right. I was lucky when I pulled my long carrots for the Southern National as I didn't have any duds. However, just to show I haven't had it all my own way, when I pulled for my local show, I had 2 duds out of 6 carrots, leaving me only 4 to get a set of 3 as I wanted to save the rest for my NVS District Show.

One had forked roots at the bottom, not sure why as this was the only one to date out of 22 pulled like it.

And the other I initially thought was going to be a decent carrot as the shoulders were nice and broad, yet when I pulled it, it had like a ball shape on top

I had another carrot which although I had saved to go in the longest carrot class, it was still really a defected carrot as it was far too massive. It was a freak carrot being just under 5' long and approx 3 times the width of any of the others. I have no idea how it got so big as it was in the same mix as all the others.

Local Show Results

2011-08-13T19:22:00.002+01:00

This weekend it was my local Allotment Association Show. It was when I was a guest last year, that got me started on wanting to get into showing vegetables. Unfortunately this show was a few weeks after the Southern National Championships so there would be no win to top my previous success. However, this was my main aim at the beginning of the season when I first set out, so I still wanted to do well and the best I could.

I entered 19 classes, all were in the vegetable sections. I got 16 firsts, 2 seconds and a highly commended. I took all 3 cups for the vegetables and the cup for overall most points in show. I could not have wished for any more. My only disappointment was my Sweet Candle stump carrots. The stump wasn't fully formed but the carrots were of good weight and very clean and smooth. Compared to my competitors, there was a large gap. However, I only received a highly commended for these as the RHS judge, judged that these were not stump carrots and commented that they should have gone in the long class. I sympathised slightly however, I also believed that in RHS rules, the stump didn't need to be formed as it does in the NVS rules. Still, I wasn't going to grumble too much as it would seem unsporting like and I knew I already had more than my fair share of red cards.

All in all, my show season so far has been just unbelievable and I have already achieved far more than I could have ever imagined this time last year, before it all started.

One of the things I was most pleased with was my celery which got a red card. It was the first time I had grown any and had little guidance on these as they were never really planned to be grown for show but for experimental practice only. However, when I looked ahead of the show, I liked them so much, I decided to use this for any other non root veg instead of my Cauli's. They were blanched approx 18" and had a nice weight to them. It pleased me more when a friend and associate John Trim, a highly recognised NVS official and Judge, commented that they were very good and he was impressed. Then to be supported by a comment from my mentour and this years Southern National Champion for Celery, Bob Brown, who also said it was a very good first attempt.

Media Success

2011-08-05T20:18:00.001+01:00

Well my first show success hasn't stopped and the excitement is being prolonged by the local media now taking an interest. I'm sure there is many other successful growers who have also had much of this type of interest but for me this is all new.

I haven't been allowed to calm down and take stock since my success at the Southern Championships and my blood pressure but be sky high and through the roof. I am still waking up at 4am dreaming of bloody Carrots. I can't seem to get enough of my gardening fix, finding myself constantly on various gardening blogs and forums in between my allotment and home garden.

I was interviewed by the Blackmore Vale Newspaper at the Show, which is a Dorset County Newspaper and then also the local Salisbury Journal. I wasn't sure if either articles would be included in the respective newspapers as I have had little exposure of this sort before. However, it all started today when a neighbour, almost as excited as I was, ran across the road to me, waving a newspaper in the air shouting "have you seen this" It was the Blackmore vale and I had a good sizable piece of the New Forest Show Article. Then whilst studying this I heard the wife shout from the sitting troom, " OH MY GOD NOOOOOOOO" and there I was again in the way of a big picture on the front page of the Salisbury Journal website with another big article from the interview they had with me.

My first year of attempting to go from Grower to Shower has really taken off much sooner than I ever imagined and I am now wondering when I am going to come down to earth and reality, with a big thud.

I owe everything this year to my mentor, Bob, who has helped me all the way with good sound advice and pointed me in the right direction and giving me the confidence to go in for such a high standard show.

Me and my mate Bob after my Champion success

Until then, I am just going to go with the flow and enjoy the moment while it lasts, as in my experience, it isn't long.

Cauli Delight

2011-07-31T14:52:00.001+01:00

Well it is obviously going to take a lot to top becoming a Southern National Champion for Long Carrots but growing a decent size Cauli is getting pretty close for me, as I am such a huge Cauli lover.

I have never ever had any success what so ever with growing Cauliflowers and they have previously come out no bigger than a miniature football. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered I grew these.....

The may not now be good enough for show as the florets are starting to push out but this is one veg which would struggle to make it on the bench before I ate it.

This year has been an unbelievable year for me with all my veg due to applying the same techniques in my normal growing which I have learnt for show, but growing these has topped everything.

I prepared the soil 13 days prior to planting, with some Perkla, which is a slow releasing fertilizer comprising of 50% Lime with added Nitrogen. I watered daily as normal and allacasam, I now have some Cauli's bigger that footballs.

And The Results Are In

2011-07-26T21:31:00.004+01:00

With a hell of a lot of stress and tension over the past few days, while I was selecting, pulling and preparing the veg for the National Vegetable Society's Southern Championships, it felt like preparing and sitting an exam. I wasn't sure what I was looking for 100% and could only go by what I have been told and learnt to date.

The Carrots came out lovely. John Branham had advised to leave to dry out and then pull them dry, which certainly worked as they lifted out with no problem. They were coming out between 3"-3.5" across the top and 4.5'-5' in length. The condition appeared to be very good when cleaned. Despite all this, I was still nervous. The Parsnips were another story. I broke 3 tops clean off of some of my biggest ones which then meant I had little more to select from. I then decided to soak with water to try to assist the Parsnips to come out. This worked but I was gutted I didn't know this before hand. Anyway, I selected 3 Parsnips but they weren't as good and big as I hoped.

Once cleaned and ready, I packed up and took the Show at approx 6pm for staging. When I entered the tent, to be honest, I was like a rabbit in the headlights and in awe of it all. I was petrified in the presence of all the top showers which were already there and staging their exhibits. Fortunately for me I had mentor Bob Brown to explain things and see me through. To be honest, this was the easiest part of everything to date and it went quite well. First of all, I staged the Long Carrots. I had taken 4 with me and selected what I thought was the best 3. I then covered, filled out my cultivator card and moved on to the Cabbages. These I grew at my allotment and it was only when Bob visited and said to me "they are huge, you have to enter these for sure", that I decided to do exactly that. I was lucky to have my mate Damo assist me with these as they were too heavy to carry on my own, so we got a sheet, lifted them into the car and then back out and on the show bench. A bit of tidying up and prep and these were done.

We left the show tent at approx 9:30pm but will admit that the experience of being there at that time staging with the rest was a real buzz.

I re-attended on the morning of the show early to stage my Parsnips. These were kept dry and in the dark at home until this point.

We were all kicked out the Tent whilst the judges began.We were told to return and 10:15 for the results. Therefore at 10:15, you had a load of showers queuing up expecting to find out the results but the tension was added to by the Judges still going. We were told another approx. 30mins to and hour still to go. By this point, I was a bag of nerves. I didn't really expect to get anything in my first ever show and was still questioning myself if I actually had a right to be showing at this level in my first show. I just thought if I could just do myself some justice and hold my own without being embarrassed I would be happy. I just didn't want to let myself down or more importantly Bob as he had put a lot of time and effort into me.

Well the doors were open and we were let in. Below is how I fared among the best in the South

I got a 3rd for my Cabbages

More importantly for me, I got a 1st with my Long Carrots. Jim Thompson and Bob Brown came in a close 2nd and 3rd respectively, with John Branham out of the places. All three are credible National Champions and top showers in there own right

Unfortunately, I received nothing for my Parsnips but Clarence a fellow associate and friend from Cornwall, had a cracking set which took first place and deservedly so.

With the added bonus, I was also presented with the Holdernesse Fork by Southern Branch Chairman, Barry Newman, for my Long Carrots.

Well in the words of Meat Loaf, 2 out of 3 aint bad.

There are mistakes which I have made and I know what I have to do next time to improve further. There may have been better Carrots previously, there may have not. The bottom line is that, I was able to produce for the bench, the best set of Long Carrots, on the day which took 1st place.

1 Week to NVS Southern Branch Championships

2011-07-18T20:23:00.001+01:00

In the final week's run up the the NVS Southern Branch Championship's I am getting more nervous than ever.
A few final checks to make sure I am not missing anything and tying up any loose ends.

My Parsnips haven't grown much on the tops in a few weeks, so either they are not going to be as good as I hoped, or they have grown down more and will be good. Who's knows until you pull them, that's the most difficult thing about roots, you can't see what's under the ground.

My Long Carrots don't seem too bad from the tops and are more even across the board than the Parsnips. I have one which appears to have very broad shoulders and is pushing out. This can be sign of the roots being forked, causing it to push out but watching Graeme Watson's video again, it may not necessarily the case, as he refers to it in the video but mentions nothing about it being due to forked roots. Guess I will just have to wait.

The Stumps look ok. Chris Hewlett advised they looked really good on his visit to my garden but when I pulled one a fortnight ago, it was very long in 12" and pointed. I am not convinced that there has been sufficient time to form the stump. I have taken a chance and entered these in the Southern Show but also the New Forest side which although is a good standard, is not the senior standard of the NVS show. The ones grown on my allotment using the same method but in soil rather than sand, look much more like the sort of carrot I was but despite have good skin condition still, the ones I have pulled to sample, have insect holes in them.

My Peas look better than anything I have ever grown, thanks to some quality seeds given to me by Scottish Champion Ian Stocks and mentor Bob Brown. However, I have't been as careful as I should have and have marked the peas through brushing against them when moving in between my allotment plot. They unfortunately not good enough for the Southern Show and my local show doesn't have a pea class. Still, it's been an excellent learning curve and I already know how I am going to do them differently next year. Also, I will have some cracking peas to eat.

My runners won't be ready for the Southern due to the dry weather. I even sowed a early batch 2 weeks prior to the normal date and they are still not ready. I may just have some in time for my local show in 3 weeks time.

I have four Ramco cabbages, 3 of which are hugs and in almost perfect condition. I have been advised by Bob Brown to enter them in the show as they aren't far off his Neighbour, Chris Hewlett's, if not a match. This has pleased me immensely as this was something I was not expecting but I have to admit, they are cracking cabbages.

My Celery is nowhere near Southern standard but it's pretty good for a first attempt and I intend entering it in the any other non root veg class, in my local show.

I don't think the Cauli's will be ready in time for the Southern so I haven't entered them but again, hoping they will be fine for my local show.

The French Dwarf beans again aren't ready for the Southern and are some way behind. I also hope top enter these in my local show.

Cucumbers are looking really well and straight. I have some not good enough for the Southern but will be over in time for my local show, so am hoping I will have some others grown in time.

My tomato's have been my biggest disaster. I have never been able to grow a tomato of any standard and put it down to it being far to hot in the tunnel where I also grow my Exhibition onions and Cucumbers.

My Vento onions are look pretty impressive but are splitting again whilst drying. Not sure how these will be or even if they will be showable.

I have all next week off for the Show and with the Show being next Tuesday, I will be pulling and cleaning my Long Roots on the Monday morning and then the Cabbages Monday afternoon. I am then taking them all down to the show for staging on Monday evening. I will also be getting up at the crack of dawn to get at the show for 6am to finalise anything that needs doing ahead of judging.

It's hard to believe just 11 months ago I was planning my set up and starting to build my Long Roots beds. Also that I have jumped straight in at the deep end by entering my first ever Show as the Southern Branch Championships of the National Vegetable Society. Most people start of at local show level to learn the basics but as I have had an ex-National Champions Bob ad Chris helping me, I have by passed quite a bit by gaining from mistakes they have made previously.

Watch this space to see how I get on next week.

Parsnip Burn

2011-07-12T22:14:00.002+01:00

I have learnt a very hard lesson from pulling the Parsnip out at the weekend

I was advised previously about Parsnip burn but the excitement of pulling it, made my mind go blank and I guess I didn't really believe it could be that bad. Well yesterday I had a red mark on the back of my hand and today I have had a big nasty, sore blister come up which is still very sore now. I also have one on the inside of my arm.

Now for those of you who are saying, what the hell is Parsnip burn, I'll tell you. It is the juice from the Parsnip stem which seeps out when you cut or break the top off.

I did notice it spill onto the back of my hand but wiped it off and though no more of it until it started to irritate yesterday. I still never expected much to come of it, until today.

I suggest if you are pulling any Parsnips from now on, you ensure to wear gloves and long sleeves. Make sure you protect all your bare skin.

13th July
I have since found a link with a cure
Parsnip Burn Cure

Parsnip Taster

2011-07-09T21:17:00.001+01:00

One of my Parsnips had the leaves go all brown and shriveled up. I suspected it to be the dreaded canker.

It didn't look like it was going to recover so I decided it best to pull it out. Although still a few weeks to go and obviously not as good as the other Parsnips, I thought it might give me an insight into what to expect.

It came out a lot easier than I expected, bearing in mind this is the first ever Parsnip in a drum, that I have ever pulled. I gave a good tight grip and just pulled on it. It felt a bit tight to start but then just slid out in one piece.

I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed and felt a bit down to start with, as I expected it to be bigger, although it obviously had a problem and still a few weeks to go. The Parsnips we flying to start with but the last couple of weeks I haven't seen any progress in them. I was hoping this was a sign that they were growing beneath rather than on top.

The Parsnip had a lovely skin finish and it was really smooth and clean. No signs of canker on the Parsnip despite the dead leaves. It measured just over 3.5' in length and 2.5" across the shoulders.

After I reminded myself that this was my first year ever, I actually become quite pleased. The problem is, I set such high expectations of myself and although I can lose gracefully, I hate losing.

Earlier in the day, due to the success of my Sweet Candle grown to eat at the allotment, I decided to pull a Parsnip from there also. Obviously it wasn't as good a quality as the ones grown for show but up to that point, it was the best Parsnip I have ever pulled.

It was a lot thicker across the top and 18" in length. Obviously the goodness went to the body rather than length and the hard soil would have restricted the root growing down further.

Sweet Candle

2011-07-06T19:31:00.002+01:00

My Sweet Candle grown for show had some red tips which I am led to believe may be a sign of carrot fly.
So, I decided to pull one of them to see.
The Carrot was 5" round and 12" long in the body (not top or tap root).
It was quite straight however, the end had not yet formed a stump end.
I was surprised at the stump end as it was only at 17week so I believe the need another few weeks yet.

Now, out of curiosity, I decided to try one which I grew for eating on my allotment.
I grew these in exactly the same way with the same mix, except I bored the holes in the soil instead of sand
Well this is the result. A fantastic carrot 9" long, 2" across the top with 7" around the shoulder, 4" around the stump end and yes, with a stump end and it is only at 16 weeks.
I am more please with the one I pulled from my plot than the one I grew especially for show.

Count Down

2011-07-03T19:49:00.002+01:00

With just over 3 weeks to the Southern Regional Vegetable Show, held at the New Forest and Hampshire County Show and 5 weeks to my own local show. Both being my first and to be honest, probably setting my sights a little too high with the Southern Regional Show, it being my first ever vegetable show I will be entering. However, I have had a good mentor in previous National Long Carrot Champion, Bob Brown and I have gone all out in my setup, so am hoping that I will have something good enough to allow me to enter. The placing is not important this year as if I have something that will be able to compete, that will be a success for me.

The Carrots and Parsnips have not grown in height much in the past couple of weeks, so I am hoping it is because they are growing downwards. I am only now lightly watering the tops and focusing the watering at the foot of the drums.

My Vento under 8oz class Onions have been lifted and are drying in my shed on a bed of saw shavings, out of direct sunlight and windows open to allow a good circulation of air. These were lifted at approx 10" in diameter.

I have also lifted my exhibition class onions and they are also drying the same as the Vento. This is the first time I have ever grown these and although I am please, they measure approx 15" in diameter and are approx 2lb in weight. The necks are thicker than I wanted due to additional nutrients gain from being grown in the ground, albeit in a raised bed in my polytunnel.

I lifted a bag of Winston and Kestrel potatoes this weekend to see if they were ready or not. It has been 11 weeks which is about right for Winston although Kestrel can take anything up to 13 weeks. The Winston were mainly quite small but I did get about 6 potatoes of about 6oz but only 2 of any decent shape with other slightly pointed which is not the regular shape for Winston at all. The Kestrel were all very tiny still and struggled to even make 2oz. As a result of the Kestrel results, I chose not to even try to examine the blue Bell. I will leave the Winston in another week and the Kestrel another 2-3 weeks and take a chance. Any longer and they won't be ready to lift for my local show.

My Show Perfection peas have flowered and are starting to show peas and my runners are no starting to reach the tops f the 8' canes.

I'm a bit nervous that things won't be ready in time but the timing is everything and a week can either be too early or too late for showing with many vegetables.

First Pick Onion

2011-06-12T10:46:00.001+01:00

I selected my first Vento Onion yesterday which had met my desired measurement of 10". I have been advised that the size to pick them in 10" for under 8oz show and 10.75" for under 250g show. Well my show schedule description says 8oz (250g) which is a bit of a contradiction as 8oz is actually 226g so quite a bit of leeway there. I decided to play it safe and go for under 8oz.

As with my normal Troy onions which have been overwintered and exceeding this size, the Vento is by far a superior onions by shape, having an almost perfect bell shape.

Mt Long Roots are also going well with the Parsnips now measuring 28" in height and Carrots 20"

My Stump Carrots at the allotment are looking better than the ones at home

The Plot Thickens

2011-06-04T21:13:00.000+01:00

Most showers grow in the comfort of their own homes, where they can grow under strict conditions and also have the luxury of being able to keep an eye on things more frequently and also the luxury of running water readily available by hose pipe.

Growing for showing on an allotment can be a lot more challenging as some don't have water or those that do have to be collected by watering can, which means many trips up and down the plot. The good thing about this is that you may find yourself getting slimmer during the summer. Also you are not able to keep as good an eye on things as you would like or even be able to spend as much time on it as you would want.

Anyway, although I have my Long Carrot and Parsnips at home, all my other stuff if grown on the plot under the restricted conditions. Things line beans, peas, cabbages, Cauli's, Potatoes, are not so bad but things which needs a constant eye such as Carrots, Parsnips, Celery, Onions, Tomatoes and cucumbers are best done where you can keep a constant eye on such as home as, as I have found, they can be very challenging to keep on top of.

First things I did to my plot was make it secure from Rabbits and also thief's.

The Cabbages are looking fantastic. I feed once a week and give plenty of water daily.

I have never grown Celery before and although these are a long way from a decent show standard, they are still looking good and I am very pleased. They should still be fairly reasonable for my local show.

My Kelsae onions measure 13" circumference and are ok but way off a good show standard. I had numerous problems right from the offset with these, so just happy they growing and look as good as they do.

They are simply in a raised bed in my tunnel, full of manure and forked in with the soil, then planted through a polythene sheet.

My Dwarf French beans haven't long been in but I am hoping I have times it right for my show and they don't take long once they are established. The Variety I have used is Prince.

My 'Show Selection' Peas are at about the same stage as the Dwarf French Beans. I clip them to the canes using pea clips. I have two batches of peas, one from Ian Stock's seed (The Scottish Champion) and another batch from Bob Brown. It's ok having the right seed to start with, but I still have to grow them as well and my biggest challenge will be the pea moth we seem to have on our allotment.

The runner beans I have used are Stenner. I have two batches of bean, one from the National Champion, Sherry Plum and the other from Bob Brown the Southern Champion. I have also sown vary batches 2 weeks apart to give me a better coverage. There are grown in a trench of manure with the top soil forked in.

My Spuds started slow but now seem to be picking up and doing well. They did catch a late unexpected frost just as they were showing through, which I believed checked them back a bit.

The Varieties I have used is 1 row of Winston, 1 row of Blue Bell and 2 rows of Kestrel. There is 8 polypots per row, filled with a peat based mix.

I have selected a few shallots which I have already picked for the 30mm class for my local show and have left some to grow as normal exhibition size shallots. These are looking a good size and shape and I am very pleased. What I noticed with the shallots I selected for the 30mm class, is that I picked them when they were some way under 30mm as I was informed they would still grow. Well they did and despite picking them when I thought they were quite a bit under, I can't stop them growing and some have exceeded the 30mm and so are no good to show in that class.

Well as well as the stuff I am trying to grow for show, I obviously still have a few things I am growing as normal to eat. With my new lessons and growing techniques learned recently, I am finding this is benefiting my normal stuff as the soil has been prepared correctly and I m using the right feeds with the right veg and they have been brought on with better techniques.

The first obvious things is my Carrots and Parsnips. These are my normal standard eating items grown in the soil but using a similar technique to my long roots. As a result, I have a far greater quality item than I have ever had previously.

My Leeks are Pendle Improved. They have now had some collars put on and I am hoping for some good quality eating Leeks

I have a few Cauli's and Cabbages which were over wintered and now won't be too long before harvesting

All in all, the plot is looking pretty good and whether it's show quality or not, I am certainly growing the best stuff I ever have.

Dizzy Height's of Root Veg Growing

2011-05-13T22:41:00.000+01:00

Despite my initial canker scare, I am to say that the Parsnips have not deteriorated in any way and in fact the speckles have seemed to diminish and even disappeared in some cases.

One thing for sure is that they are certainly growing well and are now standing at 14" high

Despite the recent heavy rain we had almost flattened the Carrots, they still seem to be growing well. To help then stay upright and protect from the rain, I put some clips around them to keep the foliage upright during the rain.

They are also growing well and standing at 13" high

As well as my roots, a few other things are coming along nicely

My 30mm shallots have been selected and have been laid on a rack with the green foliage facing downwards, so that the water runs down away from the neck of the shallot, preventing it from causing rot

My Kelsae onions have started to bulb up well and the foliage is also standing tall.

I prepared a raised bed inside my tunnel by putting down a thick layer of manure and topping with top soil. The bed was then given a real good soaking. Then I covered with a sheet of polythene which was black on one side and white on the other. The black side was faced down which is supposed to help keep moisture in. A hole was cut in the polythene and then the onion was planted through the hole.

There is no mains water at my allotment where the tunnel is, so I have a water butt outside the tunnel with a drip hose connected to it and led up the middle of the bed. This will hopefully help keep the beds moist. I have also cut a couple of holes in the middle, in between the onions with a flower pot in, where I add water to also assist keep the bed moist.

Under Attack

2011-04-27T20:23:00.001+01:00

Despite them not being very old and only sowed 3 months ago, my Parsnips are under attack and the stress continues.

I had some light patchy spots appear on the Parsnips leaves.

Then they appeared to be getting worse and appeared on the majority of my Parsnips. After consulting my NVS Associates who to be honest, I don't know what I would do without them, I was advised it was Canker. I researched this on the internet and as advised, there is no cure.

After being told to "take a chill pill" by one of my associates whom I have come to rely on, Simon Smith aka SmithyVeg, he also advised me to cover the base area of the Parsnip with a weed control matting which is supposed to protect the compost from being infected by the Canker spores when they drop off the leaves.

I cut square sections big enough to cover the required area, then put a cross slit in each one and slotted around the Parsnips in place.

All I can do now is keep my fingers crossed and hope it works.

To the Beet

2011-04-18T06:02:00.000+01:00

In previous years when I have sown beetroot, I have done it in either seed trays or modules then transplanted out at the spacing I required, depending on the size wanted. This year I tried something different. I didn't use any special mix as with my other roots as, I thought I can't do everything perfect in my first year or 1. it will break be financially and 2. if I try to many things in my first year they will not each be given as much attention as required so will probably end up with nothing of a decent standard. I did however use a similar method to the other roots by boring a hole about 10" deep and 4" wide and filling it with normal compost up to an inch of the top. I then put a small collar around each one. I spaced them about 6" apart. I sowed 2 rows this weekend and will do 2 rows each weekend for the next 2 weeks so I will have 6 rows in all, each 2 rows at a weeks interval of each other. This way, I should have more chance of ensuring I have some of the correct size.

Bags of Spuds

2011-04-10T09:03:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was the time I decided that to get my spuds out.

Normally I would grow straight in the ground by either dibbing and planting the spud in the hole, or pulling a trench along a line, placing the spuds out in the trench and then back filling again. Either way has always proven back breaking to me and then when it comes to digging them out, it is just as hard and I always managed to stab the biggest and best with my fork. Basically it seemed so much hard work for the return which would be just as cheap to but by the sack.

I swore last season that I would never so another seed in the ground again and if I decided I was going to grow them, it would be in a potato planter

Well, getting into to showing has assisted me with my method. All the top showers grow in polypots. These are simply plastic bag type pots which are then filled with a medium of choice.

The polypots used for potato's are the 17 ltr size available from LBS (R-POTS227)

The mix I used was a peat based mix with a handful of Calcified Seaweed and a handful of Vitax Q4. The peat was put through a shredder and then mixed with the nutrients in cement mixer. I then bagged up the mix and put it in my polytunnel for approx. a week to warm up.

The varieties I decided to go with was Winston for the white class and Kestrel for the coloured class. The potato's were all stood up in egg boxes with the faces upright and left to chit. Once the chits were becoming established, I sprayed with a Medwyns Liquid Gold to make the chits healthier.

When it can to sowing, I needed to select which were the best potato's to sow. The majority had scab but I had previously picked out the better ones. Almost all the potato's had scab and although the suppliers say it does not transfer, I asked another person I became associated with, who is renown for being some what of an expert in the potato world, 'Taffy' who advised me that not only will scab transfer to new yield, it will also infect the soil or medium grown in. Well I had no choice as no matter which supplier I went to, all their potato's suffered from it.

After selecting the best of the bunch, I removed all the chits to leave just 2 for Kestrel and 3 for Winston. I am told that you leave 3 chits on for Winston as they tend to grow bigger so by leaving an extra one on, it helps contain the size.

I then filled each polypot to a third, sowed the seed in the center and then topped up to a few inches from the top.

Once all my polypots were sowed and filled, I then took out a 12" wide trench, 4" deep in the soil were they were going to stand. I lined with a sprinkle of potato fertilizer and also some slug pellets. Once the trench was prepared, I stood the back in approx 2" apart and then banked up the soil at the sides to protect any roots which may stick through. The next row was then put in 14" apart and the process was carried out as before. Once all the pots were in place, I gave them all a good soaking. All I have left to do now is to cover with some polythene until the plants start to show through.

While I was on my plot which is where the potato's are planted, I checked to see how the shallots were doing. I am no expert but they appeared to be looking pretty good and have started to split

My eating onions also look fantastic which is more than I can say about my show onions which I really have to think about next year as they seem to be a total disaster this season. I am lucky that I have managed to acquire some more Vento and Kelsae plants which may just save me.

Root Update

All my roots have now been thinned down to one. I am watering most days or as required. The long carrots are approx 2-3" high now and starting to look really good. The parsnips are also looking good. The Stumps are doing but are being the rest due to being sown later

Shallots Out

2011-03-06T20:29:00.001Z

This morning I planted my Shallots out in a raised bed in my allotment. I am going to try for the 30mm class so I didn't want to plant them in any soil with high nutrients, otherwise they may grow too large.

The Shallots I had started on the large size as it was so they may not be suitable for the 30mm class but this was the only Shallot class in my local show.

Exhibition Onions

2011-02-18T18:29:00.002Z

Received some Exhibition Onion seedlings which I ordered from Vin Throup (considered on of the best onion growers in the country) on Wednesday. I had 25 for quality and 25 for weight. I stood them up in a jar of water over night, to give the roots a good watering and chance to recover before potting.

I don't plan to show these at any real level as I know I won't be able to compete due to not having the right equipment such as the grow lights or heating but they will be ok for my local show and at that level.

I wanted to pot in 3" pots but not having any available, I potted in 4" polypots which I had. I potted them using Levingtons F2S which I had some spare from my Carrot mix. This is not too strong and should be ideal for the young plants. I then staked the pots and attached some onion clips to support the plant and keep them upright.

I then stood them up in my conservatory, on the windowsill and will try to maintain the temperature to 10deg Cent (50deg Far)

In a few weeks time, I will look to pot on to either 5" pots, which is what I would have done for sure if they were in 3" pots now, or 6" pots.

Now the weather has become milder, the shallots have really started to sprout well and beginning to look good.

Boreholes - Attempt 2

2011-02-12T18:52:00.003Z

Well I've only gone and cracked it. Not without an initial panic though

I gave the drums another good soak before I was due to start. However, when I tried to bore with the 4" pipe, it still wouldn't collect the sand. I tried more water but it still wouldn't work. At this point I was really panicking and was beginning to think I had the wrong type of sand. After some time on the phone to my friend and mentor Bob, I decided to try the 3" pipe. This too didn't collect the sand. I was going insane. Then Bob said to give the 2" pipe a go. Bingo, we cracked it. The 2" pipe collected the sand a treat.

I bored the hole with the 2" pipe to the full 4' depth, then bored out the width with the 4" which pushed the excess sand back down the hole. I them swapped over for the 2" again to collect the sand and so n, alternating pipe to bore the width and then collect. I did this until the 4" pipe dropped to the required depth on it's on. Once I established a rhythm it was easy.

Each drum had 4 holes in it, using the template. I filled the first 2 drums with Graeme Watson's compost based mix and the other 3 drums with Bob's peat based mix. This way I will be able to tell which mix suits me best.

Once I had bored and filled with the mix, I put some 2" deep collars I made up from pieces of 4" pipe, over the boreholes to prevent the sand from falling back into the top of the bore hole which may cause damage to the top of the Parsnip.

Chitting Spuds

2011-02-09T21:30:00.000Z

Got my spuds delivered last night from JBA potatoes, Certified Scottish Seed.

The varieties I am trying this year is Winston and Kestrel and I also thought I would try 6 tubers of Blue Belle which I picked up from the Whitchurch Potato Day

Tonight I washed them all under water with a soft sponge to clean. I did this to ensure I washed any disease off, not that there should have been any from the Certified Scottish seed, but it doesn't hurt to be careful

Then I placed them all upright with the eyes facing upwards, in egg boxes I had saved previously, then I put in my potting shed and covered with fleece just in case of a frost

Busy Busy Day

2011-01-30T19:07:00.000Z

Do you ever have one of those days where you are on one? Well I did today. The moment I opened my eyes I thought I am going to get on one, and get on one I did

I got up and had my cuppa as normal then headed straight out in the garden. The first thing I did was put my new cement mixer together. I was dreading it as when I looked in the bx the night it arrived, it appeared to be in bits and I'm not one to do instructions. When I get hold of them, they are more like destructions than instructions which is surprising as I am an electrician by trade and use to following drawings and diagrams. However, it went together really simply. Just bolted the legs together, bolted the handle on, slid the drum on the motor and slid the two together. Yep that simple, I was amazed. One job down.

The next thing was to make up my Root templates. I made them out of some 9mm ply-board. Bob and Chris lent me their templates to use as a guide. I marked them out and then cut them out using a jigsaw. The Carrot template has got six holes and the Parsnips four holes. This is the number I am going to put in each drum.

Parsnip Template

Carrot Template

I was now on a role. The next job was to insulate my Parsnip drums. I covered them with some thin foam underlay which is normally used for laminate flooring. I will then cover again with bubble wrap

With all that done there was only one thing left to do, the mix. Previously I have been unable to determine which mix to use, well I finally decided. I decided to make the compost based mix up. If the one complete mix was not sufficient for all the drums, I would do what ever was left with the Peat based mix. This way I would be able to compare the mixes against each other with the same conditions.

I weighed all my ingredients out first and just as I was going to put them in the mixer, I realised the mixer wouldn't take the full mix. I therefore had to split everything in half and make two mixes. I still think the mix was too much for the mixer and I was totally satisfied with the mixing as there was bits stuck to the back of the drum and I had to stop the mixer and mix in by hand then start the mixer up again. I did this a few times until I thought it looked like it was all in.

The mix I used was Graeme Watson's mix as detailed in recent edition of the NVS's 'Simply Veg' magazine

Well I was up and out at 8am and by the time I had finished and cleared away, it was 5pm and starting to get dark. All in all a very busy but productive day

Potato Day

2011-01-29T18:27:00.000Z

Although I have already selected both my coloured and white potato for exhibition, I thought I would attend the Hampshire Potato Day held at Whitchurch, between Andover and Newbury.

Despite assisting on the NVS stand, I was still able to have a good look around.

I have never seen so many different varieties of potatoes in one place.

I decided to try a few Blue Bell potatoes. I have liked the look of them for some time but have shied away due to being told they won't compete on the show bench against some other top varieties. Despite this, I chose a few to try anyway. They have deep blue eyes and look very attractive.

Below is a great example as supplied by JBA Potatoes, a good Quality Scottish seed

Whitchurch Potato Day

The Hampshire DA of the NVS Southern Branch

Which mix to use?

2011-01-23T16:39:00.001Z

Well I shredded another 3 bags of compost today. Each bag got put through twice and it took me an hour per bag in total, so that was 3 hours of shredding. By the time you include the setting up, cleaning up and putting away, you are looking at approximate half a day.

I have decided which Long Carrot mix to go for but am undecided on the Parsnip mix. There is so many out there and everyone has their own little additions. I am not sure whether to go with the Peat based mix or the compost based mix. (I will detail the full mixes later as I do them) The nutrients with each mix have similar properties, eg. Nitrogen and Potash, despite using different products to achieve them. The Compost based mix doesn't have added Lime which I thought was essential for Parsnips but I know the mix has had good results for a certain grower. If I am going to use Peat base mix and not the compost based mix, then I have probably shredded enough bags of compost to use for my Carrot mix and I have probably shredded enough Peat. However, if I decide to go with the compost based mix, I will need to shred approximately another 3-4 bags and I can use the peat for my potatoes.

The Show's I am entering are in late July and early August so I will be looking to sow my Parsnip seeds 3rd-4th week in February which means with the mix still to be decided and then made up, I don't have an awful lot of time to decide and get sorted.

To make the mixing of the ingredients easier and more thorough, I have purchased a Belle Mini Mixer 130 which I am expecting delivery of this week, then I will make a start on the mix. It paid to shop around though as I was amazed at the varying price range for the same mixer. Up to £100 difference in some cases.

I am just really beginning to realise the commitment and expense involved in this hobby but once I am set up and have all the equipment, there will only be the annual expense of the ingredients.

Root Beds Finally Done

2011-01-15T16:32:00.000Z

I was up and out early today starting to shift what I hoped was the final bit of sand.

Well I managed to shift both 2 tonnes by 11:30 and finally completed filling the final 5.25 drums, so now all I have to do is make the mix, do the boreholes, and fill with the mix,ready for the seeds.

It took approx. 190litres (19x10L buckets) of sand to fill one drum and a 1 tonne bag filled 2.5 drums

Some time in March I will look to put up a frame over, covered with enviromesh

Parsnip Bed Almost Done

2011-01-13T20:19:00.001Z

Last weekend I fitted the drum support bars. This time I managed to get hold of some 12mm threaded rod as opposed to the 10mm used on the Carrot bed. I also used what I thought was going to be the last tonne bags of sharp sand by filling the Parsnip bed. The drums were stood in place on the support bars and I managed to fill 5 out of 10 drums with sand before then I ran out.

I have now purchased what I am hoping will be the last 2 tonne bags of sand, 9 in total, which is being delivered tomorrow. This weekend I hope to finish filling the drums so I can then start on the mix for the Parsnips. I will then still have the bore holes to make and that will hopefully be where I get the sand for the Short carrots which I am going to grow in half drums. Then the only things left to do will be to fill the bore holes with the mix and sow the seeds. I am hoping to sow the seeds early to mid Feb and the Carrots late Feb

Shredding

2010-12-31T18:47:00.000Z

As advised in yesterday's blog, I bought a shredder as the sieving was mind numbingly painful and I was advised that a shredder does just a good a job and is much quicker.

Well it arrived this morning, so I got going straight away. It was very easy to put together once out of the box, so time was saved there.

My first bale of peat I shredded didn't go too well. In fact it was a bit of a disaster. I didn't seem to be any quicker due to starting and stopping, emptying the bucket out and then thee was peat everywhere. I along with the whole surrounding area was covered in it. You would never have know my ethnic origin as I was covered head to toe in peat. I blocked it up twice, trying to do too much at once. So why didn't I learn that old lesson my father one told me. "Poor preparation leads to poor performance"

With this in mind I got a table and placed it next to the shredder with the peat on, to save me keep bending down. I emptied the peat into a large bin for ease to get it out. I then got the waste bag which came with the shredder and using various components, secured it in place around the nozzle of the shredder to prevent the peat from flying everywhere. Now I was ready for action

The next bag of peat flew through in just 25 mins compared to over an hour and a half for sieving. I felt like the Speedy Gonzales of the shredding world. The bags I sieved, as I also did one first thins this morning as I was impatient and desperate to do something, I also put back through the shredder. The other untouched bag, I put through the shredder twice.

To satisfy my own curiosity, I compared the sieved peat to the shredded peat. The shredded peat did appear to be a lot finer as there was still bits which had got through the sieve where as the shredder just obliterated everything that went through it.

So that's the peat all done ready for the next step of my Parsnips mix. I am still yet to shred the remaining bags of peat for my Potatoes but there is plenty of time for them yet.

Tomorrow is New Years Day, so if I can get away with it and the Mrs lets me, I will probably start shredding the compost ready for my Carrot mix.

Next Step Prep

2010-12-30T16:20:00.001Z

I have have made and put together the second raised bed which will be for my Parsnips so the pressure is well and truly off now. Amazing what a couple off good days mild weather can do. However, I did run out of sharp sand and have another 3 tonnes ordered. That will be 7 tonnes in all.

I will concrete the path in the middle and this should also give me sufficient height to allow me to access the tops of the barrels

So with nothing else to continue with, I decided to get a head start on my mixes by shredding my peat.

The peat will be used in both my Parsnip and Potato mixes. The peat I am going to use is Westlands Irish Moss Peat with Sphagnum

The peat is sieved through a 1/4" sieve. This is to ensure all the stones and large stick pieces are removed as this will effect and damage the skins of the vegetables for show. I then put the sieved peat back in the same bags ready for when it is to be needed for the mixes.

It took me an hour and a half to sieve one bale of peat. Not only was it tedious, it was hard on the fingers. I have at least another six bales to go. As you can see, I had a 10litre bucket of debris from a bale of peat.

As a result of the painful fingers and the time it took, I couldn't bear the thought of facing the remaining bales of peat, so I have gone and purchased a shredder which comes tomorrow.

The shredder I chose is a Ryobi and I got it from Screw Fix. I chose it because it was one of the cheapest but also as it is 2.4kw and has an overload cut out so I am hoping it won't burn out too easily as I have a lot to do.

Tomorrow, I will continue to finish shredding the peat ready for when I make my mixes

Barrel Supports

2010-12-28T16:24:00.000Z

Well the weather was a lot milder today and I couldn't wait to get out in the garden

Although one of my raised beds was complete apart from filling the barrels with sand, I took some advice from a friend who recommended that I put some supports in for the barrels to stop them sinking or slanting

I measured down equally and drilled holes in the side of the panels and then inserted some 10mm metal threaded rods. Not only will these act as supports for the barrels but they will also keep the raised bed together and prevent it from splaying apart with time

I then started to fill the barrels with sand but unfortunately rain stopped play. I am hoping to complete this tomorrow and also make a start on my second bed

Planning

2010-12-26T19:27:00.007Z

Ok, I have read through my various seed catalogues and selected the varieties I am going to try. Having the right variety and seed is important.

I have read up many articles in magazines and on the internet to see how and what other people do and when. One of the most useful books I have read and I would recommend purchasing is the Royal Horticultural Society Show Handbook. This guide covers almost everything including Flowers and Fruit. It gives good hints on what the judges are looking for and also tips on presentation. A definite must for the shower The National Vegetable also do one which is specifically for vegetables and also worth purchasing if you are a member.

All my seeds have now been received and are tucked away in my nice new seed tin the wife got me for Christmas

This season I thought I would try the following varieties and see how I get on.

Long Carrots - Red Intermediate
Short Carrots - Sweet Candle
Dwarf French Beans - Prince
Runner Beans - Stenner
Beetroot - Pablo
Parsnips - Gladiator
Tomato - Cedrico
Cucumber - Carmen
Cauliflower - Cornell
Onions 250g - Vento
Exhibition Onions - Kelsae
Shallots - Hative de Niort
Potatoes - Winston/Kestrel
Peas - Show Perfection
Long Runner Bean - Clive Bevan
Giant Marrow - Clive Bevan

Further Snow Delays

2010-12-18T10:24:00.000Z

Well it's snowing again in the South and there is approximately 6" of snow in my garden. I have no chance of doing anything on the allotment plot either

The Carrot raised bed is now sorted but I have yet to do the Parsnip one and time is of the essence. I won't be looking to sow the Parsnip's until about the second week of February for the late July, early August shows, so I still have some time if the weather permits

The onion bed in the poly tunnel has already been prepared awaiting for the seedlings to arrive in January/February
Once I have received these, I will pot up and keep heated until they are ready to go out

Shallots

2010-12-12T15:32:00.001Z

Well they say the day to pot your Shallots is on the shortest day of the year which is the 22nd December but I decided to pot mine today.

I potted them in normal multi purpose compost mixed with a couple of handfuls of quality top soil, in 3" pots. These will in time, be transferred to 6" pots

The variety I have used this year are Hative de Niort

I can use these for the 30mm class or let them go on for the large exhibition class

Long Carrots & Parsnip Set Up

2010-12-11T07:25:00.001Z

Weather has warmed up slightly and I am able to continue with getting Carrot and Parsnip set up on the move again

My aim is to get the beds and barrels done prior to Christmas
I previously selected the area where I was going to put my beds and removed the turf. I then dug a trench approximately 12"-18" beneath where each bed was going and filled with sand. Then I levelled off with sand. I inserted some concrete block to form a level base for my planks to sit on. This will prevent them from sinking into the sand if laid direct on top and ensures a level surface.

So with things warming up, I got back out to finish off my beds. I checked the correct width to encompass the barrels and cut the size end panels I required. I then fixed two planks together to obtain the height of the bed.

After fixing the planks together to form a higher panel, I then wrapped them in a high grade black polythene for protection and to hopefully make them last a number of years to save me having to carry out many repairs in the future. I did make a mistake however, I should have done one at a time and cut my polythene to suit as I went. Instead I cut the complete piece in half thinking it would be enough for the whole two beds but I ran out of polythene. If I had wrapped and cut as I went along, I may have got half of my second bed done instead I only got one bed done and had a piece left over which wasn't quite enough enough to do a side.

Once all the sides were wrapped, I screwed them together to form the raised bed using 4"x10 screws with a little bit of Vaseline to assist them to go in easily.

Then I filled with the grit sand to approximately 3" from the top

Once the raised beds was full, I placed the barrels on top and filled with grit sand to approximately 3" from the top

The barrels are 90cm high and the raised bed is 90 cm high there is approximately another 45cm beneath the bed. In total the is approximately 2.25m of grit sand for the Carrots/Parsnips to grow into

Snow hits the South

2010-11-28T21:40:00.000Z

Well another weekend gone and the carrot beds are still not finished due to some extreme cold weather and snow and a bad case of the flu. No, not man flu, real flu, bed bound for 7 days
Hopefully next weekend will be brighter and give me a chance to finish things off.
I am yet to put the 9" boards together, wrap with polythene sheeting and then put all sides together and then filled with sand. Once that's done, the barrels will need to put inserted and also filled with sand
The race to get the beds build before Xmas is really on and as you can see, there is still an awful lot still to do

The beginning

2010-11-14T20:21:00.000Z

How it all started for me

I have been a normal allotment gardener for approx 5-6 years. My previous attitude has been, I'm growing to eat, what a waste to grow for show. This was until the local allotment show this year, which until then I never had any interest in going as I never wanted to enter anything and had no interest in watching others gloat

Well a friend talked me in to going to support them and I ended up spending most of the day at the show, noting down which events I was going to enter next year. I was hooked already. The obsession was already starting to sink in as I began to plot my hostile take over of my local show

I had previously joined the NVS in 2008 but never became an active member due to a number of reasons, apart from a car accident which wrote off the the second half of 2009 and then the procrastination previous to that.
This year was going to be different, I was going to attend my local NVS District Association and become a sponge.

I loved onions but rarely successfully grew any of significance, so with a little help I could become the exhibition onion champion, this was of course until I went to my first DA meeting and met my new mentor, Bob Brown. He kindly advised me that unless I was minted, it would best to stay away from onions as I would probably end up mortgaging my house to pay electric bills and set up costs. Also, as a novice I was advised that I was probably taking on one of the hardest classes. He advised me to to long Carrots and long parsnips as he informed me he knew a little and would help me. Little did I know at that point that Bob was the only Southerner to win the National with long carrots.

Bob invited me round to visit his home where he would show me his set up and to give me some idea.
Wow, my first thought is that the Mrs would kill me when I went back to ask if I could rearrange the garden.
Bob introduced me to Chris his next door neighbour, who was his partner in crime and a national winner with Celery, 3 times over. I was convinced I was in the right hands.

Luckily for me, my lovely wife was understanding of my new whim and allowed me a section of the garden to dig a couple of trenches and top with raise beds for which my barrels would sit.

Right this has brought you up to date with where I am today, almost.

I have now dug the trenches to approx 12"-18" deep and filled with sharp sand. I have also purchased the boards to make the raised beds. Once this is all done, filled with sharp sand and barrels sat on top, I will be ready for my long carrots and parsnip.

So, my plan for my local show domination

Highlighted are the classes I feel I am going to have a go at
There was one person who dominated last year and took the majority of classes, so in the words of Chris Hewlett, I am the hunter and last years dominator has become the hunted

I at least need to beat these people if I will ever stand a chance of progressing to the next level and if I can't do it with the help of my newly found family then I will start collecting stamps

Section 2

Class 3 Three globe beetroot - Leaves trimmed to 3” (75mm)

Class 4 Three carrots – Short Variety Leaves trimmed to 3” (75mm)

Class 5 Three carrots – Long Variety -Leaves trimmed to 3” (75mm)

Class 6 Five shallots (pickling) ( 30mm)

Class 7 Clump of shallots as dug (any type any size)

Class 8 Three onions grown from sets or seeds – (tops tied/roots trimmed

Class 9 Five runner beans

Class 10 Five French beans

Class 11 One truss of cherry type tomatoes on a single stem

Class 12 Four round tomatoes - approx 2^3/5” (65mm)

Class 13 Three courgettes- max 6” long (153mm)

Class 14 Pair of marrows - max 12” long (395mm)

Class 15 Four white potatoes

Class 16 Four coloured potatoes

Class 17 Four potatoes suitable for salads

Class 18 Pair of lettuce with the roots left on

Class 19 One cucumber any type

Class 20 Cabbage – Any type with roots left on

Class 21 Three chillis – Any type with top on

Class 22 Three peppers – Any type

Class 23 Three of any non root vegetable not already listed above

Class 24 Three of any root vegetable not already listed above

Class 25 Collection of three types of herbs

Class 26 Three plums - one variety

Class 27 Three apples - one variety

Section 4 Fun Classes

Class 33 Odd shaped vegetable

Class 34 Longest Runner bean

Class 35 Heaviest Marrow

Class 36 Largest Sunflower head

Class 37 Longest carrot

Class 38 Longest Parsnip

Class 39 Heaviest Onion

Class 40 Bucket of Potatoes

(heaviest yield from one seed potato (any variety)

planted in a 10 litre bucket. Buckets will be emptied

in front of judges.)