Allotment - Kale

Decided to give Kale a go this year as have heard lots of others raving about it, I haven't even tasted it before which may have made more sense before attempting to grow it but when do I ever do things conventionally?


We have 2 varieties to try, one is called 'Dwarf Green Curled' and 'Westland Winter'. I think we got the latter from a magazine as a freebie. 


Like all Brassica's it is pretty straightforward to sow, we sowed 6 no. of the 'Dwarf Green Curled' variety in a plug tray (see below: left of picture) but only require 3 good plants. We have been doing that a lot this year with everything to allow for any failures to germinate or other issues, sowing approximately double what is needed. I will sow another batch of Kale in May to stagger the cropping times a little, next time I will try the other variety and will sow 6 again but needing 4 good plants.

Allotment - Carrots

Carrots are probably the first vegetable I get asked about when I mention I have an allotment. Aside from the humble spud they are without doubt the 2nd most popular vegetable in Ireland. I would be surprised to hear of any veggie grower who doesn't at least grow a small amount of carrots just for that unbelievably fresh smell when they are harvested. 


Last year I got a pretty good return from the carrots, some people seem to have a lot of trouble with theirs but ours were pretty straightforward. This year I want to get them even bigger and better than last year. 


Historically to sow carrots you would sow them as thinly as possible for thinning out at a later date. However one of the chief drawbacks to this method is an increased risk of attracting the dreaded carrot fly who just loves  the scent of the thinning's. To avoid this we use the same method as we use for sowing our parsnips. That is to use the dibber to make a conical shaped hole approx 6 inches deep. We then fill this hole with compost. You are often told that manure and fresh compost in the carrot bed will cause forking but to be honest I used this method last year and did not notice any forked carrots so I will try it again this year. If it ain't broken don't fix it!!!


By using the dibber there is no need at all for thinning, just make the holes approx 2-3 inches apart and make your rows approx 18 inches apart. An additional benefit to this method is you do not waste as much seed. Carrot thinning's cannot be transplanted so they are either eaten as mini veg or composted. The only drawback that I find is that it is very time consuming at the initial stage but I think it balances out as there is no further work required apart from keeping the weeds at bay. 


We are sowing a few different varieties this year, 'Autumn King 2' and 'Chantenay Red Chored 2'. We are sowing 76 of 'Autumn King 2' and 76 of 'Chantenay Red Chored 2', too many? 


To avoid having a glut of carrots available all at the same time we are staggering our sowing times, first sowing in April, second in May and another in Early June. This will stretch out the cropping period and make storage a little easier later in the year.


We also use Enviromesh (a fine and hard wearing netting) which ensures that the carrot fly cannot get near the carrots at all but sunlight and water can. The carrot fly lay their eggs at ground level, the offspring then burrow below ground and start feeding on the carrots. The mesh is very expensive, a roll of 5m x 2.6m is €31.99 but having said that it should last for many years so worth the investment in my opinion. 

Allotment - GrowVeg Garden Planning Software

I came across this programme last year and decided against spending £15 (Sterling) on it at the time as the allotment costs were already pretty high for the year. 


This year though we are much more budget friendly so I splashed out. The software itself is a garden planner where you recreate a 2D map of your garden, allotment etc. and then set about planting the fruit and vegetables in your 2D garden. 


There are pre saved fruit and vegetable plants on the software meaning all you need to do is drag and drop your chosen vegetable (say potatoes as an example) to your preferred patch of ground. Depending on the number of potato tubers you are sowing you can grab the corner of the image and expend it accordingly. Where the software is clever is that it automatically fills the space with the relevant plant spacings so you know for instance in a row 2 metres long you can plant 5 potato tubers but no more. 


It allows you to draw shapes of various types, circular, rectangular, square etc. so, if like me you have raised beds you can first draw these in and then plant your vegetables within the beds. 


There are several clever things that can be done using this software. Firstly you can plant all your vegetables in the garden but who is to say that a certain vegetable will stay in that patch of soil all year round? Winter sown onions or garlic for instance will be harvested by Early / Mid Summer (June) and there are still 6 months of the year left to go, plenty of time to sow, grow and harvest another crop. 


There is an option to select a month by month view on the software where you can see each month what will be in the ground (this requires editing each vegetable individually by double clicking on it and editing the 'Only in the ground' option) Example: Onion's sown the previous winter will only be in the ground until maybe July. So you can edit your months from Nov to July (default setting is Jan to Dec). Therefore if you select August as the month you wish to view the Onions will have been harvested and that piece of ground can now be used to sow something else, spring cabbage, spring broccoli etc. 


Another handy feature is that once you plant a vegetable or fruit plant in your 2D garden, the software automatically creates a plant list or sowing list. So once you have finished planting your garden for the season you print off your plant list and that can be your sowing guide for the shed. 


One negative aspect with using this software is say you make more than one sowing of the same vegetable during the season to stagger harvest dates. The plant list will not differentiate between sowing's so you will have to make a note yourself of how many to sow and when exactly to sow them. While this is not the end of the world it's just a shame as it would have been the perfect addition to an already impressive piece of kit. Visually I renamed some of my crops, eg Radish 1, Radish 2 etc. so I will know which ones were sown first on the print out of the plan.


The cost is pretty minimal for such handy software, to be honest it is time consuming initially but once finished you will seldom have to edit it, unless you change your mind about something that is. The charge is an annual fee so if you want to create a crop rotation plan it will cost you another £15 next year to continue using it. 


A cool feature with the crop rotation plan (if selected in the settings) is that the software will warn you about sowing a vegetable from the same family on the same patch of ground 2 years in a row. A red flashing will come up on screen to prevent this which is quite useful for planning next years crops. Makes crop rotation easy if you have never applied it before. 


There is a 30 day free trial of the software which I would encourage you to at least try and see if it's for you. I would also recommend reading through the user guide as there are far more features to this software than I have highlighted here. Above are just some of the more useful ones that I have used. Overall very impressed with the software. 


See link below to online layout / plant list view of the allotment site using the software. If some veggies look a little crowded it is because the image is the 12 month plan where more than one crop will be grown in the same piece of ground. 


http://www.growveg.com/garden-plan.aspx?p=254087

Allotment - Enviromesh

Unfortunately for every crop you want to grow there are will be at least 1 pest that loves to eat it before you do. 

Enviromesh was something I had been reading a lot about last year as particularly good for covering Carrots from the Carrot Fly but it has so many other applications than simply this. In the picture below you can see a sheet of this mesh covering our onions, parsnips, carrots and further right lettuce plants last year. I looked at each carrot during pulling (of which there were many) and none appeared to have any damage whatsoever from the dreaded fly. 

The mesh itself is very fine,feels extremely tough and durable and is guaranteed for at least 10 years. Last year we used plastic pegs to keep it in place and these did the trick. 

The mesh lets light and water to penetrate which is obviously key to allow pants to mature uninhibited. 

If there are any drawbacks to it, the main one would be the price tag. The sheet below measures 5m x 2.6m and retails at €31.99. I have two rolls at this size and it pretty much covers 1 of our 3 beds. Of course not every vegetable plant needs to be protected in this way but certainly carrots and parsnips benefit from its use. Other vegetables such as Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Swedes, Turnips etc. would all be protected with the mesh. 

If I had the cash I would definately purchase enough to cover all our raised beds but until then will have to make do. 

La Sportiva Nepal Extreme B3 Mountaineering Boots

This B3 Mountaineering boot was bought with future expeditions in mind. Initially I got them for use in the Scottish Highlands in winter but with one eye on the Alps and hopefully further afield. 


Being completely green in this area I was not sure what I was looking for in a good boot. I went to the old reliable 53 Degrees North in Carrickmines, tried on a few pairs, walked up and down the stairs etc... Luckily the salesman on the day knows his stuff and actually advised me to go to Snow and Rock in Dundrum where they sell the Nepal Extremes. I had been doing a little research beforehand and came across these boots, reviews of which were quite positive. Only the price tag put me off at around €370....


Nevertheless having tried them on I knew they were the boots I wanted and so I parted with the hard earned,not easily spared cash and got the boots. I was so excited to have finally gotten myself a pair of technical mountaineering boots that I actually wore them around the apartment for the following few days (sorry neighbors below us), I actually convinced myself I was breaking them in.... 


Unfortunately due to a prolonged knee injury I didn't have much opportunity pre Scotland to break in the boots properly, this was a big concern to me before heading off for a whole week of pretty intense climbing but armed with plenty of blister kits off I went anyway.


The other members on the trip were envious of my shining new boots on our first day out on the mountains but I was eager to get them dirty early and remove the new boot feel / look to them. 


From the first time I wore them on the actual snow and ice I knew I would have no problems with blisters. They are supremely comfortable to wear and even the additional weight to what I am used to was not so much of a problem. The only issue I had was getting the right fit on the adjustable tongue but once sorted during a rest stop ceased to be a concern. 


We spent 4 good days on the Mountains, 2 of which were 9 hour days and at no point in time did my feet feel any discomfort. They are extremely tough boots and feel like they will last for decades with some care and attention after the long trips abroad. The sole itself is Vibram which is synonymous with quality. 


I would recommend getting these boots a size larger than your regular foot size to allow for wearing a thick mountaineering sock underneath. I have read online on other reviews that some people have experienced that these boots are not the warmest available but I cannot say I had this problem. 


We used standard G12 Grivel Crampons but the boots are designed to take the cramp-o-matic design should you choose those instead, I have no preference either way. There are additional features to these boots that are above my head but are I am sure no less clever / useful. 


I was told when I bought the boots that they should be tied very tight with no play or movement in the ankle. However I found this to be uncomfortable and did not allow for a natural foot movement or ankle roll when on the approach walk or traversing / contouring. I would advise allowing a little give if not on a technical section and if on a technical climb to then tie the laces up tight where a tight fit is needed for use with the crampon. That however is just a personal thing, fiddle around with them until you get the 'setting' that works best for you. 


If anything these boots are a little above and beyond the requirement for a trip to the Scottish Highlands but don't let this be a reason to not get them. If you are at all considering a trip further afield than Scotland then these are an excellent boot choice. I really have no complaints about these boots...except for maybe the price but if nothing else will make you more regimented in the care and cleaning routine!!! 

Allotment - Peas

To sow the peas this year we am trying something different. Last year we simply planted the peas out direct, sowing them where they were to grow. This year however I am going by the policy of planting a plant and not a seed (with a few exceptions to this rule...)


The variety we are using is called 'Early Onward' and cropped very well for us last year. We plan on sowing 1 double row which equates to 46 plants overall. The double row will eventually be spaced 6 inches wide and each plant 2 inches apart. 


If you are fond of peas you may wish to sow another, if not two additional double rows. Sowing should then be staggered for a longer cropping period with new sowing's made every 2-3 weeks until the end of July. Each double row should be spaced 24 inches apart which is a reason why we chose to sow only 1. 


We filled 46 2" diameter pots with good quality all purpose compost making sure to compact the compost before sowing. This will mean when it comes to planting them out the root ball will be nice and compact instead of loose which can lead to damaged roots when transplanting. 

Using a dibber, pencil or whatever you have to hand make a hole around 2 inches deep and drop a pea seed into each, backfill and set aside. Germination should occur from 7-10 days.

Allotment - Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Calabrese (Broccoli)

Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Calabrese or as you may better know it as Broccoli are all members of the Brassica family and are sown in much the same way. We had various levels of success in 2011.


Cauliflower


For one reason or another last year our Cauliflower plants were a complete failure. They germinated well and once planted out just failed to progress and establish into strong plants. We never really fully got to the bottom of why they failed but we will give them another go for 2012. The variety we are growing is called 'All The Year Round' which can also be sown later in the year for a spring harvest.


Brussels Sprouts


Brussels Sprouts, love them or hate them (we love them) they are one of those crops that if grown well will reward you with an abundance of veggies. The only downside to growing Sprouts is the time they take to mature, using up valuable land for most of the growing year. We are growing them again this year though, a few less plants this time around, we are aiming for 3 plants. If grown well we should get a good crop of sprouts in time for the Christmas dinner. The variety we have is called 'Evesham Special'.


Cabbage


Probably the most successful of our crops in 2011, the cabbage is a staple in the Irish vegetable growers garden. Due to being left too long before harvest a few heads burst open which can happen apparently to early maturing varieties so the key is to harvest when ready even if needed or not. As above with the Brussels Sprouts we only want 3 strong plants, this does not sound like a lot but for the area of ground required we did not want to sacrifice any other crop. We are not massive cabbage eaters anyway so no need to have 30 heads all maturing at one time. Maybe when we have a bigger garden in the future we will dedicate more space to them. The variety we sowed is called 'Offenham 2 - Flower of Spring'


Calabrese (Broccoli)


The Calabrese plants were coming on very well last year, we took off for a weekend while the plants were still establishing and came back to complete devastation...the rabbits had completely mauled most of our plants but we still had some left. However due to a period of very warm weather the broccoli heads bolted before becoming fully formed, this I later found out was down to a lack of watering during the really hot period. 


We are giving it a go again this year determined not to make the same mistakes. We sowed approx 14 no in total to have a few spares but only need 6 strong plants overall. We sowed two varieties called 'Green Magic' and 'Autumn Green Calabrese'. 

(See tray on bottom of picture above)


Sowing for all the above was done in the exact same way. In a cell tray filled with good quality multi-purpose compost sow 1 seed approx 1/2 an inch deep and backfill with compost. Allow a good watering and cover / set aside to germinate. Make sure to label your tray as the seedlings can look very similar and difficult to figure out later. 


You can of course sow directly where they are to grow or in a seedbed for transplanting at a later date but as the saying goes 'plant a plant, not a seed' If sowing in a seedbed make sure to cover it to prevent the Cabbage Root Fly from laying its eggs at the base of seedlings, the eggs hatch into larvae which burrow down to the roots of the Brassica's damaging the plant (especially seedlings). For Swedes, Turnips and Radish crops the larvae will burrow into the roots themselves ruining the crop.  


I would advise for all the above to sow double what is required to allow for lack of germination, pests and / or any other problems that may occur as it might be too late to do anything about it. You can always give them away to your neighbour if you cannot use them yourself. 

Allotment - Rhubarb

We chose to grow Rhubarb the most difficult way possible, we do love a challenge myself and Laura....


Growing Rhubarb from seed is quite a challenge and was described in a book as 'only do it if you have your heart set on it'. It will probably take 2-3 years of growing and management before we get a decent crop of Rhubarb but what's the rush? 


Traditionally you grow Rhubarb from roots or crowns but not being in any particular hurry we bought the seeds instead, thinking more of the long term project than anything else. 


The plan for the future then would be to propagate new plants from the existing ones or alternatively to sow a new batch every year or two from seed to have fresh growth every couple of years. 


We sowed 6 seeds in a small unheated propagator to allow for any failure to germinate, we ultimately need only 2 plants. Each seed was sown approx an inch deep in multi-purpose compost. I would expect to see germination after 2-3 weeks. The tray was left outdoors as are all my propagator trays this year but with the benefit of additional cover from the elements.


I will provide a picture update when they have germinated....  

Allotment - Pak Choi

Another vegetable I have never tried but have heard lots about. It is meant to taste a little like cabbage. It is another member of the Brassica family so should like the Irish climate. We have a variety called 'White Stemmed' which it says on the packet should be ready to harvest in 8-10 weeks. I don't think even the most optimistic grower would expect a harvest in Ireland that quickly, especially after such a wet and cold April. 


We sowed 7 seeds in 7 x 2" inch pots in good quality multi-purpose compost and literally just left them outdoors but under a layer of Enviromesh to keep the worst of the weather off them. 


The following picture was taken 3 weeks after sowing and demonstrates the slow growth so far this year.  

Hopefully May will bring a nice increase in temps otherwise I will have to pot these on to larger pots as I don't want to plant them out when they are too young / small.


For succession sowing's we will be doing another batch in early May (6 no), early June (5 no) and early July (5 no). 


I just hope we like it now! 

Allotment - Spring Onion

The first of our Spring Onion seeds were sown last weekend (6th April).


For a continuous crop of Spring Onions hopefully right up to October we will be sowing two small pots (3" - 4") filled with compost every fortnight with the aim to harvest one pot each week from June onwards. Last year the Spring Onions seemed to take an eternity to reach a good size for harvesting but their growing position was probably the worst spot available on the allotment. 


I got the tip to grow them in pots from another gardener whose videos I watch online, it saves space and makes repeating sowing's frequently quite easy. Spring onions do not require much space to grow and I have seen them grown on short lengths of gutter hung from the Polytunnel structure to maximise space usage. 


I filled the pots about 3/4 of the way to the top with multi-purpose compost and compacted it a little, then I scattered a few of the seeds, approx 10-15 on top of each and topped off with another fine layer of compost. The pots are then set aside outdoors but under cover of enviromesh to keep the worst of the wind and rain off them. 


I have the same variety but from two different seed companies, 'White Lisbon' from Suttons and White Lisbon from Mr. Fothergill's. To my mind they should be the same but according to the seed packet they can be sown at different times of the year (Suttons can be sown from March to May and from August to September for an overwintering crop whereas Mr. Fothergill's can be sown from March to July only).


I also have a variety called 'Tokyo Long White' which again has a longer growing season (March to July and September to October) as it can be overwintered. 


I will stagger which variety is sown and compare results later in the year. 

Allotment - Broad Beans

We bought the Broad Bean seeds last summer planning on sowing them over the winter. Sadly we missed the boat so instead had to wait until this spring to get them started. 


We have 2 varieties of Broad Bean, 'Masterpiece Green Longpod' and 'Red Epicure' but both are sown in the same way. We need to plant out 11 plants of each variety but sowed 15 of each to have a few spares if needed. In small pots filled with compost, make a small hole using dibber, pencil or whatever your weapon of choice is and put a seed into the hole. Top off with a little more compost, water and leave to germinate. 


We sowed these seeds in a propagator tray and covered with the lid but left the tray outdoors. We are hoping that the additional heat will help them germinate quicker but that being outdoors from early on means they will not need hardening off and will be tougher plants. It is almost like a mini cold frame, hopefully. 

There is an additional cover that goes on top of this bed which keeps the worst of the weather off the sowing trays. 

Allotment - Joining GIY

I registered to become a member of GIY Ireland late in March and received my membership pack on the 2nd April. 


For those who are unfamiliar with GIY it stands for Grow It Yourself. It is an online resource for anyone and everyone who wants to or already does grow something themselves to eat. It's members range from those with little or no experience to master gardeners. It is a registered charity that was established in 2009, I have been dipping in and out of the website since early 2011 and have noticed in that time the website has gone from strength to strength and has nearly 6,000 members online alone. 


They champion the idea of local GIY groups all over the country, essentially all you have to do is find your nearest group and go along for a meeting or two, learn from the other members and maybe contribute a little something yourself and if you like it stick around. 


Feeling a little more settled and established this year I decided I would like to become more active within the organisation, I noticed they have a membership option which for €35 I chose to take up. We are playing catch up with the UK which has an abundance of magazines, websites and resources dedicated to allotments, kitchen gardens and generally growing your own fruit and vegetable but I think we are starting to row in behind the idea. I was pleasantly surprised when the pack arrived yesterday to find the following inside:

• GIY Magazine which is packed with information.
• 7 packets of organic seeds, Carrots, Beetroot, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Peas, Courgette and Parsley. Also incl. were growing guides for the above seeds.
• GIY Wallchart which included a month x month list of tasks and a growing calendar for the mainstay crops.
• GIY members card which I believe gets me a 10% discount with participating retailers (I know Woodie's participate so that's all I really - best customer 2011 award goes to me). Additionally the card gets me a 5% discount on the GIY website on goods and also some of the courses they run.

Overall I was fairly pleased with the package, the website is very well run and each day there is a tip of the day to keep me logging back in (a good idea for any website). I have yet to go to a GIY Group meeting but there is one scheduled for the 21st of April so looking forward to that. 

For more info visit http://www.giyireland.com/