Clearing out the greenhouse

Spent yesterday and today getting the greenhouse ready for this years seeds.

Started off my sweet peas (mammoth mix and mammoth scarlet) as they don't need the heater on. Had a great harvest of flowers from them last year, so thought I'd try a very red variety as well as the mixed. 

Itching to get more seeds started but it's expensive to have the greenhouse heater on so I'll give it a couple more weeks.

Seed Potatoes

I was in the local garden centre today and the seed potatoes were on sale, it's early to be thinking about planting them however in previous years I've been caught out, when I've been back to buy them later in the season many have sold out and what they have have gone soft from sitting in the warm shop for weeks on end.

Not going to get caught out this year, I've bought the following today.

Desiree - Main crop, 3 x 2kg bags. This should be enough for 3 rows, maybe 4.

Foremost - First Earlies 1 x 2kg bag, This will give me 1 row.


Slugs are a constant problem on my allotment so I've chosen both of these varieties because of their slug resistance.

I don't usually bother with chitting, but since I have the seed potatoes already I will start them off.

A New Begininng

There may be snow on the ground but it was a beautiful sunny day so I started my winter digging.

My aim is to dig the entire plot by mid February, so it's all ready for planting as soon as the weather warms up.

I'm not a great one for excessive weeding, so my aim is to turn the soil over so the weeds are buried and upside down.

I'll try and dig a section every 2-3 days.

Celeriac

I grew celeriac this year as we quite like it as a vegetable, especially as a substitute for mash potato.

I went up my allotment this morning to collect some veg and decided it's time to try the celeriac. They are big healthy plants so my expectations were high, as I pulled the first plant a big lump of soil came free, increasing my hopes for fat vegetables. 

Unfortunately I was disappointed, all there was was a massive tangle of roots and no bulb at all. I pulled the whole row and nothing on any of them. 

That's a shame, I don't know what I did wrong. Will have to do some reading. 

Winter Produce

Just because the winter is fast approaching doesn't mean your allotment is still not productive. I've just been down to mine and brought this haul back.

Winter Veg

Two large pumpkins left over from Halloween, these I'll make soup from and freeze the rest of the insides.

First crop of leeks for this year, they're a bit small this year, but still of use in the kitchen. Found a load of potatoes which are below the other veg, small red cabbage , carrots and swede. Dug a big batch of beetroot so didn't crop any today.

Flat leaf parsley has not all run to seed, but the curly leaf variety is still cropping well, and even though we are no well into November the Dahlias are still producing blooms.

John's allotment 2014

I've just published a page about how my allotment did in 2014.

http://doresonlochness.co.uk/allotments_johnsplot_2014.html

Onions From Seed

Always grown my onions from sets in the past and they've been reasonably successful, but I read on the internet this year that they do better from seed.

I thought they might stuggle to mature in the shorter Highland summer, but I've had a wonderful crop this year.

I laid them out on a wire frame in the greenhouse for several weeks to allow them to dry out properly, and they're now in onion sacks stored under the house ready for when we need them.

Onion (Ailsa Craig) grown from seed and now stored.