Week thirty July 22nd - July 29th
2006
Wednesday 26th July 2006 Thunder and lightening --- and a good rain - at last!
Thursday 27th July 2006 Planted out more leeks and spring cauliflower sowed spinach Tirza F1 and Spinnaker F1 seed
Saturday 29th July 2006 I have never seen this before – the leeks I planted in the cleared bed in Geoff’s apiary allotment have been pulled out of their holes and were laying on top of the ground.
2005
July 29th 2005 I am facinated by saving brassica seed in my allotment by allowing selected plants to flower. I have been saving and sowing Purple Sprouting Brocolli for a few years now and it is interesting to see the range of plants that grow from saved seed. Some are extremely good and many not so, although all would be recognised as Sprouting Brocolli. Elka's kale also seems to breed true and today I sowed Spring Cabbage seed from my cabbages sown in 2003 so we will see how much they have crossed with other flowering brassicas.
2004
Monday Tuesday Wedneday each day has been getting hotter - the summer is here!
Sunday 26th July It rained for most of the day.
Saturday 25th July I decided to sow two rows of beetroot in some of the space that the onions were in. I was surprised at how quickly this soil was drying out - an indication of how hot the sun can be at this time of the year. Although I sowed two rows of beetroot I have left room between them to put in another crop. Sowed the first of the spring cabbage Durham Elf.
Friday 24th July 2004 I pulled up the onions that were planted as sets earlier in the year in Geoff's 'apiary' allotment. They suffered with rot on the leaves so that is not a good spot to grow onions in again now. We are in a warm dry spell and they may start to dry out a bit, but most will be hard to store well during the autumn and winter. However, as we have had a lot of rain recently (one of the reasons for the onion rot) the ground is in perfect condition to plant in or sow seeds in. I have quickly forked it over, but can't decide what to use it for yet - one thing is for sure - it won't be onions!.
Picked French beans, calabrese, and courgettes.
2000
Monday July 24th. This year's die has now been cast and it's too late to sow much more that is going to crop before Christmas except a few radishes, spinach and Chinese cabbage. The last week of July is the time to start thinking of next year and sow some spring cabbage seed. I have sown two varieties today and will try to sow some more before the end of the first week in August. Red cabbage can also be sown at this time of the year.
The next sowing this year will be the Japanese onions and the seedbed for those can be prepared now ready for the third week in August. August is also a good time to start planting daffodil bulbs. A surprising number of flower seeds can be sown in August.
1999
July 24/25th
Saturday the 24th July. Time to take the honey from the bee hives and extract it. It's also time to see if the hive on the allotment now has a new laying queen. Success, a brand new queen is in residence. She is now sporting a bright red spot to help find her in future.
The last two days have been baking hot. A good time for honey extraction and staying inside until evening comes and the day cools down.
Last years Autumn sown broad have finally given their space over to the cabbages. The remaining pods were dry and now have been collected and opened. The seeds sorted and stored in brown paper bags put in a shoe box in the top draw ready for planting again this November. The remaining old bean stalks have been pulled up and the cabbages and broccoli weeded and liquid fed. The first of next years spring cabbage and red cabbage seed has been sown in a piece of ground where new potatoes where growing until a couple weeks ago. I've also sown some more calabrese. The last for this year. Dug up the remaining garlic.
Wednesday 26th July 2006 Thunder and lightening --- and a good rain - at last!
Thursday 27th July 2006 Planted out more leeks and spring cauliflower sowed spinach Tirza F1 and Spinnaker F1 seed
Saturday 29th July 2006 I have never seen this before – the leeks I planted in the cleared bed in Geoff’s apiary allotment have been pulled out of their holes and were laying on top of the ground.
2005
July 29th 2005 I am facinated by saving brassica seed in my allotment by allowing selected plants to flower. I have been saving and sowing Purple Sprouting Brocolli for a few years now and it is interesting to see the range of plants that grow from saved seed. Some are extremely good and many not so, although all would be recognised as Sprouting Brocolli. Elka's kale also seems to breed true and today I sowed Spring Cabbage seed from my cabbages sown in 2003 so we will see how much they have crossed with other flowering brassicas.
2004
Monday Tuesday Wedneday each day has been getting hotter - the summer is here!
Sunday 26th July It rained for most of the day.
Saturday 25th July I decided to sow two rows of beetroot in some of the space that the onions were in. I was surprised at how quickly this soil was drying out - an indication of how hot the sun can be at this time of the year. Although I sowed two rows of beetroot I have left room between them to put in another crop. Sowed the first of the spring cabbage Durham Elf.
Friday 24th July 2004 I pulled up the onions that were planted as sets earlier in the year in Geoff's 'apiary' allotment. They suffered with rot on the leaves so that is not a good spot to grow onions in again now. We are in a warm dry spell and they may start to dry out a bit, but most will be hard to store well during the autumn and winter. However, as we have had a lot of rain recently (one of the reasons for the onion rot) the ground is in perfect condition to plant in or sow seeds in. I have quickly forked it over, but can't decide what to use it for yet - one thing is for sure - it won't be onions!.
Picked French beans, calabrese, and courgettes.
2000
Monday July 24th. This year's die has now been cast and it's too late to sow much more that is going to crop before Christmas except a few radishes, spinach and Chinese cabbage. The last week of July is the time to start thinking of next year and sow some spring cabbage seed. I have sown two varieties today and will try to sow some more before the end of the first week in August. Red cabbage can also be sown at this time of the year.
The next sowing this year will be the Japanese onions and the seedbed for those can be prepared now ready for the third week in August. August is also a good time to start planting daffodil bulbs. A surprising number of flower seeds can be sown in August.
1999
July 24/25th
Saturday the 24th July. Time to take the honey from the bee hives and extract it. It's also time to see if the hive on the allotment now has a new laying queen. Success, a brand new queen is in residence. She is now sporting a bright red spot to help find her in future.
The last two days have been baking hot. A good time for honey extraction and staying inside until evening comes and the day cools down.
Last years Autumn sown broad have finally given their space over to the cabbages. The remaining pods were dry and now have been collected and opened. The seeds sorted and stored in brown paper bags put in a shoe box in the top draw ready for planting again this November. The remaining old bean stalks have been pulled up and the cabbages and broccoli weeded and liquid fed. The first of next years spring cabbage and red cabbage seed has been sown in a piece of ground where new potatoes where growing until a couple weeks ago. I've also sown some more calabrese. The last for this year. Dug up the remaining garlic.
