Nic Dempsey

Ma and I have a couple of perennial arguments about the plot. One is about what I allow to self seed in paths, there’s another about how many plants it’s possible to fit on the plot and my plant buying problem (it could be worse, it could be drugs!).

The third is about my negativity on how the plot is doing, I think the plot is looking a bit messy, there are weeds everywhere, the paths need strimming and we are not as far ahead in the plant growing stakes as I would like. Ma thinks that I’m too hard on myself, the plot looks fine and the weeds aren’t that much of a problem. In my defence, Ma can’t actually see all of the weeds, we are way behind on plants, and there is a lot to do. However, I also do have a super critical eye when it comes to the plot and the weather has been an issue. It’s been cold at night and most of the summer plants don’t do well if the temperature goes under 10C and it’s not been above 10C at night yet.

I started this year behind because of the work on the flat and I didn’t sow until late because of that same work. I had to buy aubergines and peppers, I should have maybe considered doing the same for tomatoes, see later on for the tomato issues. The weather has checked the growth on the winter squash (the butternuts all died), the summer squash isn’t even in the ground yet and I’ve had to sow a bunch of them again. Time is moving on and things are not in the ground.

And the tomatoes have been a disaster…

They just didn’t really grow, I’m thinking this is a compost problem, we sieved and used the Wickes Peat Free multi purpose which should have been fine but the tomatoes just haven’t done at all well, despite having a lot more light this year. (As a sidenote, the quality of compost this year has been appalling, I’m considering moving to manure for topping up the beds because the compost has been awful, I know I’m not the only one having problems). I took the plants to the poly last week, to await the new potting compost I’d ordered and the plants, mostly got fried.

So this weekend we took the pathetic survivors and repotted them. Tomatoes this year are going to be a surprise as I have no idea what’s what. I also spotted a couple of mystery self seeded toms (I think they will be Orange Queen or the Black Russians that turned out to be cherry toms last year as they were what we grew in this space) in the polytunnel bed and potted those up too. We’ll see and we’ll be delighted if we get anything because I’m more or less resigned to a less than epic tomato year. (Since Saturday they have improved somewhat, so fingers crossed)

My allotment neighbour, Tana has come to my rescue, by giving me eight ‘Lucian Black’ plants. These are actually a bit of an allotment legend. Lucian, a long departed allotment holder, used to grow these black tomatoes and everyone raved about them. Tana grew some and wondered what all the fuss was about but then learnt that you need to leave them on the vine longer than you think, until the bottoms go pink and she really likes them and grows them every year from saved seeds. Tana has never steered me wrong on plants yet, so I trust her judgement and as these are from seed grown on site for years and years, they should cope well. I have a bed of tomatoes in the ground, and they are looking healthy. I’ve also taken a two packets of free basil seed and scatted them through that bed.

I’ve been toying with buying some plants just to have something in the beds, because this month is allotment inspections and it’s the beds at the front of the plot that are empty because that’s where I wanted the tomatoes and summer squash to go.

Speaking of summer squash, my plants are still indoors. I think it’s mostly courgettes and straight neck squash, there may be a patty pan but it’s really going to be a surprise. My task for this week is to take them to the plot and pot them up, I don’t think they are ready for the outside but I think they’ll be fine in the poly.

Over the last couple of weeks the plants for the poly have arrived. The back bed has been cleared and has aubergines, and sweet peppers in it. Yes, one pepper plant (big Ben sweet pepper) arrived decapitated and one (sweet pepper hamik) was decapitated by Ma falling on it. (I was in the shed and only saw the damage to the alpine strawberries, the pepper plants and Ma, not how she fell over, but honestly she falls over a lot. I don’t know how it happens, my Grandad did too, so she comes by it honestly!). I’m waiting on another three plants (jalapenos) for the poly but looking at the space in that back bed and having been told that peppers like to touch, I think I have room for some more peppers. Again, it’s something I’ll think about over the next couple of weeks.

What else have we done, we planted a bed with dwarf french beans. There was an accident with the packets so we have a mixed batch of purple and yellow beans and a back up sowing of 10 modules (to either fit into empty slots or fill gaps). We also sowed lazy housewife and cherokee trail of tears in the winter squash beds to sow up the arches. I’ve sown gigantes from the saved seed from last year. That should be us for beans except I will also sow another bed of drying dwarf beans, another go at Jacobs Cattle Gold and Yin Yang because they look so pretty.

The bed that I grew cucumbers and dill last year is currently empty but full of self seeded dill, so I just sowed some random cucumber seeds in there too, I have cucumbers in the poly so if all them grow I may have an abundance of cucumbers but over a longer period of time!

I randomly sowed some nasturtium seeds in various beds and Ma sowed some more modules for me (cavolo nero, cauliflowers, fennel, zinnias and greek basil). I also want to sow parsley, coriander and chard in modules too but that’ll a task for later on in the week or for when Ma is here next week.

It’ll come together, there are strawberries

Major tasks for the weekend are netting for the fruit, putting some things in pots and the ground, grass cutting and maybe wrapping Ma in bubble wrap!