Spring Has Now Sprung!

Since I last blogged we have had a weekend of Spring sunshine. This was most welcome and seems to have lulled everyone into a start on their tender sowings. I am however holding off as the long range forecast has predicted further snow flurries and late frosts, IN APRIL!
I spent all of Saturday going through the plants in pots, planting those that needed to go into the garden, potting up herbs bought or divided, tidying up others that looked a little unloved. I regraveled the steps and put all pots on them, so that they could enjoy a little warmth. It meant that my central path in the polytunnel became free for me to walk down, so I took the time to perform a little weeding and watering. I pulled the last of the celeriac and we shall have that in soup. In its place some peas have been sown by my daughter. She chose a climbing pea and I am hoping that in the protected tunnel they will stay free of pea moth! As she was sowing, I noticed four dark green shoots, small but definitely there. Lo and behold, WE HAVE POTATOES THROUGH! These were the red Duke of York that I planted back in February.

The beetroot that I planted a week or two ago are coming on well, as are the chard plants. Carrots are a mass of feathery tops and the broad beans are now romping away. My grapevines are budding and I suspect are going to throw a mass of leaves anytime soon, I really must buy some structure for them to grow up. Finally the alliums are thickening and are looking lush and green. I am hoping they give me an earlier crop of onions compared to my allotment varieties. We will see.

Anyhow Spring I feel has now sprung, somewhat later than normal - a month later, which is why I am holding back on my tender sowings, just by a couple of weeks, to be safe, not sorry.

April Showers

Today felt like Spring finally. The Haygrove is really coming into its own now as the temperature in there was in the 30s whereas the air temp outside was 10. The greenhouse temperature readings were in the 20s.
I spent a long time today watering and hoeing at the soil cap. The beetroot seedlings were planted between the carrots and the radishes. No sign of any potato shoots yet, but it has been very cold.
The garlic, onions and shallots haven't changed from my last report. I must sow my lablabs soon if this good weather continues.

It's Bean A While...

As I write this we are officially in Spring and the snow lies not just on the ground, but also on the polytunnel cover. Visions of getting an early "March" on the allotment now lie in tatters, or should that be tatties? Mine are still nestled in egg trays on the dining room table and are resplendent with chits. I was rather hoping that either St Patrick's Day or Good Friday would provide me with both the time and the weather, but as further snow and low temperatures are predicted, that looks unlikely. Thankfully, I have planted a few tubers of Red Duke of York into a polytunnel bed. The carrot seedlings are through, radish also, plus spring onions are beginning to emerge. My broad beans are putting on growth and in some cases, flowers. Peas in guttering are poking their heads above the surface. Garlic is beginning to bulk up as their green leaves start to thicken into a proper neck. The onions are still rather whippy, but they too have new growth. The only sorry tale in the allium story is that of my shallots, which still appear to have nibbled or have no shoots at all. I will be lifting the last of the celeriac soon and adding a deep layer of compost mulch, prior to planting the peas.
But for now, my only job out there is to find a brush and get that snow off!