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Hi All,

I finally managed to plant out my Topper shallots on Monday 23rd of April. However due to having to order them very early because they go out of stock quickly, I only had 40 viable bulbs worth planting.

This I hope will be a one time buy, I will keep the best of my harvest for next seasons planting. This is how I believe we must conduct our crop production methods in future. We must do as the French do, and seed save the best of what we harvest to enhance future crop potential.

My main crop potatoes should be ready to show through in about 10 days or so and have my 1£ cloches ready and waiting to cover them.

Now as always I don't spread compost or manure around my plot I put it where it is most needed, under the crops which I grow. It is finicky, but I believe gives good results. It also ensures that weeds don't prosper from this food resource

As in for garlic, onions and shallots I use a bulb planter. I bore down 6 inches deep and half fill the hole with my charcoal recipe, I then fill with earth to within an inch of the surface and sprinkle some VAM granules into the hole, this done I then plant my bulbs. This ensures that the first thing that the roots come in contact with will be the VAM's.

I have 4 Blackberry bushes which for some strange reason are located 2/3 of the way down my plot, this effectively cuts off 20 feet of growing area. These I will dig up and re-plant once they have fruited. in a more suitable location, freeing up this area for greater crop production.

I will not plant out my climbing beans, sweet corn or other tenders until after the first week in May. We always get a frost at sometime during the first week in May. I have been an allotment holder for 10 years and this always happens at our association. My greenhouse is bulging with tenders waiting to be planted out.

The problem has been that I had to de-weed my new plot to my satisfaction. It has always been my way to thoroughly de-weed as much as possible in the first season. This I feel paves the way for an easier life in preventing perennial weed infestation in successive seasons. My previous plot was riddled with Horsetail and Bindweed which I fought with. However it became a thankless task, but my new half plot has relatively few of these ancient weeds which makes things so much easier.

with all the deep digging done this season my planting will be weeks earlier next season.

It has been wet, windy and very cool up here for the last couple of weeks. The low pressure is just sitting over Scotland and shows no intent to move on!!!

Uriel

The mind is like a parachute, its totally useless unless its open