Allotment 20

Another year down at the allotment is starting.

We have purchased our seeds.

Potatoes are now chitting and awaiting planting late March or early April. Last year was a disaster for main potato crop - they were eaten by slugs !! This year we will concentrate on early varieties and hopefully the crop will be lifted by July/August before the slugs hatch. The favoured types are Pentland Javelin and Maris Peer.

Onion sets are planted in trays and as soon as they have developed roots will be transferred direct into the ground. We understand that if the sets are planted with roots then the birds will have a harder time trying to pull them out of the ground - that is one of the major problems with onions.

Imagine our dismay to find the allotment plot covered in water. Our plot is surrounded by steep slopes and during the winter heavy rains the water has drained down onto us and the ground has become soaked.

With the aid of some well dug channels we have managed to drain some of the water away and the land is now starting to dry - let's hope for a spell of dry weather.

.