Gardening Blog
Allotment Diary
May 21, 2008: going hot and cold
Allotment blogger, Terry Walton, explains why his 'F' word is frost
Well where has it gone? This time last week we were all basking in the heat of the sun. Now we have put the shorts and t-shirts away again and it is back on with the jeans and woolly jumper. There is even a mention of the 'F' word in the weather forecasts ... yes frost is predicted.
This occurrence would be a minor disaster to the plants on the plot because they have accelerated on and it would be impossible to protect them all.
The potatoes are well above the stage that they could be further earthed up and they would really feel the cold and go black. There is not enough fleece to protect all of the crops and a harsh decision would have to be made of what to save.
Still, let's not panic, it may not happen.
I personally am not yet convinced on the issue of global warming but as lifelong gardener I am experiencing the definite changes in weather patterns. The seasons are no longer clearly defined and we are aware of vast extremes of weather at any time of the year. We are seeing very heavy rain fall in the summer months with flooding and very high gusty winds the year around.
Yes, the times they are a-changing!
One of the difficulties I am encountering at present with these rapid varying temperatures is what to do with my runner beans and climbing French beans.
These are in pots and the warmth of last week brought them on too quickly. They germinated in a matter of days and have grown on so fast that they are waiting to go out on the plot. They are sitting in the cold frame all bundled together, their leading, climbing shoot desperately growing upwards seeking a cane for support. Fairly soon and failing to find other means of support they will twine with one another for support. If they do it will become one devil of a job to disentangle them before planting out. They must go out this week regardless of the weather and I will find protection for them. They are my favourites.
Salad crops are firmly in my mind at this time of year with the warm summer months ahead. Lettuce, radish, spring onions, beetroot and the ever-growing popularity of salad leaves are part of the weekly ritual of sowing. These need to be sown in small amounts every week to ensure that the salad bowl is constantly replenished with these daily gathered crops. This ensures no waste and a constant supply avoiding feast and famine conditions. We don’t want to be popping to the supermarket, do we?
Also members of the cabbage family need to be planted at regular weekly intervals to meet our culinary needs. I plant six at a time and this is enough to meet my requirements and have one or two to share with my neighbouring plot holders. The exception to this rule is the brussel sprout because they need a long season to reach maturity and be ready to add that zest to the Christmas dinner plate. Whoah! The year is over all ready!
This time next week I hope my state of anxiety will have passed and tranquillity will have returned to my life as a gardener. Such are the pressures of tending our precious crops.
More from Terry Walton
More on growing veg
My Life on a Hillside Allotment
Terry Walton is a regular contributor to The Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 and has written a book called, My Life on a Hillside Allotment, published by Bantam Press. The book is available from Amazon
