News from the Allotment
Created | Updated Jul 13, 2009
August Natter
August has had a mixture of good and bad weather, which has taken its toll on the allotment. Before the start of August, the first and second early potatoes had been dug up and stored in hessian sacks, and have almost all been eaten. They were good quality, but not as many as we have had in the past.
My aim was to leave the main crop potatoes until the usual time of lifting, which is towards the end of August in the UK. However, we had a spell of warm, damp weather, which caused the dreaded 'Potato Blight' to take hold. This resulted in the foliage going a yellowish brown colour, causing the tops to collapse. I knew that if I left them until the usual lifting time, the blight would affect the main tubers, resulting in rotten smelly potatoes.
I was surprised at how quickly the blight had taken hold: a week before this happened the foliage had been a healthy green colour, and was the best I had ever had. Anyway, we dug them up on the same day and had a shock! When I bought the potatoes at the beginning of the season, they were named on the packet as 'whites' and they were white when we planted them. However, when we dug the first row up, they were pinks! The name of the main crop was 'Desiree' which are classed as pinks, but the last year that I grew them, they were definitely 'whites', as was indicated on the packet. Perhaps they have changed the variety type, but when we planted them they were definitely 'whites'.
However, we planted two rows of these, and had the biggest and best potatoes we have ever had! I decided to wash them all before storing, as they were covered in a thick clay soil which could result in rotting. It was a tedious job, but well worth it. I left them in the sun for a while to dry, and then they were ready for the sacks. If you have potatoes stored in sacks, make sure that you tip them out to check them on a weekly basis, as even one bad potato can cause the others to rot fairly quickly. The best place to store them is in a cool dark garage or shed. I have mine in the garage.
Another useful tip that I have learnt recently, is not to plant potatoes close to tomatoes. The main reason for this is because you tend to water tomatoes more, and if it is very warm then this amount of watering will create the warm and humid atmosphere that Potato Blight likes. Tomatoes can also get fungi blight, and there is a fungicide on the market which you can use if you are not too organic.
My swedes are doing brilliantly. This is the first year that I have ever grown them, and I'm impressed by the growth so far. I started them off in a seed tray, and then planted them out in June when they were about two inches high. I planted them in small groups of about three, and I was supposed to thin them out but decided not to bother as it would be difficult to do. I am pleased that I didn't, because it means that we will get three small swedes instead of just one large one. They are not supposed to be ready until November time, but they have grown so quickly, they will be ready in the next couple of weeks.
My leeks are growing very slowly, but at least they are growing which is the main thing. They are my third attempt this year, as the first two lots refused to grow! It is the first year ever that I have had problems in growing them. Now that they are growing, it will just be a case of scattering slug pellets down every week, being careful not to get any in the centre of the leek. I have had a little slug damage on them already, but not as bad as in the past.
Slugs: that reminds me, the amount we have had this year is terrible. It is now the worst pest in the garden, according to the RHS, that many people have had problems with. If you keep laying the beer traps, copper tape, or slug pellets, then it will certainly help.
As for copper tape, I will base my next article on this subject as it is so interesting and works very well. I won't give any more away, so as to keep it a surprise!
Back on the plot, my courgettes have done exceedingly well again this year. They took a long time to get going - it may be because I planted them in a part of the plot which is solid clay and wet. They seem to like it, as we have had about twenty of each, of the two plants so far. I say 'courgette'; they have in fact been marrows because of growing so quickly! My friends are enjoying them, which is why I grow them each year. We don't use them in our house.
The bottom part of the plot is slowly being cleared, but there is still a lot of work to be done in the autumn/winter months. Autumn/winter months! Where is our summer in the UK! We are hoping to clear the bottom half of the plot this autumn, getting rid of the horrid bindweed which tangles through everything, not to mention docks, whose roots seem to go on forever.
Anyway, that is all for now. Have fun and enjoy your garden!
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