July 2014

2nd July 2014
Nipped down to Lotty before work to have a quick look and water stuff.  All looking dandy really - the beans are looking a bit happier (I top-dressed 'em with growmore on Monday night!).

Slim Stemmed Broccoli 

Beans at the back looking happier

Beans at the front happier still

Carrots and beetroot coming through

Peas looking happier too.

Raspberries beginning to show

Sweetcorn taking it's time.

2nd July 2014 Evening
As was cycling to work and needed an early getaway on Thursday morning I went down and watered em some more.  I also did a wee bit of weeding on the bean row (think am going to have to do a bit of weeding at each visit and just go from one bit to another each time to keep on top of it).  Also put a loop on the gate as an additional make sure it stays closed safety net!

Gooseberries - are these ready or overipe?

More raspberries showing!

Saturday 5th July 2014
Three trips today.  First went and got all the bags of weeds and took em to the tip.  Second trip was to take the little cloche things off the brassicas and put netting over em.   Also  banged in a short row of leeks.  Third trip was due to golf being curtailed by running out of balls.  Got the mowing done and also sorted out the runner beans a bit.

Brassicas under netting - might offset a row down the middle - not sure?

Sunday 6th July 2014
Plan for today is to get a dozen 8ft canes from David Neill's and get the runner and french beans that I planted as backups on em.    Have still got space for em.

2nd mini-row of beetroots starting to show

The brassica plantation - all netted up now

Six french beans, four runner beans and a partridge in a pear tree (must get a pear tree)

Peapods suddenly springing out of nowhere!

Plot looking good in the morning sun

Wednesday 9th July 2014
After getting drenched cycling from work I was unpleasantly surprised to find Ashbourne bone dry so went down to water about 8:30pm - crikey it's getting dark by 9.30 now.  Nights closing in already.

French beans and runner bean seedlings coming on nicely. 

Full moon high above the lotty

CD-ROM bird scarers in position!

Friday 11th July 2014
Couldn't get down to water on Thursday night due to tent issues.  So down on the lotty for 7.10am.  Watered everything.  Need to be thinking about removing the netting on the pumpkins as it's restricting the poor things something chronic.  Most things are doing quite nicely.  Next year am going to get rid of the big bean row and just get some big canes - I don't think the beans like going round the thicker wood.

Lots of pea pods appearing

2nd row of beetroot popping though nicely - need to be thinning em soon. 

Sunday 13th July 2014
Went down in morning.  Weeded one of the brassica patched.   Pulled all the unplanned spuds down the bottom to make way for radishes going in. Showed off the plot to me mum and dad about tea time.  Then third and final visit to water.  Did some other little jobs too.

New patch with raddises in it - still unused space to sort out!!

Brassica more or less coming along okay. 

Peas and beans coming along nicely!

Tuesday 15th July 2014
Went down and gave everything a good watering.  We are desperate for a bit of rain.  The IBC is still about half full but we could definitely do with a bit of rain.   At home I've put about planted 30 odd pea seeds in pots when first row of spuds is out these will be going in. I've also done a tray of lettuces for transplanting in due course.

Friday 18th July 2014
Nipped down to lotty, took some breeze blocks with a view to sorting out the waterbutts at the back of the shed.  which I did. Am linking the two of them together with one of the overflow pipes but it proved a little bit troublesome as one of the butts has a sealed lid!  Never mind - am going to resin it up!

Saturday 19th July
Nipped down to get some peas.  That's about it. Got the water overflow from right water butt to left water butt sorted out.  Two pipes resined together is the answer - hopefully it should work.

Sunday 20th July 2014
No need to water as soil is still really well soaked (in fact it may have even rained again on Sunday and we missed it, perhaps?    Anyway, took the netting off the runner beans which is something I should have done ages ago really - make a note for next year.  Once netting was off I could weed down the middle which was well needed.

Beans happier for the extra bit of freedom - next year need to get netting off before flowers show I think. 

Monday 21st July 2014
Another dry day so after a wee bit of golf it was down to the lotty to water.  All good stuff.  Also did a bit of tying up on the runner beans that wanna go any way but where they shudda!  And banged a load of slug pellets down all over the place.

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
After a bit of golf more watering.  All good stuff - beans are coming along nicely.

Sunday 27th July 2014
After driving back from Wales and a bit of tea we went down lotty to water and to pull up rest of first row of potatoes.  Thought they were all Rocket variety but found a few Duke Edward Reds in there too!

A trug of peas, courgette and spuds 

Monday 28th July 2014
Have got a doctor's appointment at 9.40 so went down Lotty at 7.20 to get a last minute row of peas in.  It said in the book that July was last chance for peas so I put a load in pots a few weeks ago and as soon as space was available with the first row of spuds out the way they got put in.  Glad I went down nice and early as it only just got done!

Setting up a bean row with arch supports, cane and little stick things for peas to climb up.

All netted up against the avian enemy. 

Tuesday 29th July 2014
Went down about 8:30pm after playing golf at Horsley Lodge (very enjoyable).  Watered everything and weeded the other patch of brassicas.  All good stuff - filled up the two watering cans and went home about 9:45pm - pretty dang dark but there I wasn't last one out of car park!!

Wednesday 30th July 2014
Went down at 8:40ish after watering at home, strimming, mowing front lawn and the grass in front of the house.  Put another 2 foot of radishes in, weeded the bottom end a bit, watered everywhere, dropped a can of coke, then got off home at 9.45, dark and last one off the allotment for a change!