Welcome to our allotment blog. We've got a plot, now we're trying to figure out what we're doing! So please join us - put the kettle on, sit back, and dream about Living The Good Life...

Thursday 17 April 2008

Eats, shoots and leaves


First of all, a big Hello! to any new readers. And thanks so much to those of you who have left a comment - it's nice to get some feedback and to know that we're not struggling against the rain and snow alone! My apologies if I don't reply to you all... But rest assured, all comments are read and very much appreciated.

I've realised I forgot to say that we had our first 'proper' allotment meal last week. The same time we dug up the pathetic (oh, how pathetic) turnips, we also pulled up three cabbages (which were going to seed anyway) all the spinach (we're going to sow some more next week in a more sensible place) and the remainder of the brussels sprouts off the 3 plants we had (which had started to go to seed as well). Then Adam made a nice big bubble-and-squeak-ish mess, with bacon and mashed potato and it was DELICIOUS! So I'm not worried about the cabbages not hearting-up any more, because eating them as spring greens is just as nice.


We've also had success with the Super Marmande tomato seeds - they've started to germinate, all of a sudden. Hoorah! I was getting worried because the toilet rolls were starting to look a bit mouldery (that's a technical term - like mouldy, but without actual mould...) and I thought the seeds may not like it. It certainly didn't look like ideal germinating conditions, I must say, and if I was a seed, I probably wouldn't have bothered. But this morning, there they were! Little green shoots emerging and searching for the light.

I always get impatient waiting for things to germinate. It may say 12-16 days on the packet, but there I am, 4 days after sowing them, wondering why nothing's happening yet. Patience is a virtue? I suppose it's true, at least where allotmenteering is involved.

I'll have to move them to a sunny spot now so they don't get too leggy. And hopefully they'll look like the picture above in a few months! (I'll stick a proper photo on later, when I've got a battery in my camera!)

Also, is it true that if you plant tomato plants deeper than they were in their pots, the stalk that was above but is now below soil level will put out more roots, creating a better root system? Is this a good way of making tomato plants more drought resistant??? I'm sure I read this somewhere, but I can't find it now!

1 comment:

Paul and Melanie said...

Yep, thats the way to do toms, I tend to repot them almost up to the depth of the leaves when they've got their first few true leaves showing.

I'm not sure how much more drought resistant it makes them but it certaintly helps them create a good root system which makes them much more stable when planted out.

Also, don't worry about mould on the loo rools (not that you were really lol) I was the same but got told by loads of people that it's fine and they seem to be right so far :)