[madcat]

Cleared the last of the savoys (jan king) last weekend and this weekend it is a grand lift and freeze of the last rows of parsnip.  They are starting to regrow and the ground needs clearing.  Still quite a lot of leeks still standing - I'll start on getting them into the freezer once I have done the parsnips. 

The chard is just rotten lumps - the hard frosts did for it.     The pigeons did for the kale after the snow collapsed the netting.    No PSB this year so that is my lot.

Garlic, shallots and onions sets in and early peas this weekend.   Leek seeds germinated and chillies and summer cabbage ...  the fruit bushes are shooting .... we are on the way again!   

[grendel]

went to my other half plot yesterday and to my surprise the swedes I had given up as a bad job had over the winter produced nice heads, I'll have to pull one and see how they have done. chard, broccoli and kale were all done.
Grendel

[DD.]

Your swedes have produced heads? 

[New shoot]

Your swedes have produced heads? 

sigh    I'm going to grow some this year if it kills me   

[grendel]

yes, they did nothing last year, but I sort of forgot and left them in and they have survived so far.
Grendel

[New shoot]

It gets worse    DD and I tried hard - I got nothing and DD got 'monster' 3" diameter ones 

I'll send mine over to you this year Grendel.  Just chuck 'em in a corner somewhere and ignore them will you 

[mumofstig]

what no swedes again  commiserations, I had some whoppers this year - for the first time 

Maybe because I kept watering them as it really was so dry here 

[New shoot]

what no swedes again  commiserations, I had some whoppers this year - for the first time 

Maybe because I kept watering them as it really was so dry here 

No-one likes a gloater you know        I did water them ....... and feed them ....... and net them against catterpillars ........ and what did they do ............ b****r all 

[mumofstig]

I sowed that lot in paper pots and transplanted, I bunged some chicken pellets in the planting holes.... is it worth a try?

[New shoot]

I use chicken pellets all the time, but maybe will try sowing in pots and getting them going before planting out    Can't do any worse than last year 

[Mrs Bee]

We are still newbies at his allotment lark.  :unsure:Only our 2nd proper year of growing after clearing the jungle but we have......

overwintering onions, and garlic

*half a raised bed of decent sized leeks,
*5 celeriac,
*overwintered spring onions; a tad large but still good with the charlottes in a potato salad
*some PSB and some WSB. Not too sure about these little beggars as they seem to be under attack from some nasty white flying insects but there do seem to be some florets coming on.
* spinach
* beetroot but they were rather woody so gave them to the girls who didn't seem to mind them.
* kos lettuce that I sowed in October and went through the winter.
*sorrel
*rockett
* salad pea shoots

Have never grown parsnips before, ( a lot I have never grown before ) but I have some parsnips showing their heads from the loo rolls. so here's hoping

Haven't grown much in the brassica line yet either and intend to try some brussels despite my OH threatening to leave home if I grow them and put them on his plate
Might do it any way

[Growster...]

Great stuff Mrs B!

Watch out for the parsnips though, they're probably at the bottom of the rolls by now if the leaves are jusr showing!

[Mrs Bee]

Great stuff Mrs B!

Watch out for the parsnips though, they're probably at the bottom of the rolls by now if the leaves are jusr showing!

ok. thanks for that. I don't think they are but I will go and check. They are just poking through.
I did the Terry Walton method of germinating them on kitchen paper and then transferring them into the loo rolls with tweezers. Seems to have worked. They ones in the loo roll that I just planted are no shows at the moment. Will be interesting to see which is the best method

[Growster...]

Great stuff Mrs B!

Watch out for the parsnips though, they're probably at the bottom of the rolls by now if the leaves are jusr showing!

ok. thanks for that. I don't think they are but I will go and check. They are just poking through.
I did the Terry Walton method of germinating them on kitchen paper and then transferring them into the loo rolls with tweezers. Seems to have worked. They ones in the loo roll that I just planted are no shows at the moment. Will be interesting to see which is the best method

I'm going to have to go and check mine now Lils, as they have a tiny leaf on top!

Blast, and it's dark now...;0)