I visited to see how plants and netting has stood up to the rains. And I looked at it all and wondered what do I do now! Here's a litany of questions!
The runners are still beaning a bit - but the actual beans are getting a bit leathery. Time to dig it all up and chuck the remaining beans? Or keep the seed for next year? How do I do that?
The kale (planted as little plants in early July) is looking good - how long can I leave it, cutting off outside leaves to eat and letting the little ones in the middle grow on? Will it be OK all winter?
The spinach has largely bolted, but there are still a lot of baby leaves. It looks like I can keep on picking them for a while yet.
The newly planted purple sprouting is OK under its netting, as are the cabbages. V proud of the rather rickety cage for sprouting netting and the blue water pipe hoops for the cabbages.
The leeks are leeking nicely - need weeding, but growing nicely. they went in in late June. I think they'll be OK in the ground for months yet? Haven't harvested any yet.
Lettuce - lolla rossa has gone to seed, but some other deep red leafy ones, like a deep purple Webbs wonderful, are still OK. Think I'd better pick them soon, before they bolt. I planted some Tom Thumb last week and radicchio too. Lady at Garden Centre said it'll be OK now, and I trust her. I like fresh lettuce in my daily lunch sandwich.
I've got 2 little apple trees - a couple of years old. James Grieve and Bramley. They both have a few little apples on leggy branches - rather eaten by some bug, I think. Do I leave them till when I touch them they come away in my hand? Do I prune the branches - they haven't been touched yet? I don't know what to do with the apple trees at all!
And my main crop is black weed control fabric, which covers over half the growing area - I think it's over 6 whole beds (I've divided my plot - it's only a half allotment - into 15 beds about 4 or 5 ft wide). This because I got fed up with the letters from the parish council telling me I had too many weeds. Do I leave them covered till next May and then dig 'em over, hopefully the couch grass and other nasties will have died by then. Or should I dig now and then cover over again?
As you see, I have lots of questions, even though it's a small plot, and I aim to grow only the obvious easy things. I'd like to try globe artichokes next year, but I wonder if there's enough sun to get any crop of a decent size? We decided not to bother with potatoes cos they're so cheap anyway. I'm semi-retired - working 3 days per week, and the weekends are mainly about jobs at the house, and visiting the assorted grandchildren. So I fit in shortish visits to the allotment when I can ... hence the weeds!
Any advice will be welcome!