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Wellington Fields Allotments - Hixon.

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Wellington Field Allotments Hixon

 

Gardening Tips
By Mrs FM
Hartley.

 

Unusual & Old
Fashioned Fruit
Trees.

 

Unusual
Vegetables,
Herbs & Other
Edible Plants.

Environmental Issues And Going Green.

Books By
Alan J Hartley

 

 



Problems With Weather.

By the end of June and going into July we started to get the occasional showery days with the odd heavier shower, but it was not really enough to keep everything watered and keep the water tubs full. The Ground was still drying up in a few hours after the rain. However, it got wetter with more frequent showers, and even the odd storms, as we went further into July with the temperature staying a bit cooler than normal, while Europe, suffered an intense Heat Wave and burned - literally in the Greek Islands and Portugal with extreme temperatures of over 40 degrees and massive wildfires rampaging across the land and even going into the Holiday spots. However, our cooler and wetter weather, here in the UK, continued throughout July making it the wettest on record and even going into the start of August it was a little cooler and wetter than normal. Weeds were growing rampantly everywhere with conditions being ideal for them and a lot of the Plot-holders were struggling to keep on top of things, but surprisingly, there was little, or no signs of Potato Blight on the site.
Yes the tops started to die off on the Early plantings of Potatoes, but they looked pretty healthy. Cutting the tops off at this stage is always recommended and then if the Potatoes are left in the ground for a week or two, it is said that the skins of the Potatoes will thicken making them less susceptible to damage and help them to keep a bit better. Even after the tops have been removed, it is a good idea to earth them up again to prevent the soil from washing down and exposing the Potatoes which will make them go Green. You can leave Potatoes in for quite a while like this, but they may rot if it turns wet and slugs may get at them. This is true of some other Root Crops as Yacon left in will spoil when winter sets in as will Radish Mooli, however, Jerusalem Artichokes will generally be OK if they are left in all winter, but they will start shooting as February starts.

Our mixed up Weather, so far this year, has caused some unusual things to happen such as flowering Plants, flowering for a second and even third time. Also, things are not sticking to their regular Calendar of events and my Figs in particular, have been ripening earlier than normal. Usually, they start to ripen at about the start of September, but this time I picked about 40, lovely, fat and juicy specimens in mid-August, a good 2 weeks, or so early and a few days later I picked a further 15, or so. Most of them came from just one 7 foot high tree with another tree still to produce, so I am hopeful for a really bumper crop this year,

As August came, I started cutting a lot more flowers - especially Chrysanthemums with some colours opening their Buds before others. This wasn’t planned, but was still quite handy, as sometimes I get so many Flowers to cut all at once it can be a bit overwhelming. I also had plenty of Red, White and Yellow Achillea that I could cut, along with; some Alstroemerias, purple Loosestrife that I have only recently started growing, Heleniums and, white and blue Scabious.
At this time of year in particular, I get on well with my Neighbours, because they often get presented with Bunchers of Flowers!

As I have started “Dead Heading,” some of the earlier flowering Plants there is a lot of Rubbish going onto my Compost Heap along with the regular Weeds making my purpose built, large homemade, concrete bin, fill up very quickly. Having a mixture of some dryish and dead Flower Heads, with a lot of fresh, green weeds, helps to make a better mix. The experts always say you should always put in some “Brown,” waste that is made up of dry stalks, or even Paper and Cardboard to stop the Compost from getting wet and sloppy and help it rot better. Turning it occasionally helps to speed the composting process up a bit as well. These days I do tend to cover the Compost with a piece of Semi-Permeable Membrane that helps to keep in the heat and keep out the worst of the wet.
Elsewhere my Bean Canes collapsed, so I cut the fallen part away from the others as best as I could in the hopes of leaving some to carry on. However, a lot had to be chopped up and put onto the Compost Heap. Fortunately, I had done well with my “Runners,” but I had wanted to leave some Pods on to mature so that I could collect my own Seed again the same as I did last year. Not just Runner Bean Seeds, but Bean seeds generally are quite expensive to buy so it is a always good idea to save your own for sowing in the next Season. Unfortunately, my Borlotti Beans were growing on the row of Canes on the other side of the Runner’s and they weren’t ready to pick and won’t be for some weeks yet. Because I use mine as dried Beans they would have needed to finish growing and then dry out, so I may not get any at all to eat, or save.

It was a bit late, but I used some of the broken Canes from my Beans to provide a bit of support for my Chrysanthemums. If you don’t support them they will flop at the slightest sign of wind and then the Flower Stalks grow twisted and bent making them unfit for use in Vases. Hopefully, the Chrysanth’s will go on flowering for some time yet and will produce more stems and Buds from where they have been cut. They should go on until the first Frosts come.

Another odd little job that I have recently done was to remove all of the old Grease, or Glue Bands, from my Fruit Trees. When you put them on the Trees you generally tie them on tightly with string, or fine wire, to secure the Bands, or Sticky Paper, in place and stop them from peeling off. These Strings will cut into the Trunk and can even strangle a Tree by cutting off the supply of Sap as the Tree swells and thickens out, especially in early Autumn. The swelling of the Trunk is a natural process to enable the Tree to grow and to strengthen the tree against any Winter Storms. Because of this you should also check Tree Ties regularly. It is usual to put Ties on a newly planted Tree to secure it to a Stake, but Trees only need support for 3 years, or so anyway, before the Stakes and Ties should be removed.
In a few weeks, after the Apples have been picked, I will prune back the small branches to make short, fruiting Spurs for next season and then put new Grease Bands on all of my Apple and Pear trees. You should do this every Autumn, or failing that, in late Winter, or early Spring.
I don’t know if the Apples are going to be early this year like the Figs, but at the time of writing this in mid-August, some mornings, are feeling quite Autumnal. Thoughts of Autumn coming started me thinking about Autumn Seed Propagation. It is not only Bean Seeds that the Thrifty Gardener can save, but there are many garden plants that will also grow true to type from self-set seed rather than commercially produced Hybrids.
One such Plant that I fancied growing for next years Plant Sale was some Canterbury Bells. They really are a sort of Biennial, but actually flower for 2 years and maybe more in mild conditions – a bit like a Perennial Wallflower. Fox Gloves are another Biennial, that you can sow now from your own seed.
Other seeds that I found hidden away in my Tin Box at the bottom of the Fridge that can be sown now included the lovely Primula Vialli - Vial’s Primrose. This is one plant that definitely prefers moist and shady conditions like most, although not all Primulas, as some will tolerate drier conditions. Vial’s Primrose does not look like a Primula with its bright Red/purple flowers that are in the form of a spike rather than the traditional flower shape.
I always get mixed up between Polyanthus and Primroses, but apparently Polyanthus are a Hybrid of Primula Veris (the native yellow Cowslips) and the native white Primula Vulgaris. Primula Vulgaris gave rise to the multicoloured Primrose family. Otherwise, Primroses have short stems and Polyanthus have their flowers borne on long stems. Polyanthus/Primroses are often thought of as cheap bedding plants, in particular the short lived Obconica variety which also holds its flowers in bunches on stalks. The “Drumstick Primula,” or Primula Denticulata usually has Purple, or White flowers whereas other Polyanthus and Primroses come in the full Spectrum of colours. Most will flower in late Winter, or early Spring and on into Summer. Quite often Primulas will seed themselves down producing lots of little plants everywhere that can easily be dug up and replanted. Indeed, I will be able to pot up some trays of 6’s for the Spring Sale.
Speaking of the Sale, my Pre-Sale, Sales, are going well with some Plot Holders, friends and neighbours all buying a few bits and pieces and adding to the Total. It should put a bit of “Cream,” onto the Grand Sales Total for the Day.

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