Summary of 2009

Click picture to enlarge







The first thing I did was to draw up a plan of the plot using an Excel spreadsheet, and I found this to be very useful. By narrowing the spreadsheet columns to represent 1 foot in scale, I was able to get a reasonable representation of the plot and paths. From this you can see the four quarters with 6 x 4 foot beds in each and also the position of the shed and compost heaps. I was then able to plan the distances of rows and plants, and get a good idea of quantities needed. For example, by finding out how many seed potatoes you get per bag, I could gauge quite well what to buy.

SOWING and PLANTING Summary (As best I can remember).
FEBRUARY - Sowed onions in green house, and also started chitting parsnip seed. Started chitting seed potatoes.
MARCH - Sowed Peas, Calabrese, sprouts and Caulies in greenhouse.Didn't have much success with the brassicas. Planted out Potatoes and Onion sets and Onions from seed.
APRIL - Sowed early and main crop carrots outside.Planted out Parsnips.Sowed in greenhouse French beans.
MAY - Sowed Peas,Beetroot, Swede and Spring Onions outside. Planted out shop bought Caulies,Cabbage and Sprouts. Planted out Runner Beans and shop bought Winter Cabbage.
JUNE - Planted out shop bought E.S. Broccoli Strawberries and home sown Lettuce. Sowed outside French Beans and Turnips.

RESULTS
BED A
Beans Runner (Enorma) - Excellent crop of large beans. Should have pulled more when smaller.Froze well.
Beans French (Tendergreen) - Excellent crop. Froze well
Pea(Kelvedon Wonder) - Very good crop. Planted rows too close, difficult to access.Froze well.
Onion Sets (Sturon, Stutgarter) - Both types very good crop.Stored well.
Onion Seeds(Ailsa Craig) - Enormous round onions. Didn't store well.

BED B
Beetroot(Boltardy) - Excellent crop. Kept well in the ground and into winter.
Early Carrot(Nantes) - Grew well enough but badly hit with carrot fly.
Main Carrot(Chartenay Red Core) - Same.
Parsnip(Tender and True) - Very slow and difficult to start. Forked badly.
Swede(Best of All) - Small roots and slow, but tasty enough.
Turnip - A bit woody.

BED C
Potatoes Early Arron Pilot - Very good crop, but rather tasteless.
Potatoes Main Desiree - Excellent crop, but scabbed. Excellent for mash and stews.
Potatoes Main MarisPiper - as above.Excellent for chips.

BED D
Calabrese - reasonable, froze well.
Brussels sprouts. (All Year round) good, froze well.(Brilliant)easily frost damaged. (Brolin)very good froze well.
Purple sprouting broccoli(Rudolph) - Don't know if I'll bother again.
Cabbage Summer(Primo and Golden Acre) - Both types very good and large
Cabbage Winter(Nichole and Torvey) - Both types good
Cauliflower Autumn - (All Year Round) poor. (Bodilis) good.

Note, all the brassicas hit badly with Cabbage White caterpillars.

SMALL BED.
Strawberries(Red Gauntlet,Hapil and Honeye) - All three types excellent.
Lettuce(Iceberg) - Very good
Spring onion(White Lisbon) - Slow but OK.

And this was more or less the finished result with everthing on it's way, taken in early June 2009.