Allaboutallotments

24/03/2026

COMPOST COMPARISON

Today I transplanted onion seedlings from small plugs to larger pots into multipurpose peat free compost with half planted in Levington from Tesco costing £4.50 for 40 litres and half in Grandiol from Lidl costing £3.99 for the same volume bag.
The Levington is very fibrous while the Grandiol is finer and darker with a slightly oily smell.

06/03/2026

26/01/2026

Just back from 2 weeks in the South of France to find that the allotment went into a state of suspended animation while I was a way.
Looking at the figures from my solar panels it is obvious why.
Pricked out the Exhibition Onions which are not for exhibiting but to mostly give away, I just like growing them.
The leeks that I sowed before I went have germinated and the tomato seedlings have all survived potting on.
In previous years I have lost them when it was very sunny as I forgot to shade them, I am watching the forecast closely.

10/01/2026

Pricked out tomato seedlings.
It has been a cold week with the outside temperature dipping to -5.8C (21.5F) the lowest I have recorded since 2012. Much of the UK has been blanketed in snow but Liverpool, which has a warm microclimate due to the proximity of the Welsh mountains and the Pennines, escaped the wrath of storm Goretti.

The heated section of the tunnel had a minimum of 14.8C (59F) so all is well.
Interestingly the lowest temperature seems to have kicked the heating into overdrive although it was midday and it was a sunny day.

08/01/2026

Leeks that were sown in April are rather disappointing this year and only a few are over 2.5cm (1 inch) in diameter so I have sown some in the warm section of the polytunnel to ensure a longer growing season.
The onions and tomatoes are germinating well but there is no sign of chillies.

28/12/2025

The next big job is to prune the standard apple trees.
All the espalier trees were pruned in October but I never got round to the big trees.
The heavy crop this year made me realise that I need to thin the growth as there were too many fruits in amongst tangled stems.
This tree is a Braeburn that has tilted towards the hedge over the years and I have opened it up and removed branches that overlap the hedge.
The very top needs a saw which I will sort out tomorrow.
It looks drastic abut it is necessary.

27/12/2025

The broad beans that I sowed in early November are progressing well in the cool polytunnel.
They are in 8 litre pots which I will move outside in April to provide an early crop.
The tunnel is not necessary but the plants are protected from the extreme ravages of winter.
I will need to insert stakes eventually.
The next date for sowing is late February/early March and then May for successional harvesting.

26/12/2025

The year traditionally starts on 26th December, the first seeds being sown.
The tradition of specific dates for action is Boxing Day for onions and Good Friday for potatoes but the origin is obscure.
I have sown onions, chilli and tomatoes, the latter being a bit of a gamble but I like to get Tumbling Tom off to an early start as because they branch (determinate) are less likely to get leggy (etiolated).
They are sown in seed compost in the heated section of the polytunnel, the photo shows that the minimum temperature is about 10C (50F) which find is warm enough for germination.

23/11/2025

With Dull Men's Community – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

26/09/2025

This year is the best ever for fruit especially apples.
Not only are the trees prolific but the apples are huge, this Braeburn is 419g (14.78oz) which is about 230 calories.

07/07/2025

Over the years I have battled with pests that have appeared since I started gardening 70 years ago.
I don’t remember vine weevils or lily beetles in the Fifties but they are now rampant.
The latest menace is the rose-ringed parakeet, pretty but even more destructive than pigeons.
Last night they attacked my apples and for the first time ever I am having to protect the remaining ones.
The parakeet pictured was in my garden.