Sunday 19 November 2017

November 4th Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 9 tasks this week :

1) Lift and Store Swede Turnips. - Swede turnips can remain outside a long time but it is worthwhile lifting a few, cutting off the tops and storing them in sacks. All tops along with other leaves should be used to finish off summer compost heaps. Begin a new heap to compost waste from the house and garden.

2) Clear Artichokes. - Lift and use Jerusalem Artichokes. Clear the ground of them but choose a few tubers for replanting purposes. Examine stored crops at regular intervals.

3) Examine Clamps. - It recommends looking at storage clamps after rain and to put down poison at the first sign of rats. 

4) Examine Onions and Shallots.- Well ripened onions should keep for a long time indoors. Onions grown during a rainy season will not have good keeping qualities. Use any showing signs of softening first. Decayed specimens should be burned. Shallots kept for planting should be turned over regularly, always keep double the quantity required to allow for losses.

5) Clear Mushrooms. - Mushroom beds should be cleaned out and replaced with new ones once the mushrooms are finished. The spent manure is ideal for use in soil mixtures or frames. 

6) Pick Kale. - Kale can now be picked and used. Carefully managed they should provide greens until June.

7) Examine Grease Bands. - Grease bands should be examined regularly removing any leaves or debris that might adhere to them.

8) Raise Carrots. - Young carrots can be grown in a deep frame if hot bed material isn't available.

9) Complete Summer Compost Heap and Begin New One, -

Thursday 16 November 2017

November 3rd Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 7 tasks this week :

1) Treat Sour Soil. - Apply half a pound per square yard of hydrated lime once every three years. 

2) Collect Pea-Stakes. - Pea stakes were scarce during wartime and it was advised to gather some when pruning trees or bushes 

3) Lift Horse-Radish. -Lift horseradish roots and clean out the bed. Put them in sand or soil handy for use. Cut some of the roots into 3-in pieces for propagating after Christmas. The average family only require a small quantity and it's easier to replant a small bit each year as it soon spreads and becomes hard to clear if left in the ground. 

4) Clear Herb Beds. - Clean up herb beds. Cut mint stalks down to the base and remove the waste whilst weeding. Trim thyme and clean up sage.

5) Use Cauliflower and Broccoli. - Use cauliflower at once to avoid waste. Early broccoli will now come into regular use. 

6) Prune Fruit Trees. -Prune when the opportunity offers. 

7) Clean Up. - Clean beneath hedges etc. with advice to burn the rubbish and clippings.

November 2nd Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 8 tasks this week :

1) Use and Store Artichokes. - Start to use Jerusalem Artichokes, dig up as required.

2) Gather Sprouts. - Brussels sprouts can now be harvested. Rather than stripping one plant, remove the largest from the bottom of several plants by either twisting off or removing with a sharp knife. The tops can be used as greens.

3) Keep Forcing Rhubarb. - Take indoors the root lifted two weeks ago and plant in a corner or under the bench. Pack with soil, soak with water and shade with sacks to exclude all light. Keep the temperature around 55 ° F ( 13° C). Lift another clump for forcing later to keep up the supply.

4) Protect Broccoli. - Prepare to protect broccoli if hard weather threatens with straw and bracken although nowadays we'd use fleece for convenience. 

5) Finish Root-Pruning. - Complete root-pruning as soon as possible. Its purpose is to keep vigorous trees in check. 2½ft from the stem, dig a trench a foot wide and cut all the large roots which are exposed. 

6) Continue Branch-Pruning. - Ordinary pruning of branches should continue at every opportunity. Save suitable prunings for stake purposes the rest should be burned. Keep woolly aphis in check, they used to recommend spraying with tar-oil sprays or paraffin emulsion.

7) Sow Seeds. - Sow cress and mustard for succession. Sow French Breakfast radish in cold frames or greenhouse. Force chicory under greenhouse benches and blanch endive as required.

8) Look to Stores. - Control the temperature and ventilate where apples are stored. Inspect stored potatoes and pick out seed tubers.

November 1st Week





According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 6 tasks this week :

1) Secure Clamps. - refers to the storage of harvested rootcrops outdoors.

2) Carry On Digging. - advises to dig the ground whilst the weather is "open". On my allotment, with the amount of rain since August, the ground is quite heavy.

3) Care of Soil in Frames. - watch out for algae, break this with a pointed stick.

4) Sow Peas. - sow round podded peas. In 1945 he advised the variety "Blue Bird"

5) Sow Broad Beans and Onions. - 

6) Fruit Tree Branches. - Prune by removing dead branches, crowded branches and if two branches cross, remove one.

October 4th Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 7 tasks this week :

1) Retard and Force Rhubarb. - Lift a root of rhubarb and leave exposed to the elements for a fortnight. The harder the weather the better as frost increases sugar in the root. This is known as retarding. To obtain sticks for Christmas in an open garden, forcing should begin now.

2) Nurse Parsley. - Parsley growing outside may grow well if its a mild winter but far better to grow some in a coldframe.

3) Plant Fruit Trees. - The fruit trees and bushes that were ordered in September may have arrived. As soon as they do, dig a trench, plant and cover with soil before firming. Ensure that plants are labelled.

4) Manuring. - Calculate quantity required. Order hop manure if other manures are unavailable. Dig-in green manure.

5) Sow and Plant. - Sow round seeded spinach in a cold frame. Plant lettuce in a cold frame or greenhouse watering carefully. Outside lettuces should be protected by cloches.

6) Prune Fruit. - Begin pruning fruit as soon as the leaves fall.

7) Ventilate Cauliflowers in Frames; Examine Fruit in Store.

October 3rd Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 8 tasks this week :

1) Order of Using Vegetables. - There are still ample fresh vegetable supplies growing in the garden before using food in store. Focus on consuming cabbages, cauliflowers and savoys before touching the leeks. 

2) Prepare Potting Composts. - The best is loam created from turves that have been stacked for 12 months before using. Failing that soil should be stacked in layers with manure in between. 

3) Clean Outside Greenhouse. - Wash both the inside and outside of the greenhouse. Scrub off summer shading to allow maximum daylight through the winter.Clean coldframe lights from grime too.

4) Make Fruit Plan. - If planting fruit for the first time, make a plan. Choose varieties that will succeed in your climate and that will help pollinate each other.

5) How to Destroy Red Spider. - Where red spider mite has caused damage. collect the leaves once fallen and burn.

6) Protect Carrots. - Carrots growing in coldframes should now be protected with the cover.

7) Earth-up Celery. - Do the final earthing up of celery.

8) Take Dead Leaves from Rhubarb; Plant Late Coleworts in South; Prune and Tie-in Blackberries. -

October 2nd Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 10 tasks this week :

1) Earth-up Leeks. - leeks as well as other winter greens should be given a good earthing up, even those grown in holes. This helps to blanch the stems whilst giving protection.

2) Cut Down and Weed Asparagus. - Cut down asparagus foilage and put for burning. Tidy up any weeds such as grass that have sprung up in the asparagus bed. As manure topped with soil to the bed.

3) Begin Digging. - Once clear of crops begin digging. Even digging a small piece at a time will soon see the task complete. 

4) Attend to Cabbage, Sprouts, Cauliflowers. - Hoe between rows for the last time. Use cabbages to supply greens. Sprouts will be soon ready for harvesting, remove yellowing leaves from the bottom. Cauliflower seedlings sown in September can now be pricked out into a cold frame.

5) Plant Lettuce in Greenhouse. - Once tomatoes are cleared in the greenhouse plant lettuce. Make successional sowings of mustard and cress.

6) Transplant Fruit. - Suckers from raspberries to be dug up and replanted to increase crops. Transplant fruit bushes if necessary. Year old currant and gooseberry cuttings can now be moved.

7) Store Apples. - Pick ripe fruit on dry days. Allow late-keeping apples to remain on the tree as long as possible. 

8) Grease-Banding Tips. - Complete grease-banding soon. Tie 6-9in. strips of greaseproof paper around the trunk and smear all around with special greases.

9) Lift and Store Salsify and Scorzonera; Store Unused Garlic; Sort and Clean Shallots.

10) Encourage Fruit Trees. - Old trees can be helped by replacing two or three inches of soil from around the base. Prune away dead branches.

October 1st Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 10 tasks this week :

1) Store Pea Sticks. - Pea sticks are hard to get so clean those that you have and store in a dry corner for use next year. Sticks that are rotting should be burned.

2) Get Stocks of Lime and Fertilizer. - Calculate your lime and fertilizer requirements now. Apply lime at least once every three years at the rate of ½-pound per square yard. National Growmore fertilizer at the rate of 1 pound per 10 square yards. 

3) Lift Root Crops. - Jerusalem artichokes may be cut down to a foot above soil level. They can be lifted and stored or left in the ground until required. All other root crops growing outside should be lifted now and stored.

4) Earth-up Winter Greens and Celery. - Winter greens can now be earthed up. A little soil around each stem offers extra protection. Late cauliflowers should be cut as they mature.

5) Protect Endive. - Endives growing outside should be moved into coldframes now. Set traps to prevent slugs from attacking the endive. 

6) Good-bye to Tomatoes. -  Tomatoes should now all be harvested. Green tomatoes can be made into chutney. Put stems on the compost heap. Where grown in pots or on benches the soil should be layered with manure and left for two years. 

7) Clean Out Greenhouse. - As soon as practicable clean out the greenhouse and wash down the glass before scrubbing all the woodwork.

8) Look to Raspberries and Strawberries. - Newly planted raspberries last year should now have their new growths tied in. Strawberries can still be planted.

9) Store Fruit. - Store good fruit in wrappers. If space is limited store in boxes.

10) Cut Parsley for Drying; Do Not Delay Grease-Banding Fruit Trees.

September 5th Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 13 tasks this week :

1) Lift and Store Chicory and Celeriac. - Lift roots of chicory and cut off the tops within an inch of the root. Store in sand outside until wanted for forcing. Lift celeriac and store the same way as turnips.  

2) Prepare Pea-Seed; Harvest Haricots. - Peas grown for seed and hung in a sunny place to finish off should now be shelled. Dry them out on a sunny window sill. Haricot beans sown late should be harvested and hung to dry in an airy place. 

3) Begin the Big Clean Up. - Cleaning up the allotment should now begin. All rottable refuse add to the compost heap. Coarse and diseased material burnt. Hedges clipped, the clippings also being burnt. Don't waste valuable fertiliser, save the ashes for use in potting soils or for use on the onion beds.

4) Bring in Tomatoes. -  Any tomato plants still outside should be cut and brought indoors to finish. The whole plant can be hung upside down only harvesting fruit as they ripen. 

5) Maintain Salads. - Maintain production of salads by supplies from outdoors, cloches and frames. Expect leaves rather than hearted lettuce.

6) Lift Radish; Feed Broccoli. - Large radish such as Black Spanish and China Rose should be ready for lifting. Store in sand like beet and carrot. Feed Broccoli which will mature before Christmas.

7) Finish Outdoor Peas. - Outdoor peas are coming to an end. Cut the tops, remove haulms but leave the roots in the soil for now.

8) Harvest Swedes. - Swedes can now be harvested. Get them into store and clear land for digging.

9)  Prepare Leeks for Seed. - Where leeks have been grown for seed the flowerheads may still be green. If so cut them with a long stalk and stand in water in the greenhouse like a cut flower. Once ripened hang upside in a dry place over paper to catch the seeds.

10) Harvest Fruit; Hoe. - Harvest fruits as ready and put in storeroom or attic. Hoe between rows of strawberries.

11) Order Fruit. - When fruit is to be planted, calculate the requirements and specify a November delivery.

12) Put in Cuttings. - Put in hardwood cuttings of currant and gooseberries. Cut them at lengths of 10-in. from this year's growth. All the buds are left on blackcurrants but only the top three or four are left on redcurrants and gooseberries. The lower ones that would be planted underground should be removed.

13) Prune Fruit. - Prune Morello cherries. Prune Loganberries and blackberries by cutting out the growths which have fruited this year. Tie in young shoots.

2018:

September 4th Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 10 tasks this week :

1) Harvest Home. - Crops which are ready should be harvested. 

2) Store Onions. - Onions lifted to ripen should be brought inside and tied in bunches of six or seven before hanging up.

3) Lift and Store Potatoes. - Continue to lift and store potatoes.

4) Fill Blanks. - Fill vacant pieces of land with spring cabbage. Do not cover until the weather turns bad.

5) Prick Cauliflowers. - Prick out cauliflower seedlings into coldframes when ready. 

6) Gather Tomato Seed. - Wash the flesh from the seed. Label the seed variety and allow to dry before packing the seed away.

7) War Against Caterpillars. - Watch out for caterpillars moving along the ground at this time of year attacking your brassicas. Deal with appropriately.

8) Grease Bands Around Trees. - Put grease bands around fruit tree trunks now.

9) Pick Fruit ; Root-Prune Trees. - Pick fruit as ready. Windfalls should be picked up and used immediately. Root pruning of vigorous fruit trees can begin.

10) Put Cloches over Lettuce and Endive growing outside; Blanch Endive to keep up supply; Begin Sowing Mustard and Cress inside at Fortnightly Intervals.


September 3rd Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 11 tasks this week :

1) Lift Potatoes. - Lift potatoes as soon as they're ready. Leave for a couple of hours on the surface to dry before storing. 

2) Build-up Compost. - As crops finish remove any remains and add them to the compost heap. Hard cabbage stems should be chopped up. Diseased potato tops and brassica stumps affected by clubroot should be burned.

3) Plant Out Cabbage. - Plant out spring cabbage. Draw triangular drills 6-in. deep and put the cabbage at the bottom 18-in. apart. After Christmas begin harvesting alternate plants to use as early greens. 

4) Lift and Store Carrots. - Lift carrots and store in dry sand.

5) Earth-up and Protect Celery. - Earth up celery a little more. Sprinkle salt between the rows to protect from slugs.

6) If Frost Comes. - Cut all marrows if frost arrives and put them in a cool airy room to store. Small immature small ones can be used up in the kitchen whilst the ripe ones will keep for some time.

7) Ripen Outdoor Tomatoes. - Now is the time to harvest all the fruit to ripen indoors in trays exposed to daylight. 

8) Work with the Hoe. - Use the hoe to keep down the weeds between winter crops.

9) Lift Onions. - Lift the onions previously bent over and leave them on the surface of the soil so that the roots are exposed to the sun. Ease out with a fork to avoid damaging the base. If there is a risk of pilfering or the weather is wet take the onions inside an airy shed to dry off. 

10) Prepare for Wall Fruit Planting. - If you plan to plant any fruit trees against walls then make up the borders now. Put grease bands around the trunks of fruit trees. 

11) Order Manure. - Now is the time to buy manure ready for a new round of digging.

September 2nd Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 9 tasks this week :

1) Sow Cauliflowers Under Cloches. - Cauliflowers can be sown very thinly in a straight drill and covered with cloches. Thin out to 9 in. apart when they come through. Leave under the cloches all winter.

2) Advance Tomatoes. - Tomatoes grown in pots outdoors should now be moved into a greenhouse to finish off. All tomato plants should have their ripe fruit picked as this hastens the colouring of others.

3) Harvest Onions. - Without delay onions should now be harvested. If wet weather sets in then lift fairly soon otherwise the bulbs might soften.

4) Lift and Store Carrots. - Lift maincrop carrots as and when ready (when the foliage turns yellow). Do this when the weather is dry. Small quantities can be kept in the shed in boxes of sand. 

5) Plant Out and Sow Lettuce. - Plant out winter lettuce in a protected border. Sow lettuce for greenhouse culture.

6) Gather Peas and Haricots for Drying. - Peas growing for seed or drying should be pulled up, the haulms tied in bundles and hung in an open shed until the pods can be dealt with. Harvest haricot beans as the pods turn brown and the leaves wither. Treat the same way as the peas. 

7) Thin Out and Blanch Endive. - Thin out the endive seedlings that were sown earlier. Those that are fully grown in the open can be blanched, this is done by covering the plant with a box or large pot. Do not begin to blanch until the plant is fully grown.

8) Prepare for Fruit Planting. - Prepare for autumn planting of fruit trees and bushes as soon as possible. The digging of the soil should take priority so that it is in a good condition for planting.

9) Thin Spinach. - Thin spinach to 8-in. apart.

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