May 2020

Links to Mr. Middleton's weekly tasks first:
May 1st Week
May 2nd Week
May 3rd Week
May 4th Week

 May 2020
1st May : Due to the allotment neighbour to the right of my plot shielding from the pandemic I spent the day weeding his plot.
3rd May : The strawberry plants are all in flower including those in the barrels this year. Self-seeded Mexican tree spinach is starting to appear all over the place.
At home in the back garden, the wild garlic is in flower.

20th May: Predicted to be the hottest day of the year. I removed all seedlings out of the polytunnel in the morning and put them back inside in the evening.
21st May: Sunny and warm today. Visited the allotment twice to open and close the polytunnel due to the heat along with watering the plants.
22nd May: Very windy outdoors with rain in the early morning. Visited the allotment in the morning just water.  Decided to concentrate on work in the back garden and greenhouse at home.
 Sowed the following varieties of runner beans in root trainers; Enorma, Firestorm, Painted Lady, Scarlet Emperor & Streamline along with a pea (Ambassador).
 Potted on the remaining Potentate tomatoes in the greenhouse along with the pepper California Wonder.
 The following seedlings were pricked out; carnation, french marigolds, broccoli, calabrese and swan neck gourds.
 Cuttings were made of chrysanthemums and lavender.
 The following were planted out; lettuce Saladin and sweet peas.
 In the evening the plot was visited again and despite the strong winds stringless runner bean varieties Armstrong and Lady Di were directly sown along with climbing French bean Isabel.
Cayenne pepper plants were potted on at home and put in the greenhouse.
23rd May: Another very windy day. More chrysanthemum cuttings were potted up at home bringing the total to 32 new plants. More salvia Blaze of Glory was sown along with pansies. Chrysanthemums for cut flowers were planted out in the back garden.
 On the allotment, tomato seedlings were potted on. All the remaining Swiss Chard leaves in the front bed were harvested (900g)  along with 120g of mixed salad leaves (beetroot, Mexican tree spinach, mustard and wild rocket). A pit was dug in a bed designated for brassicas this year and a wheelie bin that has been used as a compost bin for kitchen waste was emptied into the pit and covered over with again with the removed soil. The alteration was commenced on the fruit cage but the full re-netting will have to wait until winter now as the fruit canes and bushes inside are too far in growth to be fussed with at the moment. A fellow plot holder offered me some broccoli seedlings and so I accepted and took some to plant in both the neighbouring plots due to them both shielding during this pandemic.
24th May: Empire Day that was. The day started dull and breezy but warmed up in the afternoon. At home, the hedges and bushes were trimmed in the front garden. The hedge clippings ending up in the compost bin at the allotment.
 At the allotment, beetroot (boltardy) was sown directly to replace those removed by the birds. Birds were proving a problem this year uprooting peas and broad beans daily. Some restoration of the path edging was carried out along with twigs placed around the beans and peas for protection. I watered and weeded the neighbour's plot to my right and planted 6 San Marzano tomato plants into their greenhouse. Meanwhile, my wife potted on the remainder of the 129 tomato seedlings that we had in the polytunnel. Carrot (Nantes) was sown in a tub in the polytunnel. Spring onion (White Lisbon) was sown in the bed that contained onions & garlic sown back in 2019. One of the butternut squash seedlings were planted into a barrel with the hope that the weather wouldn't be too harsh on it. Planted 2 sunflower plants either side of the polytunnel that was donated by a neighbouring plotholder.
25th May: Visited the plot in the morning and evening to open and close the polytunnel, re-plant legumes, that had been unearthed by the birds, and water plants.
26th May: Visited the plot in the morning and evening to open and close the polytunnel, re-plant legumes, that had been unearthed by the birds, and water plants. Put netting over the broad beans and peas.
27th May: Visited the plot in the morning and evening to open and close the polytunnel, re-plant legumes, that had been unearthed by the birds, and water plants.
28th May: Visited the plot in the morning to open up the polytunnel and water plants before returning home to tackle the front garden. The front garden had pink jasmine that had been allowed to spread and root all over the place in the past few years this was kept in check today revealing areas to plant out extra flowers this summer. Several large planters that contain spring bulbs are ready for reviving also.