April 2021
Sowing & Planting
01 - 07 April
Good Friday 02 April
Did some more work on the medlar border around our small pond. Existing plants cleared and the ground dug over. We are still undecided about keeping the small pond.
Rather than letting our early brassicas grow on too long in the greenhouse they were moved into the cold frame.
Our first sowing of broad beans have germinated well and they were also moved into the cold frame to prevent them from becoming too leggy.
Our first sowing of carrots in the greenhouse has germinated poorly. I think mice have got to the seeds. Some Amsterdam Forcing 3 were sown in the same crates in an attempt to fill the gaps.
In an attempt to keep the mice at bay the tubs and crates have been covered with fleece.
The cold frame was covered with netting to stop blackbirds and wood pigeons from damaging our early brassicas and broad beans.
Easter Sunday 04 April
It’s forecast to be cold and frosty over the next few days so I thought some of our tender plants in the greenhouse might need some protection.
Our sweet peas, new dahlias, potatoes and carrots were all covered with fleece.
In the garden, I did some more sorting out of our renovation of the medlar tree border. The top section was cleared of last year’s plants and weeds and dug over.
Our old mini pond was removed and the hole filled in before the ground was dug over ready for planting.
08 - 14 April
Friday, 09 April
Repotted begonias that had over wintered into fresh compost. A couple of banana plant shoots were also potted on to see if they will grow on. All the plants were moved into a sunny spot in a front bedroom window. Last year’s amaryllis bulb which had started to grow was repotted.
All the geraniums that look as though they have survived through winter were potted into fresh compost.
The path through the medlar border was realigned. It may not work in this new position but we’ll have to see how it goes.
Tuesday 13th April
The last week was cold for April resulting in us not visiting the allotment. Our early brassicas from DT Brown’s were ready for planting out so we had a trip to the plot on Tuesday afternoon.
The bed was raked over and some growmore incorporated. Each plant had some 6X manure added and some lime to try to prevent club root.
Finally the bed was covered with Enviromesh to protect from wood pigeons and perhaps provide a little protection against frost.
Friday 16th April
Our free strawberry plants “Albion” arrived from Thompson & Morgan and were potted on into 3″ pots and left in the greenhouse to grow on.
Saturday 17th April
Just a day after our free strawberry plants arrived our new plants from DT Browns arrived. These were potted on and left in the greenhouse to grow on before planting out in our new strawberry bed.
Saturday morning completed a week of morning temperatures below 0°C. Our broad beans had been hardening off outside in the cold frame and were ready for transplanting. We decided to plant them out at the plot.
We also planted our early potatoes Casablance. Hopefully, they’ll be protected under the soil from any more frosts and hopefully by the time new shoots emerge the risk of any frosts will be gone.
Sunday 18th April
Another afternoon at the allotment getting some more planting done. This year we are avoiding growing onions on plot 42 and instead are having one bed in the crop rotation system on plot 29 and a new onion area on plot 30.
The onion bed on plot 29 also has a row of garlic which had been grown at home in small pots.
Our free potatoes from Thompson & Morgan were planted in plot 29 in the bed usually reserved for our trial potatoes. As we’ve never grown this variety before it’s a bit of a different trial this year with just one variety instead of six.
Tuesday 20th April
Warmest day of the month so far. Decided to spend the afternoon at the allotment getting some beds cultivated and ready for planting when the weather turns a little bit milder. I thought the beds might be a bit too dry after a month with virtually no rain but they were just about right for cultivating. Four long beds on plot 41 were dug over.
The 2 small beds on plot 30 were dug over after the weeds had been removed.
Sue spent much of the afternoon watering as much of the plots as possible.
22 - 30 April
Friday, 23 April
After yet another overnight frost we visited the allotment to do some strimming and clear some more beds ready for digging over. Sue cleared last year’s brassica bed on plot 42.
I cleared last year’s carrot bed on plot 41.
Some of the carrots looked as though they might be usable but on closer inspection they were damaged by carrot fly.
Finally the onion sets on plot 30 were watered and one of the remaining red cabbages cut from plot 29.
Sunday, 25 April
Beds on plot 41 were covered with weed control fabric ready for planting. This year’s carrot bed was prepared. Growmore was raked in before the bed was covered. A bed was also covered ready for planting brassicas. This bed had growmore and lime added before it was covered.
While these beds were being covered Sue planted up another bed on plot 41 with Apache and Osprey potatoes. Each planting hole had 6x added and the bed had had growmore incorporated. Last year’s old strawberry bed had the leftover Apache potatoes planted in it.
We picked another small Aalsmeer cauliflower before leaving. The onion sets were watered.
Monday 26 April
Managed to get some more beds dug over. The cold frame bed on plot 41 was cleared and dug over. It was in good condition and was easy to dig over. Last year’s carrot bed on plot 41 was also dug over and it was also easy to dig over.
The new bed for strawberries on plot 42 was also dug over and was in good condition.
Three beds on plot 30 were dug over and were on the dry side and not so easy to dig over. The fourth bed which grew last year’s sweetcorn had to be left party dug because it was too dry.
The old leek bed on plots 28 and 29 was very dry but the cultivator just about managed to cope.
The onion sets, early brassicas and broad beans were all watered before we left.
Friday 30th April
Haven’t visited the plot for the last few days. We are waiting for some warmer weather and some rain. More frosts this week so we are delaying planting at the allotment.
Our tomato seedlings needed potting on and some were moved into 3″ pots and kept in a planting tray to be brought inside through the night as more frosts are forecast.
Some have been potted on into 15 cell modules and will be left in the greenhouse covered with fleece.
Our second cropping broad beans were planted into 3″ pots in 18 cell modules and left in the greenhouse to germinate.
