Sunday 13th April 2014 – Broad Beans are a go go!

After bell ringing this morning I popped down to the allotment for a couple of hours to get a few bits sorted. Firstly it was the Broad Beans going in. I started them off in the greenhouse this year. Last year I tried sowing them outside straight away, and none of them germinated at all. I have a greater success rate when starting them off in the greenhouse, I think all but 2 germinated. I planted them out in 2 beds. Some with the onions and others with the potatoes. I had a bit of room left in each bed, so managed to get them all in comfortably. When you plant them outside, make sure that you plant them 9 inches apart. This should give them enough room to grow, and also support each other if they get really tall. I’ve sown the Aguadulce variety this year, and I’ve grown them before and they seem to do really well. I also sowed another short row of Radish “Vienna F1 Hybrid”. I had sown a short row about a month ago, and they’re growing nicely, so hopefully by the time I’ve eaten the first lot, the second lot will be ready. I’ll sow another line in about a months time, and so on, until I run out of seeds, that way I should get a good supply throughout the summer. I then turned over another bed and prepared the soil ready to sow this years Beetroot “Chioggia”. Beetroot did fabulously well last year, and just kept on growing as the temperature stayed warm. Hopefully I’ll have another great year with them, but only time will tell. I then got bitten by something whilst I was weeding, I’m not sure what it was, but I think it was a red ant. The little bugger got me 3 times and in the most bizzare place, on the underside of the top of my arm, just below my arm pit!! How it got up there is anyones guess.

7 Responses to Sunday 13th April 2014 – Broad Beans are a go go!

lindaswildlifegarden says:

April 13, 2014 at 2:07 pm

Reblogged this on Linda's wildlife garden and commented:
Lovely update Claire

keith says:

April 13, 2014 at 4:11 pm

Good advice about the Broad beans. We have tried over wintering (started off in doors and planting out in the Autumn), but found them no better than waiting until Spring.

- clairesallotment says:
  
  April 15, 2014 at 3:15 pm
  
  They do grow just as well if planted in the spring. If it works, stick with it.
  
T Jenneson says:

April 14, 2014 at 1:58 am

I haven’t had much luck with beets…. Something burrows into them! Good thing we like the greens too. I got bit by ants weeding my greenhouse this morning, not impressed at all.
BTW your blog has been very helpful to me here on vancouver island, canada. We have similar weather and temperatures. Informative, relevant and FUN too (episode 200 makes me laugh so very very hard, you are the bravest gardener I know!)

- clairesallotment says:
  
  April 15, 2014 at 3:13 pm
  
  It sounds like it’s a weevil that is burrowing into you Beetroot. Try growing them in a raised bed with brand new soil. Never grow them in the same place year after year as this will help any diseases to thrive. It may be a bug that you only get in Canada, as we don’t seem to have that problem in the UK. I’m glad you find the blog very useful, it was fun filming episode 200, and I’m so surprised that people are still watching it. Hope you have a great season.
  
Patent Attorney says:

May 7, 2014 at 9:18 am

Well there’s progress! I hugely enjoyed reading this post.

- clairesallotment says:
  
  May 7, 2014 at 1:11 pm
  
  Glad you found it fun. I do try to make them amusing.