Mash, Chips, Roast, Boiled or Jackets?

After a weekend off last week we headed up to the allotment today in anticipation of a bit of weeding before planting our selection of 'early' spuds.

All was well on the weed front in the beds but our cunning plan not to dig over the paths and put stones over them to suppress the weeds had failed miserably. We spent a few hours lifting the paths and digging out the weedy culprits - mainly buttercups. All done now though so hopefully we are in a better position to manage our weeds through the growing season.

The onions, rhubarb and currant bushes all seem to have settled in well to their new homes with new growth on all. The raspberry canes are still lying dormant but hopefully they will spring into life now the days are getting warmer. By the looks of the rhubarb we'll be eating crumble until it comes out of our ears soon - bonus!

Photo 13: Onions at home on the allotment.

Photo 14: Where's the custard?

So, onto the planting of spuds. After a month or so sat on the windowsill in our downstairs toilet the seed potatoes had chitted well. Today was time for them to go into the ground.

Photo 15: Chitted and ready to go. Seed potatoes of the Orla variety.

Two long trenches and a bag or two of manure later and the ground was ready. Nineteen Orla, 10 Sharpe's Express (they didn't perform last year so they've got to do better this time or they'll be letting the family name down again) and 10 Pentland Javelin are now residing 6 inches below the surface. Fingers crossed that they make a reappearance in the next few weeks.

Photo 16: In the trenches. No going over the top for these tatties.

Photo 17: Bedded in and ready to grow. Pentland Javelin potatoes coming to an allotment near you soon.

Watering in took on a new dimension with the purchase of our wheelbarrow water bag. We can now transport 80 litres at a time from the Churchyard to the allotment. No more lugging watering cans around. The risk of Emily developing arms as long as a monkey have thankfully passed.

Photo 18: The wheelbarrow water bag. Training still required but this will save a lot of hard work.