Gales and greens

I haven't done much at the allotment lately, hence the lack of posts. The recent gales tipped over my store-box, filled the lid with rainwater, and also shredded the last of the black plastic that has hopefully been suppressing the weeds. This is clearly a Sign that I should get on with clearing the last third of the site. Thankfully the nettles are dying back now, which will make it easier.

Some planting has been done - garlic and shallots have gone in, and I'm clearing bits of space for the broad beans. The various winter vegetables that I planted in August and September are doing well; the turnips and winter radish look healthy, and a good number of fennel plants have come up and each has the tiny beginnings of a fennel bulb in sight. The cavolo nero is about four inches high now, and the mustard greens will be edible fairly soon I think. The purple sprouting broccoli is about three feet high and shading the texel greens for half the day; understandably, they have not put on much growth. The chard plants look established and are growing well.

I also put in two rhubarb crowns, which smelled extraordinarily sweet and tart. Following the planting instructions was a bit of a worry - setting them in the soil so all the growing buds were sitting on the soil rather than under it proved to be impossible, so I've just hoped for the best. "Crown" is something of a misnomer - these were like an ill-wrought cow's hoof made of driftwood.

I'm still picking lots of salad - mizuna, chicory and rocket are all still producing - and have spotted that the dill has self-seeded here and there. I may pot the little plants up and bring them home out of the wind.