Wednesday May 8th

Up to allotment after work armed with the hoe. Put it to good work for an hour or so, getting rid of a lot of the small weeds that are appearing everywhere. Unhooking the netting wasn't as bad as it could have been, so those beds got a good going-over. No sign of either the Webbs lettuce or radish, so just hoed across everything. No carrots either! But tied back the fleece to see if that makes a difference. Also hoed among the shallots and onions, and the beds that will get the leeks in. Shifted the tulips from the middle of the broccoli bed to under the Bramley, where they shouldn't get stepped on. Figured I'll plant the beetroot in modules to begin with, so I know where they are! But the French Beans can go in direct. Must get something for the flea beetle - the cabbages are starting to look very sad indeed, though the caulis aren't as badly affected for some reason.

The RHS recommends derris. Goody. The Henry Doubleday Research Association say use as a last resort. Well if these poor cabbages don´t need a last resort, I don´t know what does. But they do they also recommend a sacrifice crop. Flea beetles love radishes. So *that* is why the cauli bed isn´t nearly as nibbled - that was where I threw the radish seed. And I wondered why they hadn´t appeared... so I guess it works!

Thursday May 9th

Bit of a so-so day weatherwise, meaning it was not too hot, not raining and not too cold. Perfect for going and shoving the leeks in. I planted them a bit too close together (6") but these were the Musselburghs rather than the Verinas so not a problem anyway. There is room enough for a few more in the patch, and should have spare ground for the remaining onions. Apple blossom is falling, so hung up the codling moth trap in the Bramley. Also sowed four rows of French beans, in the hope that some will germinate by the start of June. Shifted the remaining lurking bulbs into the orchard, clustering them about the Bramley. Raked over the patch, so its ready for the broccoli.  Sprayed the cabbages with derris, and tipped the remaining radish seed into the cabbage plot, to see if they will divert the remaining beetles. 

Sunday May 12th

Hoicked myself up to the allotment armed with canes and tiny plants. Used up the last of the netting making a much taller cage for the broccoli, then planted the sage bushes around the plot. Put the second lot of lettuces around where the sweetcorn will eventually go. I think there are a few tiny carrots up at long last. Watered the leeks, puzzling about the one that's totally vanished out of its hole already. The sunflower's gone, too. Meanwhile the garlic seems to be getting bigger, or at least the one that's visible is! Shallots are in the process of splitting up.

Wednesday May 29th

Up to the allotment to see what came up in my enforced absence and what didn't, and found that the lettuces and caulis have shot up with the rain. However there's no way those lettuce are romaine… *sigh* must plant some of last year's seed I guess. The bindweed has also shot up, despite the roundup. Must have another go. No carrots still, and the beans have only got a few pathetic ones poking through. Onions and shallots getting much bigger now.  The derris dust seems to have got the flea beetles under control, as there are a lot of new un-nibbled leaves now.

Back at the house, found I have finally got another long green trailing marrow up. Planted a load of Marrow Table Dainty in any case. Whoops. That's four kinds… The sweetcorn are doing fantastically now, and I'm glad I used peat pots as the roots are well and truly out.