Long carrots....where are you???

It's now been 11 days since I sowed them. They're not yet through and they bloody well should be!

Porto 0 Man Utd 1

THEY'RE BACK!

Chelsea 4 Liverpool 4

That was too bleeding close for comfort! The night before I said I'd walk into work naked if Liverpool had won!

Lest we forget

Next month marks the 24th anniversary of the Heysel Disaster when rampaging Liverpool fans caused the deaths of 39 Juventus fans. Despite being told to stop away from Hillsborough 4 years later if they didn't have tickets for an FA Cup semi final those same fans contributed to the deaths of 96 of their own fans but conveniently got away with it when the Police somehow copped for the blame.

Stumps 2009

I've been on a high all weekend after my Crib Goch experience, but I got back down to Earth yesterday by sowing my first 22 stations of stump rooted carrot 'Sweet Candle'. Traditionally my stumps would not be sown much before the end of April but this variety appears to need longer to develop the distinct rounded 'stump' end, hence the need to get it sown around now.

My first batch of 22 will serve my August Bank Holiday shows and I will make another 50 sowings in the next week or so to cater for my September/October shows. I actually won against some good long carrots last year at Hathern with this set of 3......there was no separate class for stumps.

As you can probably see the root on the far left is slightly 'pointier' than the other two, as they weren't sown until late April last year. I wouldn't get away with that at a higher level of competition and would have been downpointed.

A cluster of 4 or 5 seeds is placed in a 1/4" deep dimple in the middle of each filled bore hole, covered over with compost then well watered.

The final finished frame....the wood and mesh cage to keep the cats off and little panes of glass over each bore hole to keep the compost surface moist. These will be taken off as soon as the seedlings emerge through the compost surface. The total depth of sand is about 18".

Just another 50 to bore and fill in this larger bed now!

Crib Goch

That's one ticked off my life list of things to do.......a 3000' high ridge the width of a paving slab that you straddle on your arse in places. I persuaded my good lady that walking up Snowdon would be a great thing to do for a family day out (I did the Crib Goch route with my daughter's boyfriend whilst she did the more sedate Pyg track with my eldest daughter) but she's now gone to bed in agony vowing never to listen to another bleeding word that I say!

Dahlia tubers

Last weekend I set my dahlia tubers in shallow trays of compost with the neck well clear so that I can spot the cutting material as and when it appears. Last year my first cuttings weren't taken until well into May even though I bought them into the house for warmth. This year I'm just letting them stay in the greenhouse and whatever will be will just have to be.

The varieties are my usual Jomanda and Kenora Sunset plus a few poms that Kev Broxholme gave me.

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 3

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

43 out of 45 parsnips through!

Seeing as the two that haven't come through were the first two I sowed it's a fair bet they have failed. More seed is chitting for re-sowing this weekend.

Work is stacking up

Lots or work to do this Easter weekend. My stump carrot bed needs emptying and refilling, ready for sowing. I usually get 50 carrots in this bed.















My 'big' onions are still very small. I bought these plants from someone who advertises in Garden News about 3 weeks ago. He says they can get to 6-8lbs.....mmmm, don't think so!

These Globemaster cabbages are also smaller than I'd expect them to be. Nothing seems to be growing.

Although my first sowing of Cederico tomatoes are growing fine.

Pity these Doctor Hugh daffs were not out in time for our Spring Show as they'd have won the bi-colour class. I think they are stunning.

A busy weekend.

I managed to get over half my long carrots sorted this weekend.....including 24 in this raised bed. Really, they're far too close for top quality competition but my limited growing space means I really have to pack them in tight. As the carrot foliage is quite willowy I don't think they'll mind too much however, and the tight bore holes mean I should have nice straight specimens.

The mesh frame is to keep those pesky cats off!

I got another 6 in this upturned dustbin which is mounted onto another 1/2 oil drum filled with sand....again a glass pane keeps the cats off.

I managed my first planting into the ground today......25 Red Baron onions from sets. I grew this variety last year and was very pleased with them.

It's been a good day........a very, very good day!!!

Just wishing....and dreaming.....

...as the song goes!

Just having a quick cuppa midway through boring and filling the holes for my long carrots. The sun is shining , the footy is on the radio, the wife and kids are out and my carrots are currently as good as everyone else's! Life doesn't get much better than that! Maybe one day I'll be as good as this set from Malvern a couple of years ago.

I plan to sow 46 stations, 24 in the raised slab & plank bed and 22 in 4 small drums. My mix is as follows:

15L sieved compost
4L vermiculite
3.5L sieved sand
2oz superphosphate
2oz potash
2oz calcified seaweed
1oz lime
1oz hoof and horn

All WELL MIXED. This mix is enough for about 11-12 holes.

I know how much hard work that takes but I've just had a mail from Ian Stocks in Scotland who is a stumper specialist and he's already done 120 holes with another 180 to follow! I spread my carrots out over 6 or 7 local shows and hope to have a set from pulling 4 or 5 but he would be prepared to pull the majority of his 300 just to get a set for one large show....now that is dedication (or is it madness?). I hope his family like eating carrots! LOL

Talking of madness.....I do urge you to have a look at Dan's website http://www.allotment-diary.co.uk/Exhibition-long-show-carrot.html as he's having a crack at long carrots for the first time this year.

37 out of 45 parsnips through!

These last few are keeping me waiting!

No leek repeat this year!

Gutted! Due to a mix up I've not been able to source any leek plants for this season so I'll not be able to exhibit any at the autumn shows.

I say gutted, but in reality they do take up an awful lot of time and effort and it's still only one entry and potentially one win or a 2nd or a 3rd. I will have to divert my energies instead into potatoes and runner beans which I've not been brilliant with these past couple of seasons.

Went to Highgrove today!

Managed to get in without setting off all the non-organic intruder alarms. Very impressive place. He works very hard does that fella!