Autumn Allotment fun

[Somerford]

Well, had 4 hours on the allotment tidying up for winter today....found a mother of a toad under some sacking, and a slo-worm too. I suppose the mild weather means they are still active.

Loads of red worms in the muck heap too.

Amazed at how dry the ground was beneath the old runner beans in spite of the rain we had last week.

Has anyone else got a problem with their leeks ? Mine are stunted, lots of yellow/dry leaves. Someone suggested lack of water. Any more ideas ?

Parsnips now being lifted, but need a little frost to make the sugars better.

 

[BKF Admin]

We are way behind with rain this year,my local river next to the bees is the lowest I have ever seen it(I never kept bees in 76).

Not good for Autumn sown rape I would of thought.

 

[Hivemaker.]

You need some rain,think we had some of next years,well lubricated in the west.

 

[RoofTops]

We tried leeks 10 years ago after we moved here and they were a failure. During an autopsy on the dead plants we noticed a little worm or grub had burrowed down the stems. All the gardening books we had told us "leeks do not suffer from any major pests or diseases" which I guess means these books were written before global warming. I had grown leeks happily in Hampshire before but on moving to South Devon a whole new world of critters opened up. It is some sort of midge or tiny moth and the only solution we have found is to grow them under a fleece. I tried transplanting the young leeks without trimming them on the theory the insect might be attracted by smell, like carrot fly, but the result was the same. Sounds like the pest is moving north is you have it now. Look at the base of the leaves and in the stem for tunnels.

 

[Somerford]

thanks for the advice, roofy. I have heard of such a pest, perhaps fleece is the answer next year.

 

[hedgerow pete]

i have never found an allotment holder that can grow every thing at thier allotment, we all have a crop that just does not want to grow at my place it is root crops carrots , swedes, turnips, it could be a millon reasons but there just dont want to grow at the last allotment it was cauliflowers and cabbages could not get them to get big and round

 

[thurrock bees]

We tried leeks 10 years ago after we moved here and they were a failure. During an autopsy on the dead plants we noticed a little worm or grub had burrowed down the stems. All the gardening books we had told us "leeks do not suffer from any major pests or diseases" which I guess means these books were written before global warming. I had grown leeks happily in Hampshire before but on moving to South Devon a whole new world of critters opened up. It is some sort of midge or tiny moth and the only solution we have found is to grow them under a fleece. I tried transplanting the young leeks without trimming them on the theory the insect might be attracted by smell, like carrot fly, but the result was the same. Sounds like the pest is moving north is you have it now. Look at the base of the leaves and in the stem for tunnels.

i have the same problem,i sadly spray them with bug killer which works well.ive have heard that if you run your hand from the base on the plant and gently hold the plant firmy and pull up,pulling some of the plant off, it kills the bug and the plant comes back better.

TB

 

[MJBee]

The drought has ended in the Dordogne - 58mm/2.3" in the last 14 hours
Mike