Just love seeing those luscious onions Steve. So many people waste a big part of the onion by letting the tops go brown but its amazing food. Dried in chunks or powdered it make wondrous seasoning to add to a bouillon and sprinkle on eggs or put in salad dressings.
Yeah, we grow thousands of salad onions, so we have so so many onion tops! Onions do keep best though when you leave the leaves on to dry, so for keepers we leave the tops on : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards I very much under valued onions because of how cheap they are but now watching their glory as they grow, harvesting and processing then eating is such sheer joy, I changed my mind entirely 😃
We get through 4000 scallions a year, that’s about £700, so just the savings on the scallions bill pays for my whole gardening enterprise with a bit of a surplus
Hi Steve it took my breath away when you estimated your harvest value. I think I harvested approximately £5 so far this year. I still, after 13 years on my allotment, have so much to learn but what drives me on is the sheer enjoyment and pleasure I get from my plot and the positive mental health it provides me as well. 👍👍😁😁
It is a great way to live Andrew, there’s so much potential to harvest all year round, the harvest in mid winter is small, maybe £1000 but the harvest in autumn and spring makes a huge difference
Yeah, it's a shame to see those pitiful plants though, it annoys me every time, but they have ripe fruits on them now, so I will give them a few weeks before I compost them! : All the best - Steve
Another super video. A real encouragement to show what is possible and help to go about it. My allotment is absolutely crammed and the range of things to harvest grows by the day. Hoping for a bit of a breather as everything pretty much in, plot full, reasonably healthy brassicas lining up for when a bed comes free and more seeds sown. Your channel and ebook give me a really good reference point. This is only my second summer on the plot. I love it. Thank you!
Another great tour Steve, I have a lot of leaf miner and its the worst I've had to date with my Artichokes getting ruined and green fly is getting bad. Everthing is looking so healthy Steve and so much produce I think your Allotment neighbours are all in awe. Great stuff Steve. All the best Ian.
We have some great summer veg growers on out site Ian, so mine doesn't look particularly special at this time of year, although I have more peppers, melons and squash than others. Mine stands out more in the other three seasons and it's a nice challenge for me to not compromise my summer production, while trying to get year round production too : All the best - Steve
Thanks, if you look in my ebook, almost every growing guide has a section on what to plant before, after and interplant with: steverichards.notion.site/Individual-growing-guides-bc279089de074c0ab0bfedc4f41d54dd?pvs=4 : All the best - Steve
Hi Steve, I noticed your cabbages are there uncovered but looking glorious. Any tips on how you manage that would be greatly appreciated. I have a bed of red cabbage interplanted with leeks which I have a net house for but I have 10 surplus plants which need to get out & I’d like to have uncovered. I have no more covers but am aware that butterflies might well get at them if they’re out. I’m on my second growing season as a newbie allotment gardener so just learning. Your videos are a huge help & really inspire me to maximise the amount of food that I can provide for my family, thank you.
I have a general discussion on the pros and cons of nets in the basics section of my ebook, the chapters are the ones of growing under covers and the one on pests. Each veg type has a section on pests in its individual growing guide, but I’m not one to suffer or obsess about pests so they are not always that comprehensive. steverichards.notion.site/Outgrow-6f57489ae10a4721b48b421826203814?pvs=4
Haven’t started my winter carrots yet as it’s been so hot, but will just have to get it done this week I think, and try and do what I can to keep the seeds moist! What kind of temps have you been getting in your polytunnel Steve? Mine has been hitting 55c over the last few weeks! 🥵🥵
It's not too bad in the tunnel, I have the double doors open at both ends all the time and one end has a mylar blanket up to reflect out the heat (that's where I sit) probably about 38. I watered my winter/spring carrots TWICE a day but it was worth it, I got close to 100% germination : All the best - Steve
Just out of interest how often have you been watering for the last 2-3 weeks Steve? I've been watering every other day probably, admittedly probably a little too much but I'll taper off now I know there's plenty of water in the ground. Been focusing on early spuds and celery. We're on top of a hill so water table can drop a good bit. Thick clay soil underneath my mulch though so it should hold water further down. I know you're on sandy loam. Hard to resist watering in this heat haha! Beautiful dry weather has kept garlic rust to a minimum so far :)
I'm watering twice a week under cover and once a week for the rest, except new seedlings and carrots not yet germinated, which are getting every other day. The nights are still cool, which is helping and most of my beds have a nice fluffy mulch. I'm happy that 6" down there's plenty of water now, which is always a challenge for me being on sand and growing year round as brassicas especially pull a lot of water from the ground in spring : All the best - Steve
All the cucumbers died and the squash, tomatoes and peppers had no root development. It was quite a shock, luckily I only used this bad compost for my early successions, the later ones were all fine as normal
I did do a video about it a while back, but there's not much I can share really. I didn't get to the bottom of what was wrong with it, just everything that grew in it either just died (cucumbers) or didn't develop any roots (tomatoes, peppers, courgettes) some of the plants survived after planting, but not many of them thrived as the damage was done. Some suspect that it held onto water too much, but the supplier didn't think that was the problem, but they offered no other explanation as I didn't have any left to send to them to investigate : All the best - Steve
Some of my seedlings, small pots have held too much water. I’ve used so many different types I can’t be sure which was which. I’m going to look more closely at ingredients in compost in future and especially if it says they have a wetting agent, although I don’t really know if that would be a problem.
Are you still having cold nights ? Coz here near Huddersfield we haven’t had a night temperature above 10C . 1/6/23 = 6C in the greenhouse & last night 8.3C. Looks like I’ve lost my Cayenne peppers
Yes, it's been cold, regularly down to 7c, but my stuff is well hardened off, so although a few things are sulking, I've not lost anything yet. My first dozen chilli peppers have been harvested now, lots more on the way : All the best - Steve
What do you like to do with the kale Steve? I have often juiced or made smoothies with kale and cabbage but now think it contributes to intestinal pain for me. Do you slice it and stir fry or steam it for adding to a roast dinner? I hate those kale chip people rave about.
We mainly steam it, but Debbie sometimes includes it - blended - into soups, some of the kids make it into smoothies and the grandkids and Debbie do in fact like kale chips : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards Good idea to blend it into soups, stews and casseroles especially with a bone broth. I just thought of strips steamed and added to minestrone too...my favourite!
So your early one and my April sown one have both given the same fruits by the sound of it. I’ve had 3 full sized fruits so far and harvesting 2 a week now
Yeah, they will always bolt at this time of year, I’m on my third succession this year. You can choose a variety like Joi Choi it resists bolting longer than usual : all the best - Steve
Sorry Jamie, just realised I didn't actually answer the question, I sowed it 6 weeks ago, planted 3 weeks ago and started harvesting on Sunday : All the best - Steve
Looking great, you’re going to have lots of produce 🌱🌱🌱
If I get it right not too much, I'm trying to harvest roughly the same every week of the year : All the best - Steve
Just love seeing those luscious onions Steve. So many people waste a big part of the onion by letting the tops go brown but its amazing food. Dried in chunks or powdered it make wondrous seasoning to add to a bouillon and sprinkle on eggs or put in salad dressings.
Yeah, we grow thousands of salad onions, so we have so so many onion tops! Onions do keep best though when you leave the leaves on to dry, so for keepers we leave the tops on : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards ah, I see. I can't grow enough to store them.
@@SteveRichards I very much under valued onions because of how cheap they are but now watching their glory as they grow, harvesting and processing then eating is such sheer joy, I changed my mind entirely 😃
We get through 4000 scallions a year, that’s about £700, so just the savings on the scallions bill pays for my whole gardening enterprise with a bit of a surplus
Hi Steve it took my breath away when you estimated your harvest value. I think I harvested approximately £5 so far this year. I still, after 13 years on my allotment, have so much to learn but what drives me on is the sheer enjoyment and pleasure I get from my plot and the positive mental health it provides me as well. 👍👍😁😁
It is a great way to live Andrew, there’s so much potential to harvest all year round, the harvest in mid winter is small, maybe £1000 but the harvest in autumn and spring makes a huge difference
Always impressed with what you achieve. Thanks for sharing
good show, cheers Steve
Your plot looking amazing and u have tomatoes lol. Your peas are great. Cant wait to see how the plot comes along
We just started eating tomatoes this week Mark : all the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards I think I'm gonna try earlier tomato next year.
@@markshaw5835 90% of my tomatoes are small plants, only a few flowers, just a few earlies : All the best - Steve
Yea most of mine are small plants, just wanna see if I can get an earlier crop, I love tomatoes
Almost all looking good Steve, a pity about those demic tomato plants in the bas compost but you will have plenty in reserve, Take care.
Yeah, it's a shame to see those pitiful plants though, it annoys me every time, but they have ripe fruits on them now, so I will give them a few weeks before I compost them! : All the best - Steve
Another super video. A real encouragement to show what is possible and help to go about it. My allotment is absolutely crammed and the range of things to harvest grows by the day. Hoping for a bit of a breather as everything pretty much in, plot full, reasonably healthy brassicas lining up for when a bed comes free and more seeds sown. Your channel and ebook give me a really good reference point. This is only my second summer on the plot. I love it. Thank you!
Yeah, I need a rest too, but due to non gardening projects I’m not going to get much of one before October
Another great tour Steve, I have a lot of leaf miner and its the worst I've had to date with my Artichokes getting ruined and green fly is getting bad.
Everthing is looking so healthy Steve and so much produce I think your Allotment neighbours are all in awe.
Great stuff Steve.
All the best Ian.
I think they are just happy to pop onto the plot to help me deal with my abundance : All the best - Steve
We have some great summer veg growers on out site Ian, so mine doesn't look particularly special at this time of year, although I have more peppers, melons and squash than others. Mine stands out more in the other three seasons and it's a nice challenge for me to not compromise my summer production, while trying to get year round production too : All the best - Steve
I love your videos, they often gove me ideas what I might plant together/up/next, to save space! Thank you!
Thanks, if you look in my ebook, almost every growing guide has a section on what to plant before, after and interplant with: steverichards.notion.site/Individual-growing-guides-bc279089de074c0ab0bfedc4f41d54dd?pvs=4 : All the best - Steve
Hi Steve, I noticed your cabbages are there uncovered but looking glorious. Any tips on how you manage that would be greatly appreciated. I have a bed of red cabbage interplanted with leeks which I have a net house for but I have 10 surplus plants which need to get out & I’d like to have uncovered. I have no more covers but am aware that butterflies might well get at them if they’re out. I’m on my second growing season as a newbie allotment gardener so just learning. Your videos are a huge help & really inspire me to maximise the amount of food that I can provide for my family, thank you.
I have a general discussion on the pros and cons of nets in the basics section of my ebook, the chapters are the ones of growing under covers and the one on pests. Each veg type has a section on pests in its individual growing guide, but I’m not one to suffer or obsess about pests so they are not always that comprehensive. steverichards.notion.site/Outgrow-6f57489ae10a4721b48b421826203814?pvs=4
Haven’t started my winter carrots yet as it’s been so hot, but will just have to get it done this week I think, and try and do what I can to keep the seeds moist! What kind of temps have you been getting in your polytunnel Steve? Mine has been hitting 55c over the last few weeks! 🥵🥵
It's not too bad in the tunnel, I have the double doors open at both ends all the time and one end has a mylar blanket up to reflect out the heat (that's where I sit) probably about 38. I watered my winter/spring carrots TWICE a day but it was worth it, I got close to 100% germination : All the best - Steve
Just out of interest how often have you been watering for the last 2-3 weeks Steve? I've been watering every other day probably, admittedly probably a little too much but I'll taper off now I know there's plenty of water in the ground. Been focusing on early spuds and celery. We're on top of a hill so water table can drop a good bit. Thick clay soil underneath my mulch though so it should hold water further down. I know you're on sandy loam. Hard to resist watering in this heat haha! Beautiful dry weather has kept garlic rust to a minimum so far :)
I'm watering twice a week under cover and once a week for the rest, except new seedlings and carrots not yet germinated, which are getting every other day. The nights are still cool, which is helping and most of my beds have a nice fluffy mulch. I'm happy that 6" down there's plenty of water now, which is always a challenge for me being on sand and growing year round as brassicas especially pull a lot of water from the ground in spring : All the best - Steve
What are your peas again, please, Steve?
See my guide for all the details steverichards.notion.site/How-to-Grow-Peas-1d46b1a449a846e1b3344f186b561c9c?pvs=4 : All the best - Steve
Hi Steve. Learnt a lot from watching your videos so thanks!
What are the Diet Coke cans for?
The cans were to stop the net that was laid over them from getting damaged
Fantastic. Amazing crops. I missed the bad compost incident, what was it?
All the cucumbers died and the squash, tomatoes and peppers had no root development. It was quite a shock, luckily I only used this bad compost for my early successions, the later ones were all fine as normal
@@SteveRichards that’s so weird and concerning! Thanks for replying!
Hi Steve, The disappointing compost, what can you share about it; - a penny for your thoughts... What´s in it; pesticide residues?
I did do a video about it a while back, but there's not much I can share really. I didn't get to the bottom of what was wrong with it, just everything that grew in it either just died (cucumbers) or didn't develop any roots (tomatoes, peppers, courgettes) some of the plants survived after planting, but not many of them thrived as the damage was done. Some suspect that it held onto water too much, but the supplier didn't think that was the problem, but they offered no other explanation as I didn't have any left to send to them to investigate : All the best - Steve
Some of my seedlings, small pots have held too much water. I’ve used so many different types I can’t be sure which was which. I’m going to look more closely at ingredients in compost in future and especially if it says they have a wetting agent, although I don’t really know if that would be a problem.
It’s a challenge when compost changes from bag to bag
Are you still having cold nights ? Coz here near Huddersfield we haven’t had a night temperature above 10C . 1/6/23 = 6C in the greenhouse & last night 8.3C. Looks like I’ve lost my Cayenne peppers
Yes, it's been cold, regularly down to 7c, but my stuff is well hardened off, so although a few things are sulking, I've not lost anything yet. My first dozen chilli peppers have been harvested now, lots more on the way : All the best - Steve
What do you like to do with the kale Steve? I have often juiced or made smoothies with kale and cabbage but now think it contributes to intestinal pain for me. Do you slice it and stir fry or steam it for adding to a roast dinner? I hate those kale chip people rave about.
We mainly steam it, but Debbie sometimes includes it - blended - into soups, some of the kids make it into smoothies and the grandkids and Debbie do in fact like kale chips : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards Good idea to blend it into soups, stews and casseroles especially with a bone broth. I just thought of strips steamed and added to minestrone too...my favourite!
@@SteveRichards I tell you what is way better than kale chips and that is dehydrated onion sprinkled with cheese powder.
I've got some big salad onions, I'm growing to try that! : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards ooo, excited to see the results xxx
Mornin' Steve. A blimmin slug has eaten the growing tip off one of my courgettes. Will it put out another or should I just pull it out.
I’ve seen some varieties grow side shoots, like Jenner, but not many seem to
Did you at least get a few fruits?
@@SteveRichards no, it was just a young plant. I did get three off my early one but it's not worth the faffing about.
So your early one and my April sown one have both given the same fruits by the sound of it. I’ve had 3 full sized fruits so far and harvesting 2 a week now
When did you sow the Pak Choi? Did mine a few months ago but they have bolted😢
Yeah, they will always bolt at this time of year, I’m on my third succession this year. You can choose a variety like Joi Choi it resists bolting longer than usual : all the best - Steve
Sorry Jamie, just realised I didn't actually answer the question, I sowed it 6 weeks ago, planted 3 weeks ago and started harvesting on Sunday : All the best - Steve
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