Katrina’s Allotment Diary
Looking back, April has been one hell of strange month! We had a blanket of snow then just a week ago, around the time when I filmed this video, we had soaring temperatures of 27 degrees! None the less I have achieved so much on the plot and some big changes have taken place.
I’m back on your screens in my second allotment garden video! If you remember from my New Year Resolutions post, I’m making an effort to shoot more video content this year. Not only have I set up a dedicated Homegrown.Garden YouTube channel, but I’m also having fun shooting more stories on Instagram too!
In this episode, I’ll give you a tour around my plot at St. Ann’s Allotments so you can get a better idea of what my patch of dirt really looks like, as well as my (now) tidy and organised shed! I’ll share my ambitious plans for the year ahead, and show you some exciting activity that has taken place in my wildlife pond, in between the heavy snowfall.
At 29 minutes, this video is a bit of a lengthy one. They won’t all be this long I promise! So make yourself a cuppa and get comfy. I apologise in advance for my nervousness, the interrupting chainsaw and rambling! This is only my second video, so if you like what I’m doing let me know and I might even invest in a little fuzzy microphone in the future!
Trug handmade by Loldeantimber.
January is the perfect time for planning your allotment garden but It’s also a time to go crazy at the sales! I’ve been shopping like mad, grabbing as many plant bulbs as I could, tools and things I didn’t realise I needed, before waddling to the till trying not to drop anything. In my first EVER vlog, I share all the garden goodies that I bought from Homebase and B&Q in the sales!
I can’t believe it’s September already and the growing season has almost come to an end! I thought I would do one last tour of the polytunnel (below) to show how the plants have progressed with their new support and water systems in place.
Continue reading “September Polytunnel Video Tour”
It’s been almost a month since my last polytunnel post, when I planted out the tomatoes with string supports. Everything is growing well, the tomatoes are loving their support system and have lots of flowers and fruits. I keep the polytunnel door open permanently to prevent blight even though it’s quite cool. I also feed the tomatoes every Friday with a liquid feed. Check out the video at the botttom of my post for a tomato tour! 🍅😄 I’ve just harvested the first of honeybee tomatoes and they’re so sweet! I can’t wait to try these in a Mediterranean veg tonight.
I’ve learnt a few lessons from last year. I grew too many tomato plants in too little space which meant there wasn’t enough airflow and most of the plants succumbed to blight before I could harvest the bulk of the fruit. The plants grew in big plant pots which I sunk into the ground. I watered them from the top of the pots, but since I didn’t remove the base of the pot (I drilled it instead), the roots weren’t spreading or taking up enough water.
I’m doing things differently in the polytunnel this year. Gone are the days of wonky bamboo canes that inevitably poke me in the eyes, head and/or face. The future is string! At least, I hope it is. I planted out all my tomato plants at the weekend, using a new system that I hope will increase my harvest, reduce the risk of diseases, improve watering and take the frustration out of using those bloomin’ bamboo canes. Continue reading “Supporting Polytunnel Tomatoes with String”
After a few months deliberating which one to buy, another month of waiting for it to arrive and weeks of clearing the un-touched ground, my polytunnel finally stands proud at the highest point of the plot. [Erected on 31/05/2016]
Homegrown Garden 
