Storing Potatoes In Clamps

Storing Potatoes In Clamps

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Last Autumn - after harvesting most of my maincrop potatoes - I decided to try leaving some in the ground over winter. The variety - Pink Fir Apple.

Clamping - keeping root crops in the ground - is an old way of storing and preserving crops.

Some growers build clamps from well draining material such as sand.
Crops left in waterlogged soil are likely to rot.

My plot is fairly free draining -  so all I did was earth up the rows of potatoes some more.

Just before Christmas I dug some up - with good results.
See my earlier post:
Sunday On The Allotment - Winter Harvest

But I didn't have time to harvest them all, so left about half a row in the ground. When I returned to my plot this month, I didn't expect any of the potatoes to be left in an edible state.

But I dug up the row anyway - and was pleasantly surprised they were in good condition - and had a decent amount to take home.

So - I'll definitely give this a try again this year - and maybe try clamping other root crops such as carrots.

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Visit my website - Allotment Growing
- for lots more information, growing tips and photos:
Allotment Growing

You might also enjoy:
Allotment Growing - Backyard Potatoes

Wildlife Pond - Frog and Frogspawn

Wildlife Pond - Frog and Frogspawn

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A couple of years ago I created a small pond in our back garden - simply by sinking a plastic washing up bowl into one of the beds.

Simple - and cheap !

I simply filled it with rainwater from the water butt - and left it alone for nature to take her course.

I was delighted when a frog took up residence after a few weeks. I'd heard that frogs will always seek out water and move in - but wasn't sure if it would work.

Last summer I was even more pleased when a second frog moved in.

This Spring - for the first time - there is frogspawn in the pond.

It just shows - even a small pond like this can foster wildlife. Well worth doing - can't wait to see if we have baby frogs later in Spring.

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Visit my website - Allotment Growing
- for lots more information, growing tips and photos:
Allotment Growing

You might also enjoy:
Allotment Growing - Wildlife

Sunday On The Allotment - Sowing Peas

Allotment With A Sea View - St Ives Cornwall

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I managed to dodge some of the showers and get out to the allotment for a couple of hours - Spring is here - lots to do - and enjoy.

My task for the day was sowing peas.

Two varieties - Meteor - a first early variety.

Hurst Green Shaft - a second early.

I dug out two shallow drills - about an inch deep - with the hoe.

I then sowed the pea seeds in a double row in each drill.

Seeds spaced about four inches apart.

Backfilled with soil, marked out the rows.

Finally - covered with net cloches.

This will provide protection from birds and other wildlife - as the seedlings emerge.

I've also sown some pea seeds in cardboard tubes - at home in my garden.

These will provide some more seedlings - as backups in case any of my sowing on the plot fails - or additional seedlings for some additional rows.

More - Allotment Blog - Sowing Peas In Cardboard Tubes

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Visit my website - Allotment Growing
- for lots more information, growing tips and photos:
Allotment Growing

You might also enjoy:
Allotment Growing - Peas

St Ives Allotment - Spring Is Here

St Ives Allotment - Spring - Looking Good

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Good to be back out on my allotment over the last few days - as the weather has warmed and the incessant rain has dried up at last.

The plot is in fairly good shape after the Winter.

The work done back in November to clear the plots and mulch with compost seems to have paid off - the growing beds are mostly clear of weeds:
Allotment Blog - Autumn Jobs - Preparing Beds

All ready to move forward with Spring sowing and planting - I'll be starting with potatoes, broad beans and peas.

My only disappointment was my Autumn sown broad beans.

Every year I sow three or four rows of Aquadulce Claudia - which grow on slowly through the winter - then speed up in Spring to give me an early crop.

This year - for the first time - they have mostly failed - with only a few straggly plants left.



No matter - I've simply sown some more seed - which should germinate and grow over the coming weeks.
Allotment Blog - Autumn Sown Broad Beans

I am really happy to be back allotmenting after a long Winter - lots to look forward to - more news coming here soon.