Leeks & Shallots

Well I've finally made a start to my 2013 season.  I planted my show shallots on the 23rd of December. I've got 16 potted up in 6 inch polypots and the remaining 8 are in 4inch square pots.  I already started some away that were producing green shoots but I'm not holding out much hope for them.

These will sit in an unheated green house and hopefully take root and I'll plant them up into 25ltr feed buckets, 3 to a bucket.   this is the first time I will have tried this method so will probably only do 4 buckets and plant the rest out in my onion bed.

Here are some leeks I've started away.  The 9 on the right of the plant label were pips |I started off of a head I received from Sandy Robertson from Rothiemay.  The other six are seeds from a variety called Snowdon.  These were all started at the end of October so we will see how I get on with them.

Here are some Leeks which are further on that I got from David Metcalfe, the breeder of "The Pendle Improved" leek.  I got these leeks on the 19th of November and potted them up right away.  Unfortunately the sulked a fair bit on potting up but are now starting to grow on. They are about 10inch tall and are starting to root right down to the bottom of the pots.  They are all getting 12 hours under my T5 lights and the temp is being kept as close to 55 degrees as I can.  They are also being sprayed twice a week with SB plant invigorator.

As you can see my own started leeks are behind the Dave Metcalfe leeks but were started later.

My good friend Helen has started some Leeks for me and I'm hoping to get them this Friday.  along with another 12 or so from another friend Neil  I'm hoping to get myself another light so that I can make sure they are all growing on well.

Season 2013

I was lucky enough to win in the raffle12 HDN Shallots at the NVS Scottish Branch seminar last Saturday.  On close inspection they had all started to shoot so after taking advice from the forum I decided to plant them up today along with 4 of my own shallots.  As I have not yet ordered up my Levingtons compost I decided to try and mix my own, levingtons give you the analysis of their composts on their web site.  I purchased some of B&Q general purpose compost which is 59% peat this I mixed with shredded peat I had then sieved out the rubbish.  I then added N,P&K  along with some lime to ensure the pH was correct and Perlite to aid drainage.

I had also discovered that a number of the top Shallot growers dip their shallots in a fungicide prior to planting to protect against any nasties so I gave them a dip in Rovral.  I was slightly disappointed to discover that some of the shallots I won were suffering from soft neck rot so after careful inspection I had 7 to pot up along with 4 of my own.  I have labelled the 7 differently from my own and it will be interesting to monitor their progress through out the growing season.  All the shallots are in 13 cm square pots in my unheated greenhouse.  The season begins.  

NVS Scottish Branch Seminar

On Saturday I attended the Scottish Branch of the NVS annual seminar at Penicuik.  This is my second seminar and it was a very well run and informative day.  Not only did I meet up with a number for fellow grower but also caught up with friends from through out Scotland and  England it was great.  The main veg speakers were Dave Metcalf (Mr Pendle Improved) himself and Eric Craik (on growing a collection) Both men were very informative and if I manage to remember a 10th of what they told us I'll be doing well.  Mr Barbour of JBA seed potatoes gave a great talk on the challenges of the commercial potato grower.

I also met a couple of very nice ladies who are thinking of taking up growing veg for showing and as I said to them on Saturday go for it and by joining the NVS and the members forum there is a wealth of knowledge which is given freely by some top growers, which no doubt helped me greatly this season.

It was great to see Neil Muirhead, Helen Vincent and my fellow islander Niall Currie along with a number of fellow members/growers from further North than me.

Pictures from Dufftown 2012 Show

Hi folks sorry I've not been posting much but like most folk I've taken a wee break to re charge the batteries and get ready for 2013. But before I start I'd like to post the only three pictures I've managed to retrieve from the ether.

Below was my plate of Harmony which won best plate of potatoes

Here is my board with Blue Belle and Harmony which won the Andrew Rugg trophy for best mixed collection.

This was my Parsnips "Polar" which I was very happy with. So its on to the planning for 2013.  On the 17th of November I'm off to the Scottish Branch (NVS) seminar in Edinburgh.  Its nearly 4 hrs from my home but I went last year and it was a great day.  Hopefully I'll meet up with fellow bloggers and NVS forum users and pick up some useful tips from the speakers.  Which I'll post later in the week.   

Dufftown Horticultural Society Show Results

Well today has been a great day for me.  As I said earlier Dufftown is a two day show and I benched on Friday night.  looking at what was already there I thought I'd be lucky to make any impact.  Well how wrong I was.  12 firsts 2 seconds and a third.  Most firsts in section plus best plate of potatoes and cup for matched white and coloured plates of potatoes shown on a tray.

If that was not enough I was introduced to a lot of fine growers in the Banff and Aberdeenshire area, with offers of coming to see there growing set up and the fellow who won the collection class and the leek class gave me one to put down for pips next year.

I was even introduced as ("up & coming") Although I'm no spring chicken these growers all had time for a chat it was great.

Sorry not pictures as they are floating about in space just need to get them.

Forres & District Flower Show results

Well after a very stressful Friday trying to prepare veg for two shows I managed to bench 11 exhibits at Forres today.  Sorry no pictures as phone was dead at show.  6 firsts 3 seconds and a third.  So really pleased.  This show has been won by the same fellow for years and this is the first time he has had any real competition   unfortunately he is not very talkative and I did not manage to have much of a blether with him.  I had firsts in potato board and both coloured & whites. Peas, Stump carrots and Beetroot, my seconds were my veg collection which consisted of Leeks, Celery,Parsnips,Stumps & Peas: other seconds were Pair of Caulies and Cucumber with a second set of stumps getting third.
So all in all a happy chappie just need to start to plan for next year now and see if I can make further improvement.

Only one more Sleep

Well only one more sleep till I bench at Dufftown tomorrow night.  Never been to the show but at every show I've been to this year I was asked if I would be benching at Dufftown. Also was handed a Schedule by a gentleman I've never met before at my last show and told"give this one a go" So my interest duly pricked I'm hoping to have a number of entries for benching on Friday night.  I have already got my white & coloured potatoes sorted plus my Board with three varieties and a tray with a white and a coloured.  Will try a collection and hopefully will have Parsnips and long beet plus Caulies Peas cucumber and stump carrots.  Then on Saturday morning will hopefully have the same again at my local show.  Will be busy tomorrow.

Only 8 days to go

Its only 8 days till my last two Shows.  Forres on Saturday the 8th September and Dufftown which is a two day show also on 8th & 9th September. Its going to be a bit of a struggle but hope to have enough for a collection at both, plus potato collection at both and some Celery, Shallots and Peas. Also will lift my Long Beet and Parsnips but dont hold out much hope for them.  But will wait and see.  I'm taking the Friday off to get stuff ready and will work away at my potatoes during the next eight days.

Lhanbryde & District Show results

Well we have all heard of people being lucky, today I think it happened to me (to an extent) Having decided that I could not commit to going to the NVS Scottish branch show at Kelso on sunday I threw my self into Lhanbryde show.  !8 entries with 14 firsts 2 seconds and 2 thirds it was a successful day. I also got the Spey fruit cup for onion sets , Best Exhibit in fruit & veg and Best Exhibit in show for my stump carrots.  This was way beyond my own dreams. I have a couple of pics

  

Lhanbryde & District Show

Well after much debate (mainly with myself) & Mrs M.  We have decided that we cant make the NVS branch show at Kelso this Sunday.  So instead I will attempt to stage something in the region of 18 entries at Lhanbryde.  I have already got the Potato dishes and board sorted and my carrots, onions and shallots up. Caulies and beetroot plus celery to sort. Will post some pics tomorrow before the show if I can.  Still having real problems with vermin in the plot and had to lift the kitchen carrots (bed 1.5mtr x 3mtrs) yesterday with only a 3 gallon bucket of carrots left due to Vole predation. Not happy.  

Furry F*****g Things

Once again the world of veg growing as known to yours truly is turning into a disaster.  Earlier this year I suffered at the hands or should I say teeth of the common vole. This little furry creature decided to eat a tray of Onions, Leeks, and Peppers plus some garlic. I then trapped four and relocated them  the standard 2 miles away, jobs a goodun I thought.  Last week my farmer neighbour had had enough of the building plot which lies between us as it was growing wild with weeds and moved in and mowed them down.  All wild life seems to have relocated to Hoss's "Pondarosa"  So far I have lost 8 of the 15 Caulies that were coming along nicely for the Kelso NVS show. Traps set and 5 voles caught already but still veg disappearing.  Not F##k##g Funny.

Nairn & District Show Results

Well after a hectic early morning I bench 11 exhibits at Nairn this morning.  The show was not as well supported this year and the exhibitors I spoke to all blamed the weather.  With that in mind there were still some very good exhibits there.  So you can imagine my delight and surprise when I went back this afternoon to find that I had managed 9 firsts and 2 seconds from my 11 entries.  With my collection being judged best exhibit in the veg section and also winning the cup for most points in the section.

 My collection, with Pendle Improved, Blue Belle, Kelsae, show Perfection and Sweet candle. This was awarded Best in Section

My white potatoes "Harmony"

My Potato Board with NVS Amour,Maxine,Blue Belle & Harmony 

Lastly My globo Onions which were First in the under 250 gms class.

I was also first with my Leeks,Cucumber,Parsley,Shallots & Cauliflower and second with Coloured potatoes and beetroot

Show Tomorrow

These are my stumps for tomorrow.  Given that they were under snow for 3 days and took 3 weeks to germinate I'm happy with the exception that they are too strong.  Stumps still to form properly but will probably be alright tomorrow!!!

Black Isle Show results

Well that's my second show finished and I'm pleased with how things have gone.  Before the show on Wednesday morning I was feeling down as five of my leeks had thrown seed heads and six of my best celery were showing signs of brown heart rot. Which makes them useless for showing and have to be harvested at once if you want to get any use from them.  Any way off to the show with ten entries.  Here are the results

 3rd prize Globo Onions

 2nd Prize Pendle Improved Leeks

 1st prize Parsley

 1st prize Pablo Beet root

 1st prize NVS Sherine

 2nd Prize Maxine

 2nd Prize tattie Board

1st prize lettuce

1st Prize Collection board (69.5)

I also won the trophy for mosy points in Veg section.  Very pleased,

Nairn Agri Show results

Well very happy with my results from yesterday's show.  Five entries and four 1st and a 4th.  So no complaints.  Unfortunately there were not a lot of entries as the weather has taken its toll. Here are the photos of my produce.

1st prize shallots

 1st prize leeks

 1st prize white potatoes (NVS Sherine) 10 in class

1st prize onions from set and 4th prize coloured potatoes (NVS Amour) 12 in class.

Now have to look at produce and see if I can get some better quality for the Black Isle show on Wednesday

First Show of the season

Just back from benching my veg at the first show of my season.  Its not a big show but I like to support it.  I have entered a plate of white potatoes,coloured potatoes,onions from set, shallots and a pair of Leeks.  As I have a bigger show on Wednesday I did not go over board getting entries. So I'll take any tickets I can tomorrow and be happy. When I left the tent there were still not a lot of entries but will just have to wait and see.  I'll take a few photos tomorrow and post them on Sunday.

Happy Morning, Sad Evening

Its been sometime since I last blogged mainly because I've been busy at work and down in Argyll for a break with my good wife.  This morning I was feeling fairly pleased.  My Cauliflowers are filling up nicely, infact to the extent that I've had to take the enviromesh off the bed as the plants were push the mesh to its limit.  As you can see the plants have filled the bed.  They will not be ready for my first couple of shows which is a disappointment, but hopefully will be ready for 11th August. I sprayed with Decis this morning to ward of butterflies etc   

Here are my "Globo" onions with one of my Kelsae they are coming along slowly but I wont need them till 11th August so hopefully they will have ripened and necks shrunk. Then we should have a set or two there.

I thought my Leeks were progressing well with plenty new growth and I have been taking a flag leaf off every 4 or 5 days. The girth is averaging 7 inches and a good 14 to 15 i9nch to the button and still stretching.  That was this morning so off to work quite happy.

This evening just tidying up a couple of leeks when I noticed this one with really light growth.AAAHHHHHH. On closer inspection the dreaded seed head, so out it came.  A good 15 inch blanch with two more flags to come off would have had me at 17 to 18 and this one's girth was just over 7.5.  Can only hope its an isolated incident.  How you can got from happy to despair with a real gut sinking feeling in one fell swoop.  

Growth despite the weather

The weather has been pretty poor this week but the veg are growing despite that. 

 I have 18 inch collars on the celery.  As I've said before this is my attempt at growing celery for showing and I've opted for foil insulation as a collar.  pluses are it keeps the plants cool in the heat (what heat) and warm in the colder weather (every day)  These plants I hope will be ready for the Black Isle show on the 2nd August.  fingers crossed.  

This is my onions from set,  The ones in the fore ground are Hercules and unfortunately they took a fierce beating from the weather recently and I'm struggling to get any quality for showing. 

The peas are now starting to flower and all I need is some sun and plenty bees and we will be in business.  I'm hoping that they will be ready for 11th August but might be pushing it. 

The Leeks have put a spurt on in the last week or so, particularly since I took all the split leaves off.  You can see from the picture above that the button is well up now and about 15 inches.  The collars are 17 inch and I might lengthen them yet.  The leek is about 6 inch in girth so I need them to stop going up and start going out. 

This is my first attempt at the 250 gram class.  the onion above is Globo sown in the middle of February. It is about 8 inches just now and I have put a shinty ball next to it to give you an Idea of scale. (shinty ball is about same size as a tennis ball)

Finally my "large" onions! The one in the picture is 14 inch (shinty ball along side) and I have another 3 about 13 inch so hopefully I can get a set from them. 

Looks more like failure than Success.

Well here is another helping from my garden.  Like every where else Morayshire has had its share of cold wet weather which has held everything back.  My hopes of getting any quality veg ready for the NVS Scottish Branch Show at Kelso on the 26th of August have all but disappeared.  Some of this has been down to the weather but I have to admit there is a fair amount of it down to me not being well enough organised. That being said I have not given up hope all together and the 26th is still nearly 8 weeks away.   

 Here is my Parsnips (Polar). you may remember that after sowing they were then covered by 5inch of snow.  The foliage is about 14 inches and I'm hoping I will get some for my local show on the second week of September 

I've got a whole bed of Cauliflowers like this one.  I had hoped they would be ready for Kelso. But I think I might be a little early with them.  If that is the case I have a show on the 11th of August. The plants are 2ft apart so that gives you some Idea of the size they are now.  As you will notice I have them under enviromesh to keep them clear of butterflys etc.  

This is some of my Pablo beet root. The plants in the fore ground have only recently been singled whilst the plants in the background are growing on strongly and I have hopes of getting some ready for possibly early August.  

This is one of my Stump root carrot beds. These were also covered in snow and took almost 4 wks to germinate.  However as you can see are now growing strongly but will not be big enough for the NVS show at kelso.  In the fore ground is some more beet root.

Here is a close up of the sweet candle, it is about the thickness of my index finger.

Well these are my peas but as you can see I've balls up with the camera and it looks like they are growing on their side.  The plants of my first sowing are about 28 inches and look to be ready to flower.  I'm hoping to have some for the 11th of August.

Well folks that's all for now please feel free to comment.

Me & the Boy

Well as the weather is really ##i## I thought I'd put a rugby post up.  here is one of my oldest lad & me after we had played and won the Brin cup at the beginning of May.  It's a great feeling playing in the same time as your son.  We both play front row and I can't explain the feeling of joy we had that day as it was our old adversaries RAF Lossiemouth we thumped.  Happy days.

 

The above picture was taken earlier in the season when we played St Andrews Uni.  Unfortunately we lost that game which would have gained us promotion to the Caledonia 1 .  Anywho I think the lad got a bit of a shock as I ran over him.