Growing on Pumpkins

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Growing Pumpkins

You can use the below instructions and apply them to virtually all Winter Squashes too!

1. Two weeks before planting or sowing seed outdoors, make planting pockets 1.8m (6ft) apart. Do this by making a hole about a spade’s depth, width and height and fill with a mixture of compost or well-rotted manure and soil. Sprinkle a general fertiliser over the soil. Plant one plant or seed on top of each pocket. 2. For indoor-raised seedlings, plant outside on top of your planting pocket in late may to early June, hardening off (acclimatising) before doing so. Do this by moving them into a coldframe for a week or, if you don’t have a coldframe, move plants outdoors during the day, then bring in at night for a week. The following week, leave them out in a sheltered spot all day and night. Create a moat so water stays where it is needed. You can also grow pumpkins in growbags or containers (at least 45cm/18in wide). Plant one or two per growbag, or one per container.
3. Keep the soil constantly moist by watering around the plants not over them. As they need plenty of water, sink a 15cm (6in) pot alongside the plants when planting out. Water into this and it will help ensure the water goes right down to the roots and does not sit around the neck of the plant, which can lead to rotting.
4. Feed every 10-14 days with a high potash liquid fertiliser once the first fruits start to swell. Examples: Any of the quality Tomato Liquid Feeds,
5. The fruit of pumpkins should be supported off the soil on a piece of tile or glass.

Category: Recipes

Aubergine Parmigiana

This simple aubergine parmigiana recipe from Italy makes a cosy mid-week meal. Serve this cheese, tomato and aubergine bake as a vegetarian main dish, with some wholewheat garlic bread or a peppery rocket salad, or you can also make it as a hearty side for for a meat dish.!

Classic Rhubarb Crumble

Classic Rhubarb Crumble
Growing up this was my favourite dessert & seeing as only my dad and I liked it I always had a massive portion!

One-Pot Roast Pork Chops with Fennel & Potatoes

Super easy and super tasty dish!

Category: The Growing Season

Jobs to do in May

May is usually one of the busiest months

The soil is warm and the plants growing well. But watch out for a sneaky late frost.

The Growing Season

The Growing Season varies in different parts of the United Kingdom, but in Hatfield Peverel we are blessed with a milder climate and enjoy a longer season than many parts of the country.

In this section of the web site I have tried to separate the season out into monthly sections to help and guide you through the most popular tasks and crops regularly grown on the allotment site, but if you would like a feature made of a particular vegetable or task, please get in touch and I will do my best to add it to the web site for you.

Jobs to do in January

Jobs to do on the Allotment in January
January is generally a very cold month with hard frosts freezing the ground and when the ground isn't frozen it is generally too wet to do much although there are no guarantees with British weather. Looking through my diaries, snow isn't that likely for a prolonged period but you never know.

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