Page 23 - ALG Issue 4 2024

THE KINGS PLOT
This year I have grown runner beans Beachmaster, Moonlight and Firestorm at various sowings. I always do an early and later sowing of climbing French bean Cobra, as this is such a heavy cropper, producing beans right from the bottom of the plants right up to the top. Dwarf French bean Stanley has cropped well, and at 45cm tall is a bit easier to harvest.
Sweetcorn looks good and is starting to produce cobs. I have erected a fence around it to try and stop a badger attack.
Part of my plot is also dedicated to
cut flowers.The statice has performed particularly well this year. I also have a bed of sunflowers, dahlias and chrysanthemums, keeping the homegrown cut flower vases full, from summer through to autumn.
The polytunnel is very productive with a plentiful supply of tomatoes, especially the tasty variety Toddler. I also tried the Orange Plum Vivacious: they’re almost seedless and ideal when sliced for sandwiches.The sweet and chilli peppers are just starting to colour up in August and I am picking an abundance of Carmen and Partytime cucumbers.The blight resistant outdoor tomatoes Cocktail Crush andToddler look good and are a little later ripening this year. Every year I
grow a few hanging basket tomatoes; this year the tomato Cherry Falls have been fantastic and well worth growing if you are short of space.
On the Capel St Mary Allotment site in Suffolk, the Best Kept Allotment contest
for 2024 was very close, and I came joint first with plotholder, Dennis Smith. In third place was Lorraine Connolly with a well maintained half plot.This year I also won the Best Polytunnel Plot. In second place was Phil Hickley, and Colin Hayward came third. Congratulations to all the winners. All the plotholders made it look like such a great allotment site.
By now you should have received your Kings Seeds Catalogue filled with many old favourites and over 70 exciting new flower
and vegetable varieties, plus a New Peat Free Seed sowing compost that I have tried and tested, giving equal results to seeds sown in peat. Don’t forget: if any NAS member has a seed problem and needs some free advice, the team at Kings Seeds are always at the end of a phone to help.
Happy Gardening!
Allotment and Leisure Gardener | Issue 4 2024 | 23