Category Archives: Root

Mulberry and Potatoes

7 August 2011 – Allotment Plot 326 – Harvest: Tomato Gardener’s Delight = 3oz = 80g; Beetroot Bolivar = 1lb 4oz = 580g; Potato Madeleine 12lb 15oz = 5.9kg.

8 August 2011 – Allotment Plot 326 – Harvest: Runner Bean Enorma = 2oz = 60g; Potato Madeline 4lb = 1.82kg; Beetroot Bolivar = 1lb 8oz = 700g.

11 August 2011 – Allotment Plot at MERL – A fine mist of rain was falling across the garden. William Morris rolled out of his carpet from where he had been sleeping under the Mulberry Tree. His hands were covered in dark stains from the juice of Mulberry fruits. Ella Montt now understood why he liked the Mulberry Tree so much; the fruits are many and delicious! Mulberry Trees can live for a long time, and they will often look like they are falling down to one side, this is so they can re-root themselves in to the soil to insure their survival. Towards the base of the tree the Mulberry will grow long trailing branches that are also seeking to root themselves.

Ella Montt cut the Nettles and Comfrey growing in the Brick Composter and scattered the leaves over the compost. The Companion Planting’s wild beauty was tamed with a piece of string, because the Cosmos Cosmea was blocking vital sunlight access to the Squash plants. Some of the Pot Marigolds were removed for the same reason and their plant residue was added to the Composter. The Plot was saturated with the vivid colour; green was punctuated by orange, yellow, pink, white and scarlet (the latter from the runner bean plants).

EB stepped out of the reading room window and walked across the garden with a fork. She dug up the first batch of potatoes. As the potatoes were removed from the soil, active earth worms were revealed. The condition of the soil had changed with the introduction and growth of the tubers. The change was a much desired improvement in vital soil fertility. It can take several years to improve soil for optimum growth and equally it can take just as long to deplete the soil of vitality depending on the growing methods employed.

Harvest: Potato Lady Balfour = 5lb 3oz = 2.37kg; Herbs, Mint, Sage, Chives 2oz = 40g; Runner Bean Enorma = 14.5oz = 410g; Bean (French Climbing) Blauhide = 2.5oz = 70g, Blue Lake = 3oz = 80g, Neckarqueen = 1oz = 3og, Barlotta Di Fuoco = 2oz = 50g.

15 August 2011 – Allotment Plot 326 – Harvest: Kale Red Russian Curled = 1oz = 20g; mix of Perpetual Spinach and Rainbow Chard = 6oz = 160g; mix of Beans = 3.5oz = 100g; mix of Peas = 11.5oz = 330g; Tomato Gardener’s Delight = 5.5oz = 160g; 1 Onion Red Baron = 2oz = 60g; 4 x Courgette Cocozelle = 1lb 9oz = 700g; 4 x Courgette Patriot F1 = 6lb 0.5oz = 2.74kg

Transplants

11th May 2011 – In the studio, the cultivation of Comfrey and Sweet Potato plants in glass jars continues. The Sweet Potato’s rhizomatic roots were accumulating in to an amazing mass at one end of the tuber, whilst at the other end of the tuber the vine leaves also sprouted. Soon it will be time to plant the Sweet Potato in to soil. Sweet Potatoes can take from four to six months to develop a substantial vine and tubers in the UK climate. Bob Flowerdew recommends growing the vine vertically in order to save energy and space. A vine that spreads in all directions horizontally across the Plot appeals to Ella Montt, but she will endeavor to grow the Sweet Potato in both formats, horizontally and vertically as part of the Plot. Back at the fixed up greenhouse in another location, other Sweet Potatoes are preparing themselves for this particular experiment. Three more tubers were sitting in glass jars of water, starting to grow roots and a fourth was discovered developing life-like veins in the draw of the refrigerator. The veins suggested that the Sweet Potato was about to mutate in to a vibrant new life form. On 16th May, a shift occurred, the four Sweet Potatoes were transplanted to soil in separate pots in the fixed up greenhouse to continue their process of cultivation. On the 17th May the rooting Comfrey and Sweet Potato were removed from the studio, they journeyed  (in a bicycle pannier) to Allotment Plot 326 and then made another journey to a waiting area in anticipation of their next move.

On Friday 13th May, having gazed in to her crystal ball for what seemed like an eternity, Ella Montt chose to see the day as auspicious rather than ominous and carefully selected plants from the fixed up greenhouse to be transplanted in to new growing positions. The view in the crystal ball that held the uncertain answers to the weather conditions seemed changeable and still cloudy. Ella Montt remained unconvinced that the chance of frost was unlikely, but as it was approaching mid May the risk in planting out frost tender plants was diminishing and so a chance that there would be no or minimal frost damage should be taken. Freak weather occurrences can occur from time to time, snow in May, hail in June, but the crystal ball did not contain that kind of information.

Ella Montt arrived at Allotment Plot at MERL and examined the Plot. The first Comfrey plant had been partially eaten probably by slugs or snails. At least six of the Sunflower plants and three of the Cosmos plants had revived and survived the drought conditions. The Plot was now dominated by the flowering green manure plant Phacelia Tanacetifoli, which was attracting several different types of bees. William Morris arrived at the Plot he had stopped to rest from rowing his boat upriver to Nowhere on the Thames in search of some early haymaking activity. After starring at the Plot intently WM asked Ella Montt if she may design a wall paper for his collection. Then he wrapped himself in his carpet and fell in to a slumber underneath the Mulberry Tree.

Ella Montt had to remove some of the plant material Phacelia Tanacetifolia, because it was obstructing the light from the Broad Beans and also the amount of Bee activity was making it difficult to work around the Plot. (The Broad Beans are nearly ready for their first harvest). The discarded plant material was placed in the Brick Composter to decompose in to a different kind of vital matter. Plenty of flowering plants were left for the Bees to continue their processes. Ella Montt fetched the watering can from the shed and watered the Plot. Although it had rained on the 6th and 7th of May drought was still persistent. Ella Montt spun around and transformed her work wear and identity, (see video evidence). The identity of an allotment holder is no longer predictable.

The Peas could be seen growing through the netting, some plants reached out their tendrils to catch on to the net for support. A snail was found on a Pea plant. The snail was removed from the Plot to the other side of the garden and placed in the wild area.

Packets of salad seeds were opened and a mixture of varieties were combined and then scattered in a row between the Onions and Lady Eve’s Potatoes. The seeds were: Oriental Giant Red Mustard, Mizuna, and Tokyo Bekana, Rocket Wild and Rucola, Lettuce  Lollo Rosso, Brun d’hiver, Marvel of the Four Seasons, (Red) Roxy and Solix.

Ella Montt then planted 9 Sweetcorn True Gold seedlings to one side of a row of Broad Beans and added 3 more Climbing Bean plants to each of the 4 Climbing Bean bamboo pyramids (the 5th pyramid has Dwarf Beans planted next to it). The ground was then prepared amongst the Garlic for planting Squash and Courgette plants. One of each of the following plants were planted: Squash Big Max, Black Futsu, Buttercup, (Pumpkin) Cinderella, Fictor F1, Green Hokkaido, (Pumpkin) Jack O’Lantern, Marina Di Chioggia, Musquee de Provence, and Uchiki Kuri, Courgette Patriot F1 and two Courgette Cocozelle.

It was a cloudy day without much sun, rain levels for the time of year were still exceptionally low. The earth is very dry under its surface.

At Allotment Plot 326 bags of Spinach are being harvested on a regular basis. Two bags were harvested on the 16th May: 1 x 1lb = 420g and 1 x 1lb 2oz = 460g. This has been an ongoing event for the last 4 weeks.

Sweet Potato Root

A solitary white root has appeared on the one remaining (the third) Sweet Potato that sits in a glass jar of water on the table in the studio. The Sweet Potato will need to grow more roots and then it should grow Slips, which are the leafy shoots of the vine. They can be cut off and planted separately and more Slips should grow once the Sweet Potato is in full production. Ella Montt has no previous experience of successfully growing Sweet Potatoes so the prospect of progression is tentatively awaited. D&G were seen peering through the studio window discussing the single root.