Allotment News Barbara Cousins

Pigeons and Perpetual Cabbage

22 March 2016:

We have put the potatoes in at the allotment. They are second-earlies so we are a little early planting and we will have to make sure we cover any shoots with fleece if a frost is forecast. The ones we are growing are called Kestrel and they are very resistant to slug and wire worm damage which is one of the reasons we have chosen them. We have grown them for the last few years and they are a delicious all round potato, good with salads in summer and also for chips or baked potatoes later in the year.

The pigeons have arrived and found our purple spouting Broccoli and the remains of the Cavolo Nero kale. The plants were all covered with netting for protection but the pigeons must have sat on top and bounced until the netting was sitting on the plants. They could then reach through the holes in the netting and pick off all the tender green shoots. We have raised the netting again and will just have to see if we can rescue any crops for ourselves.

A friend gave us some shoots of Perpetual cabbage. He just ripped shoots off the stems of his plants and I have potted them up in some sandy soil. They are still in a pot but looking quite healthy so hopefully they are producing a good root system ready to be planted out. I’m not sure how long the plants will last but they should provide us with individual cabbage leaves for the next couple of years.