Tag Archives: varieties

Allotment 2016

The Final Result

Gallery August 29, 2016 Stephen Cullen Leave a comment

Its been a long season and finally I have had the courage to lift the giant onions.

These onions were sown on 1st January 2016, and were a Christmas present from the good lady.

Picture of a 3lb 5oz giant onion being weighed by a set of digital scales

Picture of giant onions

Picture of giant onions on a table in the greenhouse drying

Picture of a raised bed with the remains of the seasons giant onions ready to pick up

The experiment to grow a big onion used varieties “Ailsea”, “Mammoth Improved” and “Giant Exhibition”.

Potting the seedlings on in March with the addition of “Rootgrow” I was very fortunate this year, unlike last, not to suffer any deaths and they all grew really well in the greenhouse.

Planting these out into their final positions through black sheeting to keep the ground warm and weed free in May this year.

Overall, I think the variety “Ailsea” won the day. The other two varieties did grow really well with 3lb onions in each, but the most consistent large onion was definitely “Ailsea”. And the onion with the biggest roots was “Mammoth Improved”.

I wish I tried them in the greenhouse to see if they would grow any bigger, and the largest this year was 3lb 5oz, which I don’t think is bad for a first attempt.

Allotment 2016, Uncategorized

Aran Spuds

Gallery July 30, 2016 Stephen Cullen Leave a comment

I think I’ve left it really late this year to dig any potatoes.

Picture of the first of the seasons potatoes lying on the soil in a raised bed in the allotment

As usual, Aran Pilot are my first earlies’ and this year looks to be as good as the last.

I have planted other varieties in the top allotment which I hope will be as good as these.

Allotment 2016

First Spuds

Gallery April 3, 2016 Stephen Cullen

It really makes you think when you plant the first spuds that spring is on the way. It certainly is. The bushes and some trees have the first flush of that acid lime-like green in their leaves.

Again planting my favourite first early ‘Arran Pilot’. I seem to have only got two rows out of the bag this year. I wonder if I have planted them closer than usual?

Great to see them in, even if I only got two rows out of them. Il wait some time before I consider planting any of the other varieties in order to avoid a glut of spuds.

The Wonder of the World, The Beauty and the Power, The Shapes of Things, Their Colours Lights and Shades, These I Saw, Look Ye Also While Life Lasts. – "Denys Watkins-Pitchford".