In Hythe, Hampshire we had our first hard frost on the 8 th November.

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1 In Hythe, Hampshire we had our first hard frost on the 8 th November. That was no bad thing as the Elephant garlic was planted out a few days before. My usual method, a handful of potash to every square yard, hoed into the topsoil. Then holes were dibbered 9 apart and the garlic settled into each hole so that there was a minimum of 2 of soil covering each one. Notice the size of the bag compared to the box. My old neighbour Tim on plot 40 has given up. A new couple Ann and Bob have taken it on and seem very keen. Within a week or so they had most of the plot dug and a strawberry bed planted up. Now Bob is erecting this rather natty paling fence. The mild dry weather has allowed me to get on with the Autumn digging and tackling various jobs. One of which was moving this 8x6 foot greenhouse to a position of better light. At the top of the allotment it was under a large oak tree. This once thriving young apple tree on a neighbours allotment has succumbed to fire blight. This was once a reportable disease, now endemic in Hampshire this disease is only required to be reported to DEFRA if it turns up in nursery stock. We lost our 10 year old Conference pear on our plot. Cut down and burnt. Which is what happened to this apple tree shortly after I took the photo.

2 Last year I bought in three additional varieties of Strawberry. This year I took one runner off each plant for transplanting to the fertile soil of the allotment. The spares were left at the bottom of the plot in time honoured fashion for others to enjoy. Florence is a vigorous later season variety, so don t crowd them. I give them plenty of room, these are spaced 18 apart. Taken on the 5 th Nov. After the frost this courgette was dead. Mind you it had done us proud, Black Forest is already on my seed list for It s time to select a few blanch leeks for seeding.

3 This Pendle Improved, grown on the allotment with no molly coddling has made a good size and is a candidate for seeding. Above photo, the bottom 6 has been cut off and stripped down to the size of the root plate. It was then put into a 2 gallon bucket containing a tablespoon of Jet 5 disinfectant for 20 mins to kill off any nasty's. Thick bleach will also do the job. This photo shows the leek prior to stripping down. The roots are trimmed to half an inch long. The leek is then potted up into a large pot containing a 50/50 mix of sterilised topsoil and potting compost.

4 In a few days new top growth will appear. The leeks will spend the winter in a cold green house with the lights and doors open. They would be quite happy outside but the last few winters have been very wet, the leeks can stand the cold but not being waterlogged for months on end. And of course as the new leeks are set away those started last year are now being harvested from the heads. I try to grow the heads until November before transplanting the young grass leeks into plugs. These were set away in late Oct. The compost used is Levingtons F2s seed compost. They will receive no additional heat until 1 st Dec. I am just keeping them frost free until then. Autumn weekends in the New Forest have always included a walk to pick some delicious fungi. This magnificent Boletus is very good eating. Now it seems we have been banned from picking because commercial concerns scour the forest for them. So it is the casual picker that is made to suffer, whilst some commercial concerns are still allowed to continue raping the forest of this autumn bounty. Back on the Allotment The Lima asparagus grown from one year old crowns has flourished. I make sure all the foliage is well supported so all the nutrients can be reabsorbed into the roots. Once the foliage is quite dead it can be cut and burnt. Thus getting rid of any asparagus beetles that may be lurking in the hollow canes. A good earthing up of manure will see them through the winter.

5 Saved Potatoes These potatoes are being saved for seed. I usually do this for the harder to source varieties or if I have some that exhibit better qualities than normal. I retained the Kestrel because of their superior colour. Kestrel as a variety is a fantastic potato but on the show bench we want them with good blue patches. That colour is something that is fading this variety. Until next time John Trim