Aberdeen, Scotland
Updated 10 March 2010 13:00
Not Available | 7°C | High: 7°C
Low: 0°C
Wind: 11 kph
Humidity: 47%
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Thursday
10° / 4° | 
Friday
6° / 3° | 
Saturday
10° / 5° |
Sunday
10° / 4° |
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The information on this page is structured so that the most recent information will always be at the top of this page and the earliest at the bottom.
2010
February 6 Yippee, snow has all gone again. Boohoo, its chucking down rain
February 3
Everyone is on the starting blocks ready to get into their allotments as soon as the snow and frost clears and the weather improves. In Aberdeen, our growing season can be as much as 4 weeks behind other parts and our efforts over the next couple of months will be concentrated on getting the ground ready to plant. It will be probably be in to April before we will be in a position to sow or plant anything and then it will be action stations. In the meantime, onion sets and shallots can be started off in pots in the greenhouse to give them a head start. Lets hope 2010 will be an improvement over recent years.
2009
June 13. High summer? Once again it looks as though we are to have a disappointing gardening season. Torrential rain and even hailstones the other day. Most of us will by now have our allotments fully planted apart from perhaps making successive sowings of salad crops and the likes. With the first vigorous growth of weeds behind us and hopefully cleared before getting out of hand, now is the time to make a concerted effort to tidy up around the edges. Potential new plotters should note that plots do not look after themselves and a large commitment of time is needed to keep a plot in good condition. A couple of hours every second weekend is wholly insufficient. Those of us who strive to keep our plots in good order find it very depressing to see neglected plots with weeds about to seed and spread to our plots. If your plot is in this condition, do not be surprised if your fellow plotters invite you to do something about it.
Feb 22. Two fine days in a row and we are all champing at the bit ready to make a start on ground preparation. After such a horrible period of weather it is brilliant to get out in to the sunshine. Don't be tempted to plant anything in the gound yet though. Rather start off the likes of onion sets and shallots in trays in the greenhouse or in a cold frame and plant these out later after the soil warms up. Time also to set up seed potatoes to chit. Be ready to bring these indoors in the event of frost.
Jan 27. The exhibition growers amongst us will already have started their efforts for the 2009 season and will have leeks onions and shallots growing in their greenhouses. It's maybe worth making a diary note that The National Vegetable Society will be holding their Scottish Branch Championships within the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen show over the last weekend of August 2009. The best growers in Scotland will be at the show and there will be an opportunity to meet and talk to them about their exhibits and growing methods. The National Vegetable Society isn't just about growing for exhibition and you will also be able to seek advice on growing for the kitchen.
Jan 24. A couple of glorious days on Thursday and Friday but once again we awoke today to a hard frost. It doesn't look to be too hopeful for Sunday either. A trip to Raemoir garden centre at Banchory seemed like a reasonable compromise. I had reserved some Beetroot seed, variety Alto from Thomson and Morgan and it was sitting waiting for me when I got there. I also bought some general purpose compost but was disappointed to see that all the major suppliers have reduced the size of their compost bags from 70/80 litres to 56 litres but without a corresponding reduction in price.
Jan 21. Wind and rain again been replaced by frost so once more cleaning and tidying is on the agenda. This time it's into the garden shed and it's not just accumulated detritis that's likely to be thrown out. Prompted by a two page spread in this weeks edition of Garden News, chemical pesticides and herbicides need to be checked to see what is and what isn't still legal. Visit the website
www.rhs.org.uk/advice/chemicalswithdrawn.asp for a list of chemicals you shouldn't be using now. Remember it is also illegal and dangerous to dispose of old chemicals and the likes with the usual household rubbish. Contact your local waste authority who will advise the correct procedures.
January 19. Although the frosty weather has gone for the moment, it's been replaced by wind and rain so it's still impossible to do anything on the ground. Still it's a good chance to catch up on the cleaning and maintenance in the greenhouse. Flowerpots and trays to wash and sterilise ready for the new season. A solution of Jeyes fluid or armillatox is ideal for this purpose. Makro sells Jeyes Fluid for around £18 + vat for a 5litre can which is extremely reasonable compared to Supermarket and Garden Centre charges.
January 10. It's been almost impossible to get anything done at the allotments so far this year because of the almost permanent frost. A bit of tidying up here and there and nothing else.
Bad news received yesterday. The local farmer who normally supplies our allotment holders with farmyard manure or dung as we call it, has decided not to this year. With the cost of granulated fertiliser having gone through the roof, he has understandibly decided to apply all his manure to his fields. We will have to make other arrangements.
The real downside to not having well rotted dung available is that it becomes harder to counter the effect of New Zealand flatworm on the earthworm population. Left for nature to take it's course, New Zealand Flatworm will almost totally destroy the earthworms. Plot holders can reduce the NZ flatworm numbers by placing polythene bags half full of soil or sand around the plot and periodically checking underneath the bags for flatworms. The recommended way of destroying them is to immerse them in boiling water. A strong solution of Jeyes fluid used only for cleaning purposes of course will also destroy them so be sure to do your cleaning in selected areas.