Leaving it to get on with it.

I've just been away for a long weekend. I was only away for 3 nights but at this time of year that was long enough to see a difference when I came home. Before leaving I went round and watered everything on my windowsill and the things in pots outside and when I came home and went round and did it all again - and they were very dry.

Steve managed to get the first early potatoes planted just before we went away, which was just as well because with being away we missed out on a weekend of prime planting time. I noticed when I got back that our fellow allotment holders had all been busy over the weekend. Fortunately, plants continue to grow even when you're not there. The blossom on our plum tree in our back garden had burst open over the weekend and we were greeted with a dazzling display of white. Whilst away the peas had germinated and are now poking their noses out of the soil. The garlic (planted in autumn) seem to put on about 4 inches of growth. The broad beans too are all getting on with it.

Last year I planted a dwarf apricot tree on the allotment. A few years back I had tried growing a dwarf peach tree in my back garden but it suffered badly from peach leaf curl and declined each year until I eventually got rid off it. I thought that an apricot would be easier but really I planted it in the wrong place. It should be against a south facing wall but I just stuck it in with the other fruit on the allotment. I decided to protect it over winter by wrapping it in fleece. It is also recommended to keep it covered whilst forming leaves and blossom to keep the rain off it as this helps to prevent leave curl disease. However, when I went round to the allotment yesterday the new leaves were growing through the fleece! Whatever the risks for leaf curl I had to pull the fleece off now. Even so it caused damage but it would only have been worse if I had left it. So much for that advice.

With the lovely weather it is tempting to get on and get more things sown on the allotment and in pots but as I'm away for the long Easter weekend I know I have to wait until after that before I do that because I won't be around for watering duty. Goodness me, it's worse than having pets to look after!