Friends of the Earth Cardiff Cyfeillion y Ddaear Caerdydd

View of an allotment in August. Photo: Lindsay Maiden, Cardiff Friends of the Earth.

October - the nights are drawing in and the wetter weather (thank goodness) is limiting time at the plot but there is still plenty to be done.

Jobs for October

Tidying up from the summer - dead tomato plants should be taken out, greenhouses cleaned down and the last of the fruits should be harvested.

View of allotment in July. Photo: Lyndsay Maiden, Cardiff Friends of the Earth

Growing your own is healthy, fun and good for the environment.

July has been very hot and our early mulching is paying off. Our courgettes are flourishing, our pumpkins and squash are rampant and the tomatoes are ripening beautifully. So what else is there to do apart from watch and enjoy your crops?

Grow your own on an allotment. Photos: Lyndsay Maiden, Cardiff Friends of the Earth

Growing your own food is healthy, fun and good for the environment.

August is a time for enjoying the harvest, this year we are picking a lot of food both off our allotment and in the wilder abandoned plots where blackberries have taken a hold. Squash, courgettes, cucumbers, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, salads and herbs are all proliferating.

View of an allotment in May. Photo: Lindsay Maiden, Cardiff Friends of the Earth.

Finally some sunshine has meant that everything is starting to grow abundantly including the weeds. Continuing to hoe the ground will help keep these at bay and will hopefully put off the slugs. We are still at risk of frost but on some days it seems ludicrously distant.

You can glory in your squashes, beans and peas coming through.

View of an allotment in April. Photo: Lindsay Maiden, Cardiff Friends of the Earth.

An allotment in February. Photo: Lindsay Maiden, Cardiff Friends of the Earth.

Grow your own food in January. Photo: Lyndsay Maiden, Cardiff Friends of the Earth

Jobs for January

Well it has been a slightly wild January, the weather has been wet and windy causing some damage to structures. It's worth checking your plot regularly to make sure there's no wind damage on the site. On warmer days you can:

The allotment in January.

The allotment in May.

The allotment in July.

The allotment in August.

Plants under cloches at the allotment.