Why prune fruit trees and plants?

I actually never realised that fruit trees and soft fruit plants needed pruning! I always thought that they were only cut back to stop them from taking over and growing out of control and also that they could be cut at anytime of the year.
Only after my neighbours on the allotment mentioned pruning, did it start to dawn on me that my: Apple, Pear, Plum and Cherry trees and also my: Raspberry, Tayberry, Blackcurrant and Blueberry plants all needed pruning. Then they said that it is better to prune at certain times of the year depending on the plant. My first thought was- why? and then my second thought was - I have too much other things to be getting on with to be worrying about that!
Then just the other day when I was down the allotment I saw a little package hidden in my mini greenhouse. I took it out and saw it was a Christmas present in a ziplock bag and it was from one of my allotment friends. It was a book on Pruning! I thought how sweet that my friend had come and hidden it before Christmas for me to find.
Since reading it I have found out the reasons why pruning is necessary:

1. To maintain form and shape of the plant
2. To train plant to grow in a specific direction
3. Removal of disease, dead and damaged shoots/ branches to keep plant healthy
4. To increase flower or berry/fruit production  
5. Enhancing foliage

The reason that there is a specific time in the year to prune plants and trees is that depending on the plant and season, there can be a risk of a disease or fungus getting into the plant through the site of pruning, and it could also be detrimental to the production of fruit and flowers.

There may be more reasons but there is enough information for me to start pruning my fruit trees and plants. Obviously I want an abundant amount of healthy fruit so I now need to read about each specific plant and tree so I know what I need to do and when.

Here is a photo of my raspberry plant that did not produce any fruit last year and I have not yet pruned it. Im hoping that this year it may be more productive:

Onions, garlic and daffodils

I have been going to the allotment a few times over this winter to tidy up and harvest the brussel sprouts, it has been cold and wet and it actually gets quite boggy on parts of my plot. I have got a few drainage ditches which do help. The raised beds are great for this reason. Today l had a great time on the allotment as my Mum came along and helped. We de-weeded and put down some woodchip along the paths. We sat and had a cup of coffee that I made on my camping stove, I'm sure the passengers on the trains that go past my allotment site thought we were weird sitting at a table drinking coffee in the middle of winter! But even in the winter I find the allotment such a peaceful place to be. We checked on the onions and garlic that were planted in the autumn and felt it was safe to take the netting off as they were well sprouted. 

I have been noticing some of my neighbours daffodils already in full bloom and have been concerned that my daffodils will bloom early too, but upon checking they haven't although they have got shoots showing. I planted other flower bulbs at the same time as the daffodil bulbs but cannot remember what they are so I will hopefully get a nice surprise in spring!

Autumn planting of Onion and Garlic

At last! I have completed my task of planting onions and garlic. I haven't had much of a chance to get to the allotment lately as I have been very busy. I have missed the allotment as it has the charm of lifting my spirits and recharging my energy levels! Even though it's hard physical work I come home feeling more awake than before I went. Anyway I went to Crews Hill Enfield and bought some Autumn planting white onion sets and Autumn planting French garlic bulbs. I had plenty of netting in the shed and a newly purchased dibber which I couldn't wait to try out. I had created a smaller bed to house the onions and garlic, and gave the soil a good dig over with some fresh compost. While my daughter separated the garlic bulbs I got to work planting the onion sets.

The dibber was a great purchase as I could measure the depth and spacing between the onions. Once my daughter had seperated the garlic I planted them also. Last spring I covered the planted onion sets over with netting but the netting was too low down and the birds manage to get their beaks through the net and pull the sets out. They didn't get away with the onions though as the netting was quite fine. So this Autumn I raised the netting up higher to prevent the birds doing this again.

Upon returning to the allotment a few days later I realised I needed to raise the centre of the netting up too as it was dipping down in the centre and some onions and garlic had been pulled out. I just stuck a cane with an old bottle ontop into the centre of the bed to raise it up higher. I'm hoping that this will do the trick.

Rocket and Pears

At the beginning of Autumn I had lots of pears ready to pick from the pear tree. I don't know the variety of pears I have on the allotment so if anyone can tell by the photo below please let me know in the comment section below... The pear tree was full so I got quite a harvest!

I was given a couple of apples from a neighbour too :) I decided to try and make a pear compote with the pears. It was my first attempt and I think I added too much water. But the smell of the pears cooking in water with cinnamon and nutmeg was so autumnal! Once I perfect the compote recipe I will share it with you. I had the compote with natural yogurt with some ground flaxseed sprinkled on top. Here is a photo of the pears cooking...I wish I could attach the scent of them cooking to this blog!

I had planted some rocket seeds in late summer and they are now ready to pick. I have always liked rocket in salads. Sometimes when you get rocket from supermarkets it can be quite bland. But the rocket I grew on the allotment was full of flavour. Even my Mum liked it who normally hates it!

Hiding in the shed

The tarpaulin I had put on the roof previously has proved its worth. I went to the allotment with many jobs in mind and low behold the heavens opened 5 minutes after I arrived! I was willing to work in a light shower but this was nearer monsoon level :) I hid in the shed and guess who followed me in.....

Yes our allotment friend Ginger :) I thought I would wait it out hoping it would soon pass, I had to shut the door as the wind was bringing the rain in the shed...

The rain passed after 20 minutes and I eventually got to work. I had to cover the Brussels sprouts. I cut some leaves of the plant to take home and eat, then started erecting a cover with canes and netting. I was really pleased with the results... and the Brussels are coming along lovely.

Planting Daffodil bulbs

One thing I wanted more of this year was flowers. To be able to cut my own flowers to bring home would be nice, so I went on a trip to Crews Hill Enfield. Crews Hill is a great place to go to for all things for the allotment. It has many gardening centres in one small area and makes for a great day out. There are a few pubs that serve food too.

I knew I wanted to plant daffodils as they really are the flower of springtime and I always buy bunches to put around my home at Easter. There were so many types of daffodils on offer at Crews Hill that I didn't know where to start! Then I came across a huge crates piled high with an assortment of daffodil bulbs. There were bowls that you could fill and then pay. I won't remember what I chose until they grow in spring! Adds to the excitement though :)

To have daffodils in bloom at springtime you need to plant the bulbs in Autumn. I had an empty bed that previously housed moneymaker tomatoes. The bed needed more compost which I added and gently pressed down with a rake.

My Mum suggested that I use the Monty Don method to plant the bulbs. Apparently you throw or scatter the bulbs onto the bed and plant them where they land. This will give the natural look rather than uniformed. I much rather the natural look so the Monty Don method was used! I also had some other flower bulbs that needed planting so I added them too! Once they were scattered I dug them in and netted the bed over. Just incase foxes or squirrels decided to dig them up!

Roll on Spring...!

How to save tomato seeds

I think it's a great idea to save your own tomato seeds. I was keen on saving the seeds from the heirloom varieties I had grown on the allotment. I gave it a try and it was easy. Here's how it's done:

• You will need a glass jar, some cling film (plastic wrap), a few tablespoons of water and a plate lined with kitchen towel
• Choose a tomato from the healthiest tomato plant
• Cut the tomato in half 
• Scoop or squeeze out the gelatinous inner into the glass jar
• Add a few tablespoons of water into the jar
• Cover the top of the jar with cling film (plastic wrap)
• Pierce the cling film (plastic wrap)  to allow a little air into the jar to help with fermentation 
• Place the jar onto a sunny windowsill or ontop of the refrigerator to keep the contents warm
• Leave for about three days, making sure you give the contents a stir daily
• You will notice the top of the water looking scummy, this is okay as it means fermentation is taking place and the gel is separating from the seeds
• After three days remove the scummy top off the water with a spoon
• Then pour the remaining contents into a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly until you are left with clean seeds
• Cover a plate with a piece of kitchen towel and place the seeds ontop 
• Make sure the seeds are not clumped up and are laying separately from each other
• Leave the seeds to dry, this can take up to a week
• Only when you are sure the seeds are thoroughly dry can you store them
• A way to tell if the seeds are bone dry is to flick them gently across the plate. If they are bone dry they will move quickly and easily and will not stick to each other
• If you store the seeds when they are still damp they will get ruined by mildew
• So once they are bone dry store them in a paper envelope that has been labelled with the variety of tomato and date of storage

I have managed to get the seeds from my Black Russian and Tigerella tomatoes using this method. Good luck with giving it a go yourselves :)