It’s been ages since I got some serious time on the plot but today I managed the afternoon. After we got over our colds and flu of the beginning of the year and the continuing rain and yet more rain you’d have thought I’d have been able to take advantage of the few fine days.
Trouble is that this is a busy time of work for me and this website being hacked certainly threw a spanner into the works. Today was a good example, the weather was quite nice and the forecast is for it getting worse. Since I’d worked over the weekend, I thought I’d take today off and head down to the plot. That’s when the “I’ll just” problem struck. I’ll just check my email followed by I’ll just update this web page and I’ll just check this, that and the other.
Come 2pm, I thought “I’ll just switch off” so I did and away to the plot. I have been down a couple of times since my last entry, but just to harvest a few bits. The swedes have gone, must grow more next year, and the Brussels sprouts are nearly done too. There may be a feed one there yet though. Still got parsnips in the ground, which are very nice tasting if not the prettiest parsnips I’ve ever seen and plenty of leeks, which are standing well.
It was really great to be out in the fresh air again. Makes the whole world seem better and the problems fade into the background. The site was quiet, which is what I expected. Just Larry on there apart from me as far as I could see.
I suspect it’s Larry really – he’s never forgiven me for releasing that pigeon caught in the nets rather than necking it. I gave it a good telling off instead. And, of course, he’s got to be jealous of my cauliflowers. Seriously, I’ve not a clue who it was but somebody was playing silly devils and that’s not Larry’s style. His sarcasm strips paint so he doesn’t need to!
The garlic is pushing the fleece up down on the first deep bed. It’s about ready to come off and they should be safe from the pigeons now, who were pulling the cloves out which is why I put the fleece on. Garlic is pretty hardy so normally I wouldn’t worry about fleece or cloches. This was just bird defence.
Because plot 5 is next to the wooded area, it gets more attention from the pigeons than plot 29 in the centre of the site. I know they can fly across the whole site in seconds but I suppose they feel more secure with cover nearby. I decided to leave the fleece on as they’re talking about snow on Friday and I don’t want to shock the plants and check their growth if there is a sudden drop in temperature.
Straight on to that third deep bed. Banged in some pieces of wood to the outside of the side planks and nailed those into place and then the uprights for the netting frame were cut to size and fixed in place. That took me to about half three so a five minute break was in order.
Had a chat with Larry who was on his way back off the plot and in just half an hour the temperature seemed to fall ten degrees. He was saying he hadn’t got anything sown yet and neither have I. I think it’s fine on these gardening programs to suggest sowing stuff now if you live in the balmy south, but here in the north west, I suspect a cold snap is likely and too early just means disappointment.
I’d taken my fleece and hat off but back on they went. So, enough of this and onto the next task which was to even up the soil in the raised bed, there was more at one end than the other. That done, I filled up with compost. Heaped it up as I know it will sink down and level out with the weathering. Come the spring, I’ll run the Mantis over it and it will be fine.
Well, all too soon it was going dark so headed back home. Next time the day looks good, I’ll just switch off earlier.
I have been reading all sorts of info on your website (extremely usefull). I managed to get a allotment in august last year, totally overgrown so did not no where to start. was advised to strim it and then put weedkiller on. I did that and there was a couple of small raised beds so i dug those over and then covered half of the allotment with black fleece. I have not been down yet to do any more but i know that now is the time to start. There is also a row of raspberry bushes on the allotment. I would be gratefull for any hints and tips because apart from a little bit of garden growing I am a complete beginner.
regards Debbie
p.s I am located in the south east