Rotovating Again
The first job today was to get the rotovator out and run over the beds where I’d spread the compost in a layer about six inches thick. The compost on its own seems to dry out, at least on the surface, but when mixed into the soil you end up with a wonderful light tilth.
It only took about an hour to run over the beds with the Merry Tiller. Would have been a good days work for me by hand and probably not as good a result.
Talking of rotovators, I was talking to a manufacturer who said about the problems they’re having with EU emission regulations for engines. It’s reached the point where they may have to drop some models from their range because they can’t get a power unit that meets the new regulations.
Now I am all in favour of controlling car emissions but when you consider that I probably use a gallon of fuel in a year it seems really over the top. My old diesel car probably produces more particulates on a trip into town than the rotovator does in a year.
Planting the Sarpo Potatoes
As I said yesterday, I’ve a bit of a problem with space for the spuds. So the Sarpo have ended up on the large bed on plot 29. Sarpo potatoes are very blight resistant but the Mira variety aren’t much cop for chipping or roasting, which is why I’m also growing King Edwards.
Sarpo Mira do, however, make excellent mashed potatoes and dishes where you want the potato to hold together like Lyonnaise potatoes or leek and potato pie. Not sure how they’d do in Lancashire hot pot. Must try that one day. They store well and are pretty slug resistant as well.
Robin on the Plot
There’s a lovely little robin who likes to follow me around on the plot, picking up his food as I turn the soil over. Normally he is very tame but today he noticed I had my camera so he kept flying off when I pointed it at him. Did manage this shot using the zoom facility
Large Onions
I was given some selected onions by the chairman of our local NVS branch and these are sitting in large pots in the small greenhouse. Now I’m not sure what to do with them. I might try bringing the best specimems on in the greenhouse border. I know I won’t give them quite the care the fanatics (oops, I meant enthusiasts) of the NVS do who win the shows but maybe I could get something respectable.
Comfrey Bed
The comfrey is doing really well. In the last couple of weeks it seems to have just shot up. I think I’ll be taking a cut and starting off liquid feed in about a week at this rate. If you want to know more about comfrey, I’ve written an article about it – Comfrey, the wonder plant The photo below is the comfrey bed with the compost pile to the left and the compost bins behind the comfrey.
Incidentally, more photos can be found in the photo section of the main web site. – Allotment Photographs
That is one hell of a comfrey patch! I have 2 plants and my sister wants one of them.
Propogating comfrey is so easy, it’s untrue. After taking a cut from the plant just push a spade into the edge of the plant so you dig up perhaps a quarter or third of the plant.
Use a knife to cut downards on the roots and you’ll end up with quite a few pieces of root. Drop these into small pot s of compost, water well and in a short time you’ll see shoots appearing from the surface.
Plant out quickly because the roots will be growing quickly too. I got 22 plants from a third of a plant, which carried on growing as if nothing had happened.
Does comfrey produce seeds from the flowers that can spread? We have loads of it all over our plot and most of it in places we don’t want it! I know it is very useful and we do use it but its out of control š We don’t seem to be doing too well at getting rid of it and definitely don’t want it to spread to anywhere else. Any tips??
Becki – use Bocking 14 which is a sterile clone and you won’t have any seeding problems. Check out this article:
http://www.allotment.org.uk/vegetable/comfrey/index.php