Weeding and Adding Comfrey to Activate the Compost

Weeding and feeding

Some decent weather this weekend so down to the plot. It’s looking a bit sad. Considering only a month ago plot 5 was full now it is looking pretty empty.

The sweetcorn is gone apart from a couple of stalks in the hope of getting a couple more ripe cobs. Did harvest another 3 cobs but Percy Pigeon has eaten half of one.

Ripped up the last of the French beans. I could still have had beans from them but we don’t need them. The job now is to prepare for the autumn planted onion sets.

Gave the hoe a good workout as well. Using a sharp hoe is a pleasure but it can leave you with an aching shoulder.

Took the weeds and haulm down to the compost bin and added some comfrey leaves to encourage it to break down. As the bin is full, didn’t turn the other bin into it as planned. Pretty sure it will go down a fair way in the next few weeks, so I’ll do it then.

Emptied the comfrey liquid feed barrel. Gave the Roma a last feed – they’re ripening quite well now. The race is on between them ripening and the weather. The rest of the feed went onto the leeks. Hopefully they will boost a bit.

The remants at the bottom of the barrel, part rotted stalks etc, were tipped onto the compost heap as well. That will really help it rot. Comfrey manure has a rather strong and distinctive smell. If you’ve ever opened a sewer you will know it.

After being bent over into the barrel filling the can I felt a little queasy. Strange stuff, comfrey manure, after returning home I washed my hands, scrubbed them and washed again. They still smell.

Good fences make good neighbours.

Between my plot 5 and plot 4, the boundary was marked with stakes and string when I came onto the site. Over the last couple of years the string has broken and some of the stakes have rotted so rebuilt it using some dowels salvaged from some broken video rack as stakes. I get on really well with the chap on plot 4 and want to keep it that way.

About nine o’clock tonight wnderful thunderstorm – sheets of lightning and a downpour to help the dry ground.