Planting Onions and Rotovator Problems for the Site Rep

Glorious Weather

Today was absolutely beautiful, warm and sunny, which is so unusual for a bank holiday that someone must have slipped up.

I decided that like many workers, I would have the day off and catch up on the plot. First of all I needed supplies so to the garden supplier for 8 75ltr bags of multi-purpose compost for ?20.00, a 25 KG bag of blood fish and bone for ?9.99 and 25 KG of dolomite lime for 4.99. Not too cheap this growing lark!

Dropped all at the plot except for one bag of compost that I am kindly giving to my wife for her birthday. Only joking, it’s not her birthday – I”m just generous.

Back home to collect some more onion seedlings in modules then back to the site.

Planting Onions.

I put in more Red Baron and realised that I?ve put over a hundred in. With two of us that is enough so gave away three trays to other plot holders. The weather is bringing everyone out and the site was really busy.

Tony H returned the favour by giving me about a kilo of Anya seed potatoes. They?re not well chitted- long spindly sprigs rather than short thick green / purple ones, but they should be OK.

I lined the trenches into which I put the onions with compost so the roots will expand out. Used about a third of a bag, so a cost of about 80p or less than a penny an onion., Bargain!

Salad Crop

Next over to plot 29 where last year?s salad bed needed weeding. Amazingly two lettuces left over from the mixed leaves, cut and come again mixture have over wintered and are looking good as well as some spring onions. Having cleared it, I ran over it with the Mantis and dropped in 8 lettuce ‘Arctic King? that I?ve been growing in pots. This is a hardy lettuce so should be OK if the promised cold weather does return.

Brassica Bed

Final job was the brassicas bed on plot 5. Following my NVS tips, I spread the 25KG of dolomite over the 45 square metres the bed occupies. That?s 0.555 KG per Metre Square or 1.1 pounds per square yard (OK, I?m being flash ? sorry). Having spread that evenly I ran over the patch with the Merry Tiller. The idea is to raise the pH for the brassicas and dolomite adds magnesium as well as lime. Magnesium is vital to many plants, especially tomatoes and the brassicas will benefit from it.

Wildlife and People

Strange thing was the robin that seemed totally unconcerned about the rotovator chugging around. Late evening we had a hot air balloon go over ? I?ve always fancied a trip in one of those and late on dome geese flew over honking to each other. Amazing birds. Except for the pigeons ? I?m seriously considering anti-aircraft guns around the site.

Larry, our allotment rep?s rotovator died ? seems the drive gears have seized. I offered him use of mine as did another plot holder. One of our chaps has had some really bad news. His wife is very ill and I hope that they get through this terrible time.