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Post by murrayc on Mar 13, 2016 13:31:08 GMT
Normally I aim to do most of my digging in the autumn, spreading manure over the areas that will need it the following summer before Christmas, then leaving the clods to harden in the frosts and the goodness from the manure to leach down through into the soil aided by the spring rains. By March a little forking over and then fine raking should be all that is needed to provide growing beds for most of the plot, excluding one corner that has poor drainage and takes much longer to dry out. However...... 1) It rained all through late November, December and most of January, keeping me at home seething and the manure mountain still only half-disassembled while the water collected in pools on the surface of the clods. 2) In February when at last it dried up and became cold enough for the air to break up the clods, first I came down with the flu, then Pat more severely and we spent most of the month shivering and sweating alternately, again at home. But this week, and especially today the clouds have lifted, it is sunny, dry, windy and perfect for digging and catching up! Every year offers different challenges and the pleasure of gardening is in knowing that this will happen and, whilst still finding something to grumble about, knowing that there will come a time when the muscles will ache but the heart will feel joyful. Everywhere I looked on the site today there are signs of determination and new beginnings. New colleagues, and hopefully new friends, have taken on vacated plots and are setting about them immediately with enthusiasm and massive energy. |
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Post by Stuart@AmericaLane on Mar 13, 2016 18:32:05 GMT
'I love the smell of a freshly dug allotment in the morning' What film was that?  I think we turned a corner this weekend. No doubt there will be more rain to come but we are moving steadily towards sowing time. I bought one of those three pronged claw cultivator things and gave it a go today. It works a treat. The soil that I had dug over is just about ready to break down, just a bit soggy in places. With the tool it was breaking up pretty nicely. I'll give the beds a go each time I am down there and gradually get it finer and finer. |
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Post by murrayc on Mar 20, 2016 14:18:39 GMT
Finally something to show for our efforts after a week of digging, although there won't be anything vegetally visible for a few weeks yet. Today we planted our main-crop Kestrel potatoes in two rows in the centre of the plot. We're lucky that the soil has been so well-maintained in the past and that there is so little clay at that end of the site, but it still took quite a lot of digging over and the keen, drying winds of the last week before it felt loose enough to trench.  They aren't quite equal rows: 24 potatoes on the left-hand row, and only 17 on the right, which leaves a little gap which can be nicely filled tomorrow with the Sarpo Blue Danube tubers I have at home that have chitted quite luxuriantly. Then its on digging out what will become a bed for peas, and additional broad-bean plantings, and probably some shallots. I will try and get as much of the soil preparation finished in the next couple of days, before the promised simultaneous arrival of higher temperatures and a fortnight of rain!.
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Post by Stuart@AmericaLane on Mar 20, 2016 18:03:22 GMT
Time was against me this weekend. We have been playing double headers in the football to catch up the lost games. But we now have an Easter break and I have Thursday off work so five days coming up and I have every intention of catching up. Actually I don't think things are too bad as it is still pretty cold even with the sun so I don't think delaying sowings another week will matter too much. The time I did have was allocated to the continued project of dog proofing the garden. I love the little critter but he is about the worst thing I could have done if I wanted manicured herbaceous borders. I only got to the plot for an hour yesterday and I spent that continuing to break down the beds that had been dug over. I have a new favourite tool, the claw cultivator as seen in the picture. Far easier to use this than a rake to break up the clumps. An hour every visit with this and hopefully I will have my fine tilth ready for planting in April.  |
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Post by murrayc on Mar 20, 2016 21:02:14 GMT
Time was against me this weekend. We have been playing double headers in the football to catch up the lost games. But we now have an Easter break and I have Thursday off work so five days coming up and I have every intention of catching up. Actually I don't think things are too bad as it is still pretty cold even with the sun so I don't think delaying sowings another week will matter too much. The time I did have was allocated to the continued project of dog proofing the garden. I love the little critter but he is about the worst thing I could have done if I wanted manicured herbaceous borders. I only got to the plot for an hour yesterday and I spent that continuing to break down the beds that had been dug over. I have a new favourite tool, the claw cultivator as seen in the picture. Far easier to use this than a rake to break up the clumps. An hour every visit with this and hopefully I will have my fine tilth ready for planting in April. I'm also a Wolf-Garten user and have that tool head as well - very good, particularly for the confined space of a raised bed. I wish you luck with the weather Stuart..... www.worldweatheronline.com/Haywards-Heath-weather/West-Sussex/GB.aspx |
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Post by murrayc on Mar 21, 2016 13:44:09 GMT
A great morning's digging, and even a little planting, in a really warm spring sun. Nice to meet old friends on the plot, not seen since last year and returning to take advantage of the lovely day, as well as new friends still working out the potential and gradually being drawn into the seductive web of allotment gardening. Her I've planted some shallots, Golden Gourment, to follow on from the autumn-planted onions and garlic. Pat worked on this bed, and now all we have to do is work out what shall we plant here? |
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