Allotment November 2004
It doesn't seem like 2 months since I last took some photographs of
the plot - but it is.
September and October carried on the tradition of rain, rain and yet
more rain. Because of this and work intruding on
life, The plots are looking a little in need of care.
Plot 29 is coming on. The part where the sheds were is nearly all dug
over with turkey litter and compost buried in the
trenches. Used potting compost sits on the top. Hopefully
some hard frosts will break up the near solid clay
and I can rotovate in the spring prior to planting
potatoes.
The mares tail is defeated except for a couple of fronds behind the
compost heaps and on the salad bed. These have now
been sprayed and that should see it off (fingers
crossed).
Vegetable Growing Month by Month
The down-to-earth guide that takes you through the vegetable year
by me, John Harrison - more info. |
Click on the photo to view larger image |
Plot 29 - The Salad Bed with Horsetail
Here you can see the remains of the salad bed -
apart from some immature spring onions
and the wonderful horse or mares tail it's empty.
So out with the Amicide spray,
Next spring the bed will be moved in to allow access
from all sides
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Plot 29 - After the beans.. more beans!
The runners and French beans are gone, the soil
had a generous helping of turkey litter
(dropped at the site for all to grab)
and a handful of fish, blood and bone
per square yard (I don't know, 3000 milligrams
per hectoacre or something). Good mixing
with the rotovator then planted autumn
onion sets and garlic.
To the left I planted some field beans as a green
manure and not to waste the fertilizer.
At the rear more field beans (planted earlier).
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Plot 5 - Turning over
Having been dug over twice before, plot 5 is getting
better. This year it will benefit from
the leafmould. Glorious texture and I'm
told 'good enough to put on your sandwiches'
Clay will compact and the only answer is to keep
adding organic matter, digging each year
and liming as much as is reasonable.
You can add sand or products such as
'claybreaker' pellets. I've not tried
those myself but they involve money.
Besides, I need the exercise!
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Plot 5 - Out of control?
Having concentrated on Plot 29 and having been
kept off plot by the weather so much,
the weeds have gone berserk.
Some hard work is called for here...
You can see from the photo that everything is pretty
wet - not the best time to dig.. It must
stop raining sometime.
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Plot 29 - Onions and Garlic
The onions and garlic are popping up now (PHEW!)
- behind the field beans have taken a
beating from the frost.
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Plot 29 Dug over and Limed
The patch that had the sweetcorn on is now dug
over and a generous dusting of lime applied.
Lime increases the PH of the soil and
helps break up clay. Although this is
good soil here I want to keep it that
way.
Not sure what I am going to plant here yet but
may well be brassicas.
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Plot 29 - Victory over the Mares Tail
Just a week after spraying with Ammonium Sulphamate
the mares tail is brown and shrivelled.
It will have gone down to the roots so
it won't be back (touch wood) next year.
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Leaves delivered to the door.
The nice chap from the council drops the leaves
swept from the roads to the site. As
a favour, he dropped this pile right
by my plot. Still took the best part
of a day to move to the cage.
If I'm to have as much leafmould next year, I'm
going to need another load at least.
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The cage on plot 29 is filling up
It's amazing how barrow load after load of leaves
goes in yet it never seems to fill!
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