Got out early today so around to the plot to take advantage of a lovely afternoon.

One thing I always do now when I go to the plot is to give the greenhouses a quick check. I noticed a pane of glass had slipped in the small greenhouse. I’ve no idea how or why but the S clips that support the pane on the pane below had disappeared. Anyway, replaced the clips and refitted the glass. Hopefully these clips won’t vanish.

Next was back to watering. Plot 5 isn’t too bad but plot 29 really needed some. Despite the weatherman’s promises of impending rain in the next day or two, I didn’t think it could wait. With just me on the site using water, the pressure was good so a good soaking in half the time.

The next job was to cut the comfrey patch on plot 5. I keep a pair of shears in the shed which makes the job fairly easy. Unfortunately the comfrey was in flower and as I cut it loads of pollen hit me so, despite a hayfever pill before I left home, I was sneezing away.

Most of the cut got laid between the Sarpo potatoes where it will feed the crop and some got added to the compost heap. As you may know, I’m a fan of comfrey and have a fair patch of it on the plot that I call my compost mine. For more information, see Comfrey – Growing and Using Comfrey in the Garden

I noticed quite a few weeds popping up on the paths and some nettles struggling up where the comfrey had been cut. Quite a bit of bindweed as well so loaded the sprayer with some glyphosate. By using a pumped sprayer I’m able to direct and apply just to the foliage of the little beasts, minimising the amount used and maximising the effect.

I was asked in a comment about the brassica cage so a couple of photographs. The photo on the right is a close up of the sides. These are made by stapling some stiff wire netting to 2" x 1" battens in an inverted U shape.

These give a firm side and then I support with cross battens from more 2" x 1" battens and bamboo canes. It’s important to ensure the netting doesn’t sag down or the pigeons will happily sit on it and peck through to the plants.

The netting is some I acquired in the shed when I bought it from a departing plot holder. I’ve also got some black plastic netting stapled to battens for the same job on more frames.

The picture below shows the cage as a whole with the spare couple of sides leaning on the greenhouse.

Brassica Cage on Plot 29