A catch-up entry

These days I am finding it very difficult to keep up to date with this blog as I get in quite late from whatever I am doing and, by the time I have eaten and dealt with my emails etc. it is too late. However, this is a late entry in an attempt to maintain continuity. It may not be too accurate and probably rolls at least a couple of visits to the plot into one!

On Monday 7th I had a little help as my wife came down to harvest the raspberries. I persuaded her to pick the runner beans as well which enabled me to pick a lovely crop of delicious peas after the other jobs I had to do.

I dug a trench in the old potato plot along the fence ready to use my Backsaver spade. I then put all the old mulch in the bottom of the trench. I would like to have what is effectively woodchip buried deep below the cultivated soil soaking up any fertiliser washed downward by the rain but that will take a great deal of work that I cannot countenance at the moment. In a trench at the edge will have to do for now.

Having started with the Backsaver spade I decided to dig half next years' brassica plot. Digging the trench with my traditional spade was fairly easy, surprisingly as there were few weeds growing through from the derelict plot next door. The soil just fills my barrow so I parked it on the path ready to empty it into the final trench. The actual digging takes no time at all but I spend a little time running the spade down each side to help demarcate the digging patch edges. I shall need to break up the lumps before spreading the mulch.

I harvested Runner Beans (as expected), climbing French Beans, some cucumbers (though several had to be thrown away as the mice had a field day gnawing them!), a loose hearted cabbage, and some Swiss Chard.

As frequently happens, I found I had forgotten to shut my  'temporary' Pallet 'gate' when I came down the next time! I always seem to forget something!