Thursday 17th January
My broad bean plants, grown in toilet tubes, have been hardened off for some time in my garden and waiting to be planted out so I brought them down to plant out today.
I started preparing a strip as normal at right angles to the path but then remembered I was trying to do less digging and that it's easier with each of my 3 x 4 metre beds divided in half and rows parallel to the path.
The bed I was planting in had a mulch of homemade compost on it so I used my shovel to scrape the mulch off a strip down the middle to form a path and prepared a strip along the boundary on either side. Laying a line as a guide and using a board to walk on, I drilled a double row of planting holes on each side with my trusty bulb planter pushing it in nice and deep so as to bury the tubes completely. Otherwise if they are exposed at the surface I'm told they act as a wick drawing water up to evaporate and so dry the soil and roots. A dozen plants fitted nicely on each side of the new path.
My broad bean plants, grown in toilet tubes, have been hardened off for some time in my garden and waiting to be planted out so I brought them down to plant out today.
I started preparing a strip as normal at right angles to the path but then remembered I was trying to do less digging and that it's easier with each of my 3 x 4 metre beds divided in half and rows parallel to the path.
The bed I was planting in had a mulch of homemade compost on it so I used my shovel to scrape the mulch off a strip down the middle to form a path and prepared a strip along the boundary on either side. Laying a line as a guide and using a board to walk on, I drilled a double row of planting holes on each side with my trusty bulb planter pushing it in nice and deep so as to bury the tubes completely. Otherwise if they are exposed at the surface I'm told they act as a wick drawing water up to evaporate and so dry the soil and roots. A dozen plants fitted nicely on each side of the new path.
Last year I lost plants to mice digging up and eating the seeds, pulling the plants out in the process. With that in mind I dropped a couple of drops of paraffin beside each plant hoping the smell and taste will put them off. I had to be careful that I didn't get any on the plants as I know it kills the leaf it lands on.
That done I stretched a net tunnel over both rows to add to the shelter of the plastic sheeting as the plot is more exposed than my garden. The board resting against the tunnel give a little more shelter.
I then harvested three cauliflowers, one large, one small and one in between. To that I added a few baby parsnips (none of mine have grown to normal size this year), some Mooli and some broccoli. I will take most of it with me when I visit family this weekend.
I then harvested three cauliflowers, one large, one small and one in between. To that I added a few baby parsnips (none of mine have grown to normal size this year), some Mooli and some broccoli. I will take most of it with me when I visit family this weekend.
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