I have always repeated the advice 'hoe before the weeds appear', but have not done it myself. So now I am suffering the consequences! I spent a couple of hours digging out huge weeds in various sections of my plot where I had allowed them to grow. I was conscious that the groundsel in particular was about to seed but the clumps of grass were getting huge! On my previous visit I had had to clear the weeds in my Brassica tunnel just to plant out the summer and red cabbage plants I got from the Trading Hut. (I had to pay for them on Sunday as I did not have the change to post in the letter box in the front of the Trading Hut!) I started weeding my onion sets. Onions are very susceptible to the competition from weeds so I was keen to clear them. Then I looked at my strawberries! I could hardly make them out in the bed full of weeds. I managed to use the hoe in the front half of the bed to uproot most weeds as the plants are in rows, but the other half is not so regimented and will have to be hand weeded on my hands and knees! The strawberry bed part weeded! Hard going. Much easier to hoe before the weeds get big! The amount of top growth (I separate out the deep rooted weeds) made a huge contribution to my compost bin. Someone said recently you should hoe a bit every time you visit the plot. Good advice which I shall endeavour to follow in future! By way of a break from bending double weeding, I dug over part of my roots bed so I can sow my first crop of carrots and beetroot, and perhaps a row of Swiss Chard if I can fit it in the space. As usual I am late as I planned to sow earlier in the month but had not cleared the ground. Before leaving I cut another huge cauliflower from my last row planted out last year. This is the first of the four plants left (one died during the winter) but the remaining three look very healthy and one is just beginning to show a white head. I have done exceedingly well with the cauliflower plants I bought from the Trading Hut. I got 5 strips, each of 5 plants, giving a succession of crops from last autumn through to now. I can recommend them! After spending Sunday morning on the plot I decided to have a long day on Monday - to good effect! I spent Sunday morning planting three rows of seed potatoes. I planted a row of blight susceptible King Edwards between two rows of resistant Sarpo Mira hoping that will offer some protection for the King Edwards. I went to the trouble of digging a deep trench, after clearing the horse litter mulch to one side, and then putting some of the litter in the bottom covered with some soil before spacing these maincrop potatoes about 15" apart. I then refilled the trench in two stages scattering slug bait in each layer to target the keel slugs that live underground and are a major problem with potatoes. I was pleased that the soil was still quite dark and damp under the mulch, not as dry as some soil I was rotavating for other tenants that had had no covering. Mulching obviously works well, though it complicates working the soil as I don't want to mix it into the ground as it tends to use up any nitrogen in the soil. On Monday I planted the last row of maincrop potatoes (King Edwards) and also sowed a row of Broad Beans and a row of Peas. (If you haven't bought your Pea and Bean seeds yet it is worth visiting In-Excess as they have very cheap Suttons seed available at the moment.) I sowed both in a shallow trench to facilitate watering later and scattered a little paraffin along the row to deter mice from eating the germinating seed - they love them! I hoed and cleared the weeds from the old brassica tunnel in its new position. Removing the weeds and leaving a crumbly surface protects the soil underneath from drying out almost as much as a mulch. Before leaving I cleared some brassicas that were at the end of their season. Four Brussel sprout plants gave a final crop and then went to feed the neighbour's chickens. I also harvested a cabbage and removed cabbages and Black Kale plants that had gone to seed giving me space to sow some roots in their place. Came down this Thursday morning with just one objective - to complete the greenhouse base.
By now I have perfected the process and the last 5 blocks went in smoothly after I had dug out the trench, and the final slot was just the size of a brick - as planned. After a little clearing away of tools, materials and soil, with the help of another helpful neighbour, I moved the greenhouse frame into position. To my great relief the base was level and square and almost exactly the right size. Despite my best efforts at measuring, the base is a couple of centimetres (three quarters of an inch) too narrow but nothing I cannot sort! I pegged the frame down temporarily as I don't want the wind blowing it over and spoiling the work! So before I left, I picked a whole lot more purple sprouting to take home (and gave some to my helper) donating another huge stalk to the chickens. After spending Tuesday painting a garden wall, and still struggling with my cold, on Wednesday I got down to the plot. My main task is to get the greenhouse base done so I can move the greenhouse frame off the patch where I need to plant the rest of my potatoes.
Having done one long side the last time, I managed to completed the two shorter sides. I don't recommend anyone tries this. Dry laying heavy blocks straight onto sand/soil makes for lots of lifting and relaying blocks as there is little readjustment possible once the block is in place. Using a bed of cement mortar gives you much more flexibility! Before I left I did a check with the spirit level and was pleased - and surprised - to find the two incomplete ends of the base were level with each other! Just hope the whole thing is square and the right size when I've finished! On Monday I was so full of cold that I avoided sharing it with friends at Table Tennis and opted to spend the day in the fresh air on the plot. It also helped that Doug was wanting a helper to unload a delivery that was expected but, in the event, never came. Doug wasted the day waiting to be told that they had not fitted our order on to the lorry that morning at nearly 3pm! (It finally arrived Tuesday afternoon. Thanks to Chris for helping the unload.) Having measured the site for the greenhouse very carefully, I dug a trench in which I then started setting the concrete blocks that will form the base. Heavy work especially when my cold slowed me down considerably. I then hammered in the stakes for the brassica tunnel and screwed them to the uprights, thereby fixing the whole thing firmly. I then went back to its old patch and removed the last of the stakes. After much digging and levering they finally lifted out with a simple tug with my hands! I also reinstated the posts to support my raspberries, removed to help clear the way for the brassica tunnel. I took home a small bundle of leeks after giving some to a neighbour. They need to be lifted and used before they run to seed! Another donation (of old purple sprouting plants) went to the chickens on another neighbouring plot. So despite being still offline I am continuing the blog to maintain the record.
I went down the plot today despite being full of cold. The fresh air keeps it at bay - it just hits me harder when I get home! I cut through the remaining stakes on my brassica tunnel and, with the help of 5 of my near neighbours, we lifted it to its new position across from the new one being constructed. Fortunately my purple sprouting had 'blossomed' so much I was able to offer everyone something to take home and still have lots for myself. I should have taken a photo but in my befuddled state I forgot! Perhaps next time! I was then able to plant my Charlotte potatoes, just one row as they are fairly susceptible to blight. I have just remembered I should have interspersed the susceptible types with the resistant ones as I read somewhere it helps reduce cross-infection! I will have to do it with my maincrop only; King Edwards and Sarpo Mira. I understand that even Sarpo Mira is not resistant to a new version of the blight which is spreading fast, hopefully not to this area yet! I started harvesting the brussels and purple sprouting when I realised the pigeons would make short work of the greenery unless I protected them so I spent some time rigging netting round the remaining plants. When had finished I saw that one of my spring cabbages had hearted up nicely while most of them have gone to seed so I picked it and had some of it for dinner this evening - fresh and crunchy! Just as I left I had a go at digging out the stumps of the stakes left by the brassica tunnel. As I expected it was not easy and I had mixed success. I got two of the big stake tips out but the next two resisted my efforts! The dahlia stakes came out fairly easily which is encouraging as I intend using dahlia stakes to fix it in the new position! I am writing this despite the fact that it will not be available to read until 'Dealer Systems', our hosting company puts us back online. They sent us a bill with no explanation last June and, as noone had heard of them, we ignored it, assuming it was a scam. Then they cut off the site and went on holiday. Now we have confirmed they are 'Kosher', we are paying the bill and looking forward to being back online.
We will be transferring the hosting to another organisation. On Monday I finally got down to my plot and started work on the base for my greenhouse, digging over the ground. I also planted another row of potatoes, Kestrel, and this time remembered to bury some slug pellets with them to try to deal with the keel slugs. It is quite labour intensive as I have to scrape the horse litter mulch aside before planting. I finished cutting the green manure (Italian Ryegrass) and hope to dig the patch before it grows again! Finally, with great effort, I sawed through most of the stakes on the brassica net tunnel ready to move it to next year's brassica bed. I left a few to hold it in case there is a late gale and when it moves I shall screw it to new (dahlia) stakes bought in from the Trading Hut. Thanks to my neighbour for suggesting this way of doing it. I was going to dismantle it, pulling the stakes out of the ground, and reassemble it on the new bed. That would have been a great hassle! Now I shall just have to dig out the stumps! I did get quite a harvest. Having given my huge cauliflower (4lb 2oz!) to the relatives visiting over Easter to share, (it was far too big for my wife and I to eat) I was pleased to see another had mature and was ready and a sensible size. There was lots of purple sprouting, plus some brussels and leeks. I pulled up some of the broccoli plants that were going over and offered them to my neighbour with chickens. I think they will enjoy them! - And I will have space to sow some roots! Not sure when I shall get back down as I have alot of work to do at home, remodelling the lounge and painting the new wall in the garden! |
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May 2023
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