Thursday 7th December The weather forecast initially said it would rain this afternoon so I wasn't going to come down but after a late lunch it was obvious the bad weather was coming later - so once again I was late coming down to the plot! I started by digging out the Tulameen raspberry canes I had planted last visit and planting the Malling Jewel canes I had decided better suit my purpose. It was rather more difficult than I expected working between the posts and bracing stakes but they went in nicely. I then heeled the Tulameen canes into the spare ground in my runner bean patch alongside the other spare Glen Ample canes and the Joan J autumn raspberries I plan to plant later. I then harvested a few finger size carrots by thinning the row. I'm not sure they will grow much more at this time of year. I left sowing them rather late so they might as well stay in the ground until it is time to clear the patch for another crop. A rather nice cloud formation caught my attention so I took a photo. Finally I dug over the patch where I'm going to plant the Joan J canes so as to incorporate the compost I had spread over the surface. Yet again it was dark as I left and a quick tour round confirmed I was the only one silly enough to stay so late so I locked the gate on the way out. Planting Raspberries Monday 4th December I am trying to use the mature compost in my middle bin so I can empty one of the side bins into it. However it is good stuff and I don't want to waste it! So today I put a couple of barrowloads onto the patch I dug yesterday where I will plant my replacement autumn raspberries. Then I put another barrowload onto my rhubarb. However there is still half a bin left! After that I planted my summer raspberries. Due to a senior moment I had ordered twice - different varieties from different companies so I have a bit of a choice as to what to plant. I planted 5 Glen Ample, a strong mid-season variety, and 5 Tulameen, a late spine-free variety. However I have changed my mind and will replace the Tulameen with Malling Jewel, an early variety, as my Polka autumn raspberries also crop early to provide continuity with Glen Ample. (I therefore have the 5 Tulameen and 5 more Glen Ample on offer. Both are AGM varieties from removable nurseries ('Ken Muir' and 'Ashridge' Nurseries). I'm offering them at half price at £1 each cane. Catch me on site or via the website or Facebook page, where I will advertise them as well.) I first banged in a post in the centre of the row and planted the two varieties on either side of the post. Then I banged in a post at either end and braced it against an angled post. Later I will run wires along the row to tie in the growing canes. By the time I had done this it was getting dark so I did some harvesting, collecting a huge parsnip and a Mooli radish, three leeks and the rest of my Rainbow Chard before picking some Brussel Sprouts - more by feel than vision as, as you can see by the photos, it was almost night by then!
A quick tour of the site showed I was the last so I locked the gate on the way out. Sunday 3rd December
I came down to the site for my usual Sunday morning visit. I started by digging out the autumn raspberries I inherited with the plot. They gave a sparse crop and ordered replacements had arrived. The exertion gave me the excuses to go for coffee and a cake at the café and buy supplies from the Trading Hut. After a longish break enjoying the refreshments but also discussing one or two issues with the committee, I returned and dug over the while patch where the raspberries had been, pulling out some bindweed and as many raspberry roots as I could. Even the finest roots need to be removed as they generate shoots and regrow. At that point, planning to stay late, I turned on the radio app in my phone ready to listen to Gardeners Question Time while I worked only to find the battery was almost flat so I cut the session short and went home. Unfortunately, with a flat battery, I couldn't take a photo of the completed work! Thursday 30th November
At lunchtime I got called down to the site at short notice to direct the tractor doing work for your Association (RHAA). However for part of the time the tractor driver was quite up to getting on with the job without me watching him so I went on to my plot. I needed a quick job so started on clearing the runner bean vines and storing the canes away in the dry. The dried vines made a big bundle to be got rid of. Then I removed and stored the netting protecting the gooseberries and started pruning even though I couldn't remember the exact amount I needed to cut the branches back. In the end I cut most back by a half after removing anything that was growing in the wrong way. I only managed one bush before the tractor driver returned having finished grading the tracks but at least one bush is the desired goblet shape! |
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