Monday 10th December Christmas preparations delayed my arrival on the plot until 3pm so there wasn't much time before sunset at 4. With this in mind I set to hoeing the vacant bed for next year's roots where the chickweed had got a hold. Our president, Hugh Merret, assures me that chickweed means that the soil is in good heart and that it can be eaten as a salad crop but for me it is just a nuisance. As I am beginning to experiment with a no-dig policy I couldn't follow my previous practice of turning it in so I got my hoe out. Not wanting to tread the soil firm just before hoeing I stood on the next door old strawberry bed, which will need digging over to clear the old plants, and hoed a strip while clearing between the young leeks. These have much growing to do to be useful and may, or may not, grow through the winter - as long as there is no competition from weeds! After I had raked the weeds off onto the path I had a strip I could walk on to hoe the rest. It then took quite a while to rake off a barrow-load of green material ready for the compost bin. That left a clear patch I can mulch with either some horse litter or leafmould from my bin.
Then, as it got dark, I dug up some leeks to take home - and one (that had split and was dying) to add to the compost. Then I picked a few leaves off Russian Kale and a few leaves of Curly Kale. While doing this I saw how many old leaves were collecting round the brassica plants so I spent a few minutes picking them up and pulling any that had started yellowing on the plants. I finished with quite a big bunch of leaves to add to the compost bin. It having rained so much recently and the soil being so wet, I then had to spend a few minutes cleaning my tools before putting them in the car to take home - in the gloom of dusk. Sunday 9th December
After spending the morning filling potholes with the working party with my regular team of John Bachelor, our chairman, John Rowe and Trevor Cutler, (while John Lack, Mark Merritt, John Ferry and Liz Day finished off the renovation of a raised bed in the Special Needs Plot) we all joined in the Mince Pies and Mulled Wine celebrations at the Cabin. Only then was I able to get on to my plot. All I wanted to do was finish off planting my strawberries. I had 5 'Hapil' plants which are supposed to be more drought tolerant but only space for two! However there was space for two more plants at this and so moving a couple of plants of each variety and losing one of 'Strawberries and Cream' I was able to free up 5 spots at the far end for them. It didn't take long to have everything done and the surplus plant ready to take home to put up for a hanging basket at home. I then just had time to replenish the rat bait blocks that had been eaten and reset the trap that had been sprung but not caught the culprit. Thursday 6th December
I only got down to the plot at just before three but thought I could complete the planting up of the new strawberry bed before dark. I needed to transfer some runners of the variety 'Hapil' from the old bed to fill the last couple of planting holes I had prepared. However as I dug out the plants from the old bed there were quite a few strong plants so I kept them all to select the best. While digging the end of the bed I came across some thick bindweed roots so decided to dig out the end of the bed completely. As my neighbour, Bruce, had gone to alot of trouble to try removing everything on his side I felt duty bound to do the best I could on my side. I had to loosen the soil under the fence but think I got almost all of it out as the soil was very crumbly. By this time the mizzle, as I call that very fine misty rain, had started to develop into definite rain so I retired again to the shed and checked the rat bait and trap. Having set the trap in the box by the shed door I needed the drill to screw down another block of rat bait as the original block had disappeared leaving the screw standing all alone! As I returned to the shed I heard the trap spring but when I checked it was a false alarm. I took care to make sure it was well set the second time. While the bait blocks round the shed had all been called or completely removed, the one in the greenhouse had been left untouched. This is strange as the last one disappeared completely. I went home before I got too wet, forgetting to empty the bucket of bindweed roots into the water bucket I use to drown persistent weeds. I hope the wind doesn't blow the contents all over the place before I can get back. Monday 3rd December
Having remembered to bring down my new strawberry plants I set about finishing cutting the crosses at the planting stations in the landscape fabric. Previously I had forgotten to put down slugbait under the fabric so had to reach through the crossed opening and spread some round before I planted each strawberry plant. All a bit tedious and difficult to control how much slugbait was scattered and how far under the fabric. All in all I planted 3 more perpetual strawberries, 'Alpine Red & White' (I had grown from seed) and 10 'Strawberries & Cream' (a free offer from a gardening magazine). There were 2 spare planting spots at the end which I think I can fill with the variety 'Hapil' from the old bed. There was a cold breeze and the rain started so I quickly harvested some Purple Sprouting Broccoli and some "Autumn" broccoli before retiring to the shed and replacing the rat bait that had been consumed despite it being in the range of the electronic rodent scarer in the far corner that ticks and flashes away whenever I go in there. Having used up the packets of pelleted bait I fixed a block to the wood base of the bait station with a screw through the hole in the middle. Sunday 2nd December
I left home with 3 bags of strawberry plants, all Elsanta I hope. The first bag I dropped off with my son in Somerford and the second finished up on a table near the Trading Hut with a label to 'Help Yourself'. The third contained those I had selected and tidied up ready for planting. I had selected about 18 but probably would want only 12. Having done the routine emptying of the kitchen waste bin into the compost bin, I set about planting them through the landscape fabric covering the bed. I soon discovered I had only cut the central row of slits and need to space the two side rows between each central station. I had also forgotten to scatter slug bait under the fabric so as I cut each cross I was able to insert my hand and spread the pellets before planting. Placing a board across the frame of the bed to stand on made things much easier. I had forgotten to bring down the new strawberry plants I had grown on at home so I left a row of three holes for the alpine (perpetual) strawberries before planting the dozen Elsanta I had planned. The rest of the bed can be filled with the 'Strawberries and Cream' variety I had obtained earlier this year as a special offer. What with stopping for coffee and cake at the Cabin and chatting to other Plotters, there was not much time left so I started harvesting some Rainbow chard. I then saw that the carrots still needed lifting. They went in far too late so are very small and too riddled with carrot fly to use so I just pulled them out while thinning the Swiss Chard in the next row and weeding them and the Milk on the other side. I used a couple of pallet boards to kneel on, sliding them forward like skis between the rows. It worked well and I shall try using that technique again in the future. Nevertheless I only managed another few feet before it started raining so I gave up and went home with my harvest via my son's house where he was happy to take the last of my selected Elsanta plants. On the way out I put up the Working Party notice for the next Sunday under the noticeboard by the gate. |
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