Compost bins and planting garlic and spring cabbages

​Monday 31st October
The first job I set about on arrival on the plot was to reinforce the compost bins. After the problems I had earlier this year 29th them splitting open I wanted to strengthen them. I screwed two battens down each side to hold the front on the left hand one so it matched the central one. Then, having noticed that the front of the central one had started to bulge, I screwed a bar across the front.

That done I planted a row of garlic using only the plumper cloves from the three bulbs I bought from Stewart's at quite a price. Next to them I planted half a row of Jermor shallots. I will plant the rest of the row with saved shallots from last year of Grizelle. I may also plant another row of these.
I then moved into the brassicas tunnel and picked a very scrappy cauliflower and a couple of cabbages that had not hearted that may give some 'spring greens' if the whitefly haven't spoiled them. I also cleared all the dead leaves and removed a large number of old leaves and threw them all into the compost bin. In the space in the middle of the tunnel I planted a row of 5 'Pixie' cabbages and a row of 5 'Durham Early' spring cabbages using a good dose of lime for each plant.

The courgette haulms looked pretty shot so I pulled them out and added them to the compost bin. These were easy to remove as the stalks broke off with a gentle tug. The bin is already half full though it will settle.
As it got dark I picked quite a crop of raspberries (they are still cropping!) and pulled three more French bean plants laden with beans before going home.