Earlier this year a friend asked me to look after his plot as he was ill. Unfortunately the illness turned out to be terminal so I have spent the year trying to look after the plot and taking him some of the veg and fruit.
Now the season is over his wife has asked me to take any fruit bushes I can use. This is the sort of 'freebie' that allotmenteers are happy to get. I just wish it was in better circumstances.
There are some lovely raspberries but I have a couple of very productive rows already.
However, I have found space for a couple of blueberry bushes, some gooseberries, a loganberry, a tayberry and a thornless blackberry and look forward to many harvests.
I have taken care to dig each bush out with as big a root ball as I could manage even though it meant barrowing them round to my plot and then barrowing soil back from my plot to fill in the holes left behind! I am giving each bush a good home by digging an oversize hole and digging over the bottom with some compost added.
I am a bit worried about my blackcurrants as there are some very big buds on them and this may mean I've got a 'Big Bud Mite' infection. Perhaps I'll take some cuttings from my friends bushes as they are far too big to transplant. That's a pity as they produced a magnificent harvest this year.
Hopefully, I can hand the plot on in a reasonable state to the next tenant, though the raspberries are going wild and there are far more weeds than I would like.
Just a reminder that there are some Broad Bean plants on sale at the Trading Hut if you have space. No problem if you haven't as you can sow them next spring but overwintered plants do crop earlier and do well in this area.
Oh and another thing! - If you are around on Sunday 23rd, please come and give us a hand with the Working Party. Please come to the Trading Hut any time after 10am. on Sunday morning even if you can only spare half an hour or so.
Now the season is over his wife has asked me to take any fruit bushes I can use. This is the sort of 'freebie' that allotmenteers are happy to get. I just wish it was in better circumstances.
There are some lovely raspberries but I have a couple of very productive rows already.
However, I have found space for a couple of blueberry bushes, some gooseberries, a loganberry, a tayberry and a thornless blackberry and look forward to many harvests.
I have taken care to dig each bush out with as big a root ball as I could manage even though it meant barrowing them round to my plot and then barrowing soil back from my plot to fill in the holes left behind! I am giving each bush a good home by digging an oversize hole and digging over the bottom with some compost added.
I am a bit worried about my blackcurrants as there are some very big buds on them and this may mean I've got a 'Big Bud Mite' infection. Perhaps I'll take some cuttings from my friends bushes as they are far too big to transplant. That's a pity as they produced a magnificent harvest this year.
Hopefully, I can hand the plot on in a reasonable state to the next tenant, though the raspberries are going wild and there are far more weeds than I would like.
Just a reminder that there are some Broad Bean plants on sale at the Trading Hut if you have space. No problem if you haven't as you can sow them next spring but overwintered plants do crop earlier and do well in this area.
Oh and another thing! - If you are around on Sunday 23rd, please come and give us a hand with the Working Party. Please come to the Trading Hut any time after 10am. on Sunday morning even if you can only spare half an hour or so.
RSS Feed
