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.
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.
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