No work on the plot either yesterday or today as I was busy with Association work. Yesterday I put up notices and new ropes around the horse litter dumps and cultivated part of a plot for a new tenant, though I did get time to pick some purple sprouting broccoli and pull a few leeks.
Today I had an appointment that meant I only got to the site in the late afternoon. I got out the Association's cultivator, which is running beautifully after being serviced by a volunteer.
Another new tenant had forked over a patch of very rough ground so the machine was able to break up the soil very easily. Given the effort put in by the tenant I worked the cultivator over the patch three times to smooth out the humps and create a good tilth. The main problem was the rubbish in the soil. Three times a buried brick stopped the engine and once the brick became jammed in the tines. Fortunately a neighbouring tenant helped me prise the brick free. I also had trouble with chicken wire getting tangled in the times and when I finished there was yards of string etc. wrapped round the shafts. Normally the problem is weeds clogging the machine and stopping it doing a good job but this time the previous tenant left the plot in such a state it has taken several sessions clearing just to get it suitable to let - and still there is lots of rubbish to clear!
However, I did get to realise how good the machine is at cultivating previously worked soil that is relatively weed free. It is not so good at rescuing neglected weedy ground!
I hope when I have to give up my plot I leave it in a reasonable state.
Today I had an appointment that meant I only got to the site in the late afternoon. I got out the Association's cultivator, which is running beautifully after being serviced by a volunteer.
Another new tenant had forked over a patch of very rough ground so the machine was able to break up the soil very easily. Given the effort put in by the tenant I worked the cultivator over the patch three times to smooth out the humps and create a good tilth. The main problem was the rubbish in the soil. Three times a buried brick stopped the engine and once the brick became jammed in the tines. Fortunately a neighbouring tenant helped me prise the brick free. I also had trouble with chicken wire getting tangled in the times and when I finished there was yards of string etc. wrapped round the shafts. Normally the problem is weeds clogging the machine and stopping it doing a good job but this time the previous tenant left the plot in such a state it has taken several sessions clearing just to get it suitable to let - and still there is lots of rubbish to clear!
However, I did get to realise how good the machine is at cultivating previously worked soil that is relatively weed free. It is not so good at rescuing neglected weedy ground!
I hope when I have to give up my plot I leave it in a reasonable state.
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