​Planting out Broad Beans

Friday 17th March
Having not made it down to the plot for my usual Thursday morning session because I had some home commitments, I made a special effort to visit this afternoon. With the weekend forecast for rain and the Saturday rugby meant I was unlikely to make it down except for the Working Party.
I had scraped the mulch clear of a foot wide strip so forked over the soil before using the bulb planter to create 30 deep holes into which I dropped the toilet roll pots containing the plants and firmed them in. A few drops of paraffin on each plant to put off the mice and the net tunnel protection as I had not hardened them off as much as I would like. Fortunately there are no frosts forecast.
The autumn planted onion sets are mostly growing on well, apart from the Radar sets, but so are the weeds so I spent a little while hoeing between them. I did plant them with enough space for the home to go between them but as they swell it may not be enough!  I also used my bill hook to cut the Ryegrass green manure ready to dig it in next week.
I then set about digging out the hump of soil in front of my greenhouse door. I have caught my head on the top of the door several times because I had just crossed the hump and not got low enough so I need to level the approach to the doorway. I managed to deal with a barrowload but realised it is such poor quality soil, originally from below the old shed that stood where the greenhouse is now, that I need to spread it out as thinly as I can. 
I offered one of my blackberry plants to one of the new neighbours (I hate to waste them) and was very grateful to be offered in return a young blueberry plant she had brought from the nursery she works at. It will complete my row though I will need to net them well if the blackbirds are not going to eat them before I can harvest them - as they did last summer!
By the time I had done all that it was getting late so I harvested a few things. The row of cauliflower is doing well. I cut a huge one for myself and another good sized one for the neighbour who gave me some parsnips last week. I hope he finds it in his shred before the rats do.
As well as the cauliflower I harvested a large number of Brussel Sprouts as they are beginning to blow. Next to them in the brassica tunnel the row of Purple Sprouting has begun to crop giving me a lovely bunch to take home. My five very small curly kale plants were beginning to run to seed so I picked off the tops hoping they will branch out and provide a further crop. 
Finally I dug up a couple of leeks and a (tiny) parsnip. Before I left I did a tour of the site expecting to be the last to leave. There was one vehicle outside a plot so I planned to leave the lock ready to lock but as I completed my tour that vehicle got ahead of me so, once again, it feel to me to lock up for the night!