Sunday - The Cold Weather Bites!

Having only made a flying visit yesterday just to empty 4 builders bags of leaves (only part filled) into the bin (to be used as leafmould in 2024!), I came down this morning to collect my seed order from the Trading Hut and to see if I could find something energetic enough to stay warm.
I started by raking out the heaps of leafmould on the beds next to the shed to cover the whole bed. It looks as though 6 barrowloads is more than enough to give each bed a 2 inch mulch.

​That done I realised I still had to finish clearing the strawberry runners from outside the bed so I set about finishing digging (No-Dig?) a strip to remove the runners. I also reminded the few weeds I found and the bindweed roots I came across. The former went in the compost, the latter left in and on a pot at the end of the row for the frost to kill off. The strawberry runners joined the small pile outside the plot on the track for anyone to help themselves. I then raked the compost heaps along the bed to spread it into a nice mulch. I'll put some woodchip/stable litter down over the path strip alongside the strawberry bed. #photo 

​Before going home for lunch I did some harvesting; a leek (var. Elefant - one is enough for us two art home), beetroot (one large and several small ones leaving the best leaves on as a possible salad), a few turnips which are probably tough as some have gone to seed, and a Swede.
The Swede had a long neck and not much swelling but is the best I seem able to grow.
I also picked over the broccoli which is giving it's fourth crop so far, small heads but tasty. That gave a reasonable harvest for the time of year - though the Brussels and kale plants look far too small to make any contribution to Christmas!