Last weekend of November.

After a couple of weeks of no work due to the rain, I managed a two of hours of digging between showers this weekend.

It's amazing how much everything has died down over the last two weeks. It seems a different place.

The broad beans are showing now, as are all the weeds, and I'm piling up the couch grass roots ready for dumping.

Slow work, but we're getting there.







The quality of the photos from my phone on a dark day isn't too good!

The seed potatoes were ordered: 7lb or earlies and 2x3 lb of different main-crop varieties.

Planning Ahead.

I've been doing a bit of searching to decide what to plant where. The one I like the best so far I found on http://www.gardenaction.co.uk .

This is the plan as it is one the site:

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Year 7

Year 8

C

A potatoes

B

None

C

A potatoes

B

A others

A others

None

B

None

C

A potatoes

B

A others

C

A potatoes

A others

None

Fixed

Fixed

Fixed

Fixed

Fixed

Fixed

Fixed

Fixed

A potatoes

C

None

B

A potatoes

C

A others

B

A others

None

None

B

A potatoes

C

A others

B

A potatoes

C

A others

None

Each year, treat each of the plots A, B and C as described below.

PLOT A POTATOES	PLOT A OTHER	PLOT B	PLOT C
Cultivate Double dig adding manure or well-rotted compost. Add two good handfuls of blood, fish and bone meal per sq. metre (yard). Crops Potatoes	Cultivate Double dig adding manure. Add one good handful of blood, fish and bone meal per sq. metre (yard). Crops Aubergines, beetroot, carrots, courgettes, celeriac, celery, cucumber, garlic, leek, onion, marrow, onions, parsnips, peppers, pumpkins, tomatoes	Cultivate Single dig. Add two good handfuls of blood, fish and bone meal per sq. metre (yard). Crops Broad beans, cress, French beans, globe artichokes, lettuce, Lima beans, okra, peas, soya beans, runner beans, spinach, sweetcorn, Swiss chard	Cultivate As plot B. In addition bring the pH level up to 6.5 - 7.0. Crops Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, calabrese, kale, kohl-rabi, radishes, swedes, turnips

So how does this look for us?

1. Plot A Potatoes will be section one moving from the west end (road end)
2. Plot A other will be next
3. Plot C will be next
4. Plot B next
5. last will be any soft fruit and salads

I may split plot 5 and have a section between section 3 and 4, or 2 and 3.

In reality, I will probably not stick to this at all, but it does mean I know where the digging priority is!

Bit by bit.

Another hour this afternoon, two of us. We've started tackling all the couch grass and docks in the middle of the plot.

Checking on the babies.

It has been such bad night and day for the weather, with very high winds and torrential rain, that it has not been possible to spend time on the allotment today. It's now 4.00pm and getting dark.

I was worried that the wind would have blown the plastic sheeting around, so we went for a quick walk round to check all was OK. It was, and the broad beans have grown a bit more. Compared with a few other plots, they seem small, but we were quite late getting them in. I'm sure they'll be OK.

Signs of Life

I only had time for a quick dig on Saturday, and started double digging another patch, probably clearing a 10 x8 foot area.

The broad beans are just showing, but so are lots of new weed seedlings. Until the beans and onions are more clearly through, it will be a bit risk weeding again.

There is still a long way to go.

A week later

We've just had a very good week away, but as a result haven't been to the allotment. I've just had a quick visit to put some onion sets in (one row of Senshyu Yellow and one row of Electric (red)).

During the week the exposed areas we have dug are all covered with seedlings of something! I understand why there is extensive use of black plastic.

Whilst away we visited RHS Rosemoor where there were excellent pottager and allotment gardens, and we also saw some great vegie areas at Knighthayes (NT).