On 6th April 2007 a very small piece of lawn was dug up, and a raised bed was made. It was sown with a few rows of vegetables. Late in 2009 we gained an half an allotment (plot 54B). What happens next??
I've been a bit tardy in recording the progress over the last couple of weeks. There has been a lot to do and so little time to do it in.
For some reason the weeds keep growing.
Andrew said he finds and video more informative than stills, so here is one I shot last weekend on 24th April 2010. There is a commentary, but it is very quiet...sorry!
Meanwhile here are a few stills as well!
First the damage to the beans and peas:
A view form the shed:
I briefly visited last night and all the hoeing and weeding from the weekend seems wasted!
We've had two very productive sessions on the plot this weekend, but I didn't take my camera with me. We've transplanted some lettuces, planted out two rows of "tundra" cabbages, and planted out chives, leeks, sweetcorn (in cloches), and sunflowers in the pottager bed. I've also planted some sweet pea plants to "pretty-up" the front of the shed.
Most important of all, quite a few hours were spent just weeding. I think this is going to be major activity for a few years at least (and probably for ever!).
As we were leaving we noted damage to the leaves of the broad beans and peas. Searching tinternet suggests pea and bean weevil :-(
Meanwhilst, all the work may well be destroyed by frost next week!
This afternoon was a beautifully sunny and warm spring outing to the plot. There were quite a few allotmenteers present, which resulted in me taking home three cabbages and a bag full of leeks from kind neighbours (no produce from us yet).
Most of the time was spend weeding, but I also managed to layout the "pottager" bed and plant some onion sets in it, another row of "Jaguar" peas were sown, and a short row of salad leaves in the sweetcorn bed.
Having cleared the weeds, the emerging crops are more evident. Exciting!
On Bank Holiday Monday, and today (Tuesday), we have spent two log mornings on the plot. Monday involved three of us. There was a lot of digging and shifting, but unless you know the plot, you wouldn't know. Specifically, yet another barrow full of bindweed roots were removed from near the shed, bed 2 was dug again, and the pile of soil in front of the shed was sieved and added to bed 6, where there was a noticeable hollow.
By my self today, I carried on in front of the shed, and created two beds, one of which now has strawberries in it, courtesy of Richard and Jo, a few plots up.
Both days have been great weather, even if windy at times.
This morning for the first time since we had it, I cycled to the allotment, about 1.5 miles keeping off main roads.
The main activities were to continue lowering the soil in front of the shed and making beds there. The ground has a dip in it at the other end of the plot, so that is where the excess is going.
Any undug ground near the shed is still full of bind weed roots, so deep digging is necessary, and any soil moved has to be checked and sieved to ensure I'm not taking bindweed further up the plot. It's a slow job.
I was quite pleased that one bed is now made. It will probably be the sweet corn bed this year.
Rather than the usual photos, I've done a video tour. It's rather low quality off my phone, but it gives you and idea of what it's like. You can also see that I've finally got round to putting guttering on the shed (after a week of heavy rain!). The down pipe isn't in the final position yet, as I need to do more clearing at the side of the shed.
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