I’m a bit further along with the allotment tidy thanks to some time off this month.
First, the compost arrived.
So far so I’ve used it to plant potatoes and fruit trees. Two cherries and an apricot that are new to the plot and to pot up two more.
I’ve also weeded and topped up the asparagus and strawberry bed and in the compost order was some ericaceous soil so the blueberries have been weeded and new soil added.
I have a plan to net this whole area, which I’m hoping to do next weekend and I have all of them in trays because I know that really helps the blueberries especially in the summer.
I’ve weeded most of the grass that came up in the front bed and I’m really pleased to see the tarragon coming back, I’ve also planted a pink and a purple scabious in there and will plant the Erigeron that I’ve ordered, when it arrives. I think with this area, I’m always going to be fighting the grass, which I find amusing as I used not to be able to get anything to grow here!!
Most of my time has been spent weeding the paths and I’m working my way up the plot to get the main path and beds cleared and ready. I’m up to the raspberries. Once the beds are cleared and the main path weeded, it’ll look a lot better. Then I need to deal with the overgrown beds at the side.
The indoor greenhouse is up and contains, cucumbers, tomatoes and sweet peppers and I’ll add to that this week with squash plants.
This year is test for me to see whether I can reasonably continue with a whole plot, without help from my mum and with one day a week. To that end, my long term plan is to put some perennials in the beds at the back of the plot. I’ve come around to the idea that a lot of time on the plot for me is weeding and I struggle to split my focus and find time and space for sowing plants, having beds that don’t need to be cleared and refilled every season would be a help. I have some perennial leeks in one of the beds so I’ll let them spread. This was a spur of the moment decision over the last week, so I’ve bought seeds for nine star broccoli and cottagers kale. They aren’t long lived perennials but they last a couple of years and I can propagate them. I think I’ll also plant up a bed of strawberries because I don’t feel I can have too many of them. So that’s four of those seven beds filled. It might also cut down on water haulage in the summer, if I only need to concentrate on the winter squash beds and polytunnel beds! That’s the dream
The rhubarb is suffering a bit in the dry weather, I have been watering it but I still had to cut off three flower spikes yesterday! But I’ve made my first batch of jam!
Lots still to do, but I’m feeling more in control of the space!
Nic Dempsey 