Etsy

20/03/2013

Plot 36, getting my hands dirty

When I left  Plot 36 two weeks ago Saturday I had only managed to move most of the bigger bits of junk strewn across the plot and cut down the majority of the brambles and taller weeds. I left a third of the plot covered with an old tarpaulin to try to suppress any further weed growth but did leave a strip uncovered that is about a meter wide and the full width of the plot along the left boundary where I found a Rhubarb crown growing. 

Since then, whilst waiting for my own set of site keys to be cut, I've been doing quite a bit of reading and fact finding, learning as much as I can about crop rotation and allotment pests. The children and I have also been and also planting our first few seeds at home in little pots on the kitchen windowsill, just 4 seeds each of purple sprouting broccoli, kohlrabi and heritage tomatoes (not sure which ones, they were taken from a seed mix of Chocolate Stripes, Green Zebras and Yellow Grape saved from last year's plants) and some Sweet Peas for the flower garden that will make up part of our plot.

I picked up the keys at the weekend and yesterday I went back for the first time on my own and spent an hour and a half clearing the Rhubarb bed, brilliant fun. The site gently slopes and our plot is at the bottom of the slope. After two weeks of torrential rain plot 36 is pretty boggy. Next job is to find out as much as I can about improving the drainage and what grows best on a soggy plot!

Jolene x

1 comment:

  1. Love following your progress with the allotment Jo. The kidlets look like they're enjoying it too! :D xx

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