Bay, Rosemary and Weed Prevention sheets

We hope to have the 5th bed dug over by the weekend; the soil on the other side of the ploytunnel is much better to work, so we are over the really tough bit, just need to keep the soil weeded and hoed in preparation for the spring plantings. Bought 5 Weed Prevention sheets from Tesco reduced from £3.49 to 61p each and one covers a bed! If we want any more there are still some left.
Planted a rosemary bush and Bay Tree which have outgrown Chez Tetard.

Salad Leaves

Some of the salad leaves in the polytunnel have taken quite well, especially the mixed salad leaves. These might be ready for eating now, so please feel free to try them out (and report back).

I've planted some more salad seeds today. Counting from the immediate right of the salad leaves, there are now two new rows of more salad leaves, followed by two rows of rocket.

I'll continue to sow salad stuff throughout September in the hope that we get better germination rates than so far.

Spreading the muck

Had an interesting adventure. Ron at Plot 39 told me that a Mr Smith at Holywell Farm was able to supply a load of well rotted manure. Try finding a Mr Smith in the Telephone Directory or on the Net!! So my adventure took me along Ashby Road in the Shepshed direction, between a layby and the BP garage is a track. House is about a mile up there.
3 very big noisy dogs greeted me and suggested that I did not exit the car. A very nice Mrs Smith took my details and said that delivery would not take place until Oct/Nov and they should call me first. Cost per load about £20.
Their details
Mr Richard Smith
Phone # 01509 239277 Mobile# 07703 583997

Update weekend of 19th August

Thought we'd just add where we are this weekend - more of a timestamp than anything else.

Added 23 leeks to the space left in the polytunnel - adjacent to the aubergines and chilli plants. Dad had just planted some of his out and these were what he'd got left over (and more besides). Be interesting to see how they compare to those outside.

The strawberry side of the polytunnel has started to be dug over. This is twitch heaven - we've been pulling out roots three foot long. That said, soil again looks great once cleared. Leaves from inside are now in Geoff's trench. We've also moved the chicken feed and manure up to the shed, out of the way.

Nettle from front of polytunnel entrance has been cleared on one side. 'Twas a monster and I'm sure it will be back in Terminator fashion. Will tackle other side shortly.

Hosepipe has been brought over from East Leake and left in polytunnel. Looks to be a good length with a nozzle attachment. Have not yet attempted to fit it anywhere. Thanks to Ma & Pa (now avid readers of the blog!).

Further oberservations. Looks like Richard has dug out bramble roots between the redcurrants an Geoff has continued his undertaker training by beginnning another new trench adjacent to the one recently finished by Richard. Finally, looks like Mike/Geoff have filled the various holes and runs around the polytunnel entrance. Have to say it makes a massive difference not to be forever checking where you put your feet.

As Hanna & Barbera would say, 'That's all folks'.

Oh, and I think we've got slugs attacking the purple sprouting (certainly looked to be more than just caterpillars). Remedies ?!

Photos Sunday 12 August

See the progress we have made!

Warning - once bitten.....

Jan got bitten on her leg whilts at the allotment. I got a similar bite a couple of days later at a barbecue (admittedly nowhere near the allotment!), and this was the result. It might be prudent to slap on some anti insect stuff before each visit to stop the pests getting their retaliation in first!

Mike's new salad leaves looking good. Watered early (mid afternoon) but did everything twice so should survive the heat over the rest of the day. J's trench getting v anty, but another 6 feet turned and twitch removed (next year's weeds according to one Martin who introduced himself. He also told me about the geology of Loughboro and that there are 101 varieties of potato in Peru. So quite an afternoon.)

Shed gets a coat of paint

Hi all

Di took advantage of the good weather this afternoon to slap a coat of Cuprinol (thanks for the paint, Geoff) on to the shed. Looks much better! Hope you agree.

Di and Mike

Further plantings...

Quick update - have added a butternut squash to the outside bed and will train up and down as witnessed on other plots. Also added 12 leeks to the bed - see how they come along. Plan is to place a couple of aubergine plants in the polytunnel bed on Monday evening.

Have watered today (Sunday) and Irene hoed the weeds in the tunnel. We'll water again Monday night as well unless advised otherwise.

Other plan for us this week is to try and complete the second outside bed - remove the twitch and style as per bed 1.

Regards, J&I

Good afternoon

Right then! Back from hols and the great work undertaken by you all inspected this afternoon. An absolute transformation, and next door looks much less of a seed/weed threat than it did. Thanks for all the hard effort. We'll get the garden tame again and then give a hand. see you all tonight!

An expert opinion...

My dad passed on some of his wisdom the other week concerning how to pick the right sized allotment. I thought it was worth sharing...

"Never choose an allotment that is larger than your wife can hoe in one day..."

Wise words indeed !

First plantings!

Geoff and I have planted out some broccoli (a mixture of purple- and white-sprouting). Its all we could find at Picks: we were told that the sprout and leek sets had all already gone! The broccoli has gone into the first trench that Irene and Jonathan dug (trench no.2) and we've protected them (hopefully) with some netting and an organic slug deterent. So, using Jonathan's classication, row 2 is the brassica row!

In the polytunnel, we've sowed 2 rows each of: rocket; spinach; salad leaves; and lettuce (variety is bionda lenta). There's still space to repeat that in maybe a couple of weeks time. At the opposite end a couple of chilli plants and a tarragon bush have gone in. Please keep an eye on the moistness of the soil. It can be watered using the overhead watering system. It mostly works. Just plug in the yellow hose connector (in a flowerpot inside the polytunnel) between the water tap and the hose running up the side of the plot.

In the next few days, Geoff and I will reroof the shed and secure it, and lay down tarpaulin behind the polytunnel.

Mike