Laying new paths

Bit chilly this weekend with some sunny intervals.  Little bit of drizzle yesterday but dry so far today.

I had a couple of hours at the plot yesterday when I laid down paths and mulch on Bed 4.  I forgot to take a photo so will have to record that here another time.  For mulch, I emptied Bin 1 completely and that covered one and a half of the new beds.  

Today, I emptied Bin 2 to mulch the rest of the bed from yesterday and to fill 4 compost bags ready to spread onto Bed 2 when that is sorted out.  Some of the contents of Bin 3 (towards the bottom) may be approaching ready for mulching but that will need sorting out.  It would be great if I could use that for Bed 2.  That will be for next weekend.

I turned the top of Bin 3 and all of Bin 4 into Bins 1 and 2 along with Ivy clippings and coffee grounds (from a local cafe).  Perhaps a bit too much brown material but we’ll see.

I bought home with me: some Jerusalem artichokes, some tiny parsnips and leeks (the last on the plot), 1 large parsnip from Mark and 1.5 stalks of Brussels Sprouts from another neighbour.  I also brought back 3 Hybrid Berry roots which I’d layered in the corner of Bed 2.  Unfortunately I snapped one of them but the root system looked so strong that I took it home anyway in case it resprouts a new stem.  I potted those up at home.

Shockingly, I found about a dozen or so Australian flatworms under the strawberry troughs yesterday.  I wonder if they are prevalent in the lawn which might partially explain the incredibly poor aeration.  I’ll keep on it.

In terms of seeds and seedlings, this weekend has been an active one.  Yesterday, I potted on the Mixed Alpine Strawberries, Aubergines (more of both have germinated in the past week), Foxgloves, Rudbeckia, Nasturtiums and Dahlias.  Today I sowed the seeds below:

My next job is to empty Bin 1 at home, mulch the beds in the front garden and turn Bin 2.  Not sure that can realistically be done until the weekend.  I might be able to do a little tomorrow in my lunch break.  Not enough energy now.

   

Detangling

Yesterday, I stayed at home so aimed to tidy up the pots in the back garden.  I also wanted to check the underneath of pots for flatworm.  Some of the pots did have a flatworm underneath (nearly always a solitary one), including the Blueberry pot next to the bench.  None of the pots on the other side of the steps did though.  None were found under pots that were drier which is perhaps not surprising.  I emptied some of the pots and have separated out the contents of the pots under which a flatworm was lurking.  I am not sure about what to do with the material - I’ll probably reuse in the back garden pots, mixed with fresh home-made compost, to avoid spreading the issue further.

The pots against the north-facing fence needed clearing from the dead Ivy leaves from above, stemming from next door.  When half-way through the pots along that fence, I took a proper look and saw how congested the Ivy was.  I pulled at a few of the stems and discovered that much of it is coming through the fence from the bottom and mid-way up, rather than coming from over the top.  In the end, I ripped it all off the fence.  The plant materials is piled up on our lawn.  I need to chop it all up over the next week and get it rotting down - some at home and some at the allotment.  With the fence cleared, I’ll have another think about what can do up against it food-wise.  Likely some hybrid berries from the plot.

Today, I had a couple of hours at the plot and the day was lovely and Spring-like.  I focused on tidying up the Boysenberries and clearing the ground in front of them.  Photos of before and after below.

 

Next week, I’ll be sowing some leafy crops at home and laying down some paths and compost onto Bed 4.

Speedy cultivation

Last weekend, I managed to get a couple of hours at the plot and I focused on Bed 4.  The picture below shows how it looked when I arrived.

The soil was perfect for weeding - just moist enough for the roots to pull out easily.  I hand-weeded most of the bed and used a spade to cut a wonky edge (I’ll tidy that up another time).  Before leaving as the light was fading, I tried using the cultivator to clear the strawberry bed.  The old strawberry plants came out easily - bone dry so not sure they’ve have made much of a comeback anyhow.  I did a first pass over that part before harvesting some parsnips, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes and a handful of Spanish radish.  

When I left the bed looked a lot clearer.  Next weekend I could finish it by tidying up the Boysenberries (I’ve been inspired by something on a Joy Larkcom book about twirling the stems around parallel wires and I think that will really help to manage them) and clearing the weeds around their base, and setting out a path or two with the cardboard and wood chips.  I then plan to clear Bed 2.

Back at home the seeds are germinating fairly well.  Around 17 Sweet Peas, 1 Black Beauty and 4-5 Early Long Purple Aubergine.  The newer variety of Alpine Strawberries, 4 Dahlias, a couple of Nasturtiums and French Marigolds, and lots of Foxglove.  

I’ve been checking under the Strawberry troughs and have uncovered more flatworms.  Earlier in the week I found one under something in the greenhouse.  None under the bags I put on the garden bed so I’ve removed those.  The monitoring continues.

Sowing flowers

Bit tired with a cold this weekend so not doing too much.  I sowed 8 types of flowers today:

• Bluebells (English)
• Cowslips
• Dahlias
• Foxgloves
• Marigolds (French)
• Nasturtiums
• Rudbeckias
• Verbena

I cannot locate my sole propagator lid so have deployed 2 cake boxes - the ones with a clear plastic lid and clips to secure the lid to the base.

All but the Bluebells are inside.  I am hoping the cold (sub-zero) of the next few nights will encourage them to germinate.

I also cut back the old leaves from the 3 Hellebores in the front garden and pruned back (hard) the Alan Titchmarsh Rose.  

A brief inspection earlier today, underneath the three Strawberry planters next to the greenhouse, showed up a single flatworm under two of them and a little family under the third.  Later, a repeat inspection uncovered another one, along with what looked like a black flatworm.  It was a bit like a leech.  Nevertheless, several small slugs are also under the planters along with an earthworm earlier. 

I’ve put two compost bags on the back garden bed, each folded up, under a brick to see if any flatworms can be attracted in the cold weather.  

I don’t expect to get to the plot tomorrow but, if I do, I’ll drop off some cardboard ready to lay down some paths of wood chip.  I may turn over the right hand compost bin at home.