Tidying up in the back garden

For weeks, there has been random stuff on the back garden lawn from the greenhouse cleaning - it has been moving up and down my to-do list.  Finally I cleared it today.  I broke up the Ivy sticks to join a small pile of other twigs - this could be used for some hugelkultur pots or for the critters to shelter in.  I threw a few bits away (at last).

Some of the mess consisted of bags of the compost/soil mix I’d emptied from some of the pots on the patio.  It is a weekend for root crops and, as temperatures in the next couple of weeks are looking to be generally above zero most nights (not my much in some cases), I decided to plant out the Rocket potato tubers in pots.  These will start in the greenhouse but then be moved out by the last frost date (mid-May).  I used the compost/soil mix in the bags for the spuds.  Two in each of five pots.  Pairs of tubers offset on opposite sides of each pot and buried at slightly different levels.  I reason this provides more room for the tubers on each plant to grow as they are determinate so grow on a single layer.  

I am pushing it with two tubers per 20-30l pot I think.  For each layer of soil - the one before putting in the first tuber, the one between the two tubers and the one above the top tuber - I mixed in a handful of seaweed meal to provide some nutrition.  On top of each pot, I put an inch or so of half-rotted compost from the bin from last week.  This is to provide some protection from the cold and to add nutrition longer-term.  Lots of branding worms wriggling about.  I decided not to mix the home-made compost in to avoid tying up too much nitrogen given it needs more time to break down.

Another task was to plant out some of the strawberry plants I had potted up in the autumn from the ones growing on the fence.  I planted 8 around the bay tree (see below - please excuse the cat poo - I will net the berries once established to keep the cats away from any fruit).

Also, I planted some bulbils from some Elephant Garlic last year which had sprouted well over winter.  I planted 13 of these along the edges of the bed to see if they grow further into rounds that can be planted in autumn for full bulbs next year.  Many had an impressive root system growing.

Back indoors, the spring onions are growing well and there is some germination from the onions too.  

Yesterday, I brought a 50l bag of compost from the garden centre.  They didn’t have my usual Sylvagrow so I am trying the RocketGro fruit and veg compost.  When I bought it, I didn’t realise it was the RocketGro one which I’ve read mixed reviews about.  Seemed quite fibrous and sticky and I can now see why it is not recommended for seed sowing.  I hope it is ok for transplants as I potted up 10 Spinach, 10 Rhubarb Chard and numerous Red Salad Bowl Lettuce and Oriental Salad seedlings.  I’ll need to either buy some seed compost or use some of the compost left over from last year’s pots for sowing Turnips and Beetroot.

For tomorrow, the weather is set to turn milder so I plan to be at the allotment to get Bed 2 ready, and perhaps a bit of Bed 1.