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| About four barrow-loads to go |
The muck pile has now finally been moved off the roadway.
There was about 10 tons in total, and the original pile was 7 foot high and about twelve foot across.
When I first started to move it, it felt like someone was coming in at night and dumping more on top, but what a great feeling to clear it completely.
Unfortunately we have changed our minds as to where on the plot it should have been put, so quite a lot will have to be moved, but not until the pumpkins have come out in October/November.
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| Jacl O'Lantern |
Len, a plot neighbour, told me last night that he had watered them both for me through the day as they had both 'flopped' and were looking really distressed.
I had noticed that on the Mammoth when I had arrived so had given it some more water as well.
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| Mammoth |
We checked the manure pile around the plants and it seemed to be quite moist, but the roots don't appear to be getting deep enough to take advantage of it.
I gave them both half a bucket-full of water each, which perked them up no end. I will have to keep an eye on them over the next few weeks, especially if we get a late warm patch.
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| Female flower on the Mammoth |
On the plus side, the Mammoth has started to put out female flowers. None have blossomed as yet, but as the males are still waiting too that suits me fine right now.
The French Beans and Peas are both doing well and climbing their supporting canes. No fruit on the beans as yet, but there are three pods on the peas.
I was sold the French beans as climbers rather than bush varieties, but only one appears to have the necessary tendrils, so I am not too sure right now.
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| Potatoes flourishing |
The potatoes are still growing strongly.
I will need to earth them up more very soon, but I am struggling to keep the soil around the stems as it keeps washing away, either from rain or my watering. I shall have to ask for a bit of advice from the Vine forum and also the old hands on the allotment.
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| A Clean Pond |
The pond I inherited has miraculously cleaned up overnight.
Six weeks ago it was choked with duckweed and filled with bits of old wood. We cleared it out, but the water was very murky and you really couldn't see anything at all.
I checked it again last weekend and the water has become almost crystal clear so you can see the small colony of newts in there when they come out from the cover of the weeds. Wonderful.
Five of the six raised beds have been filled with manure and left to settle.
The remaining bed is being left for now as it is still too wet.
The plan is to dig a drainage channel through the orchard at the bottom of the allotment in the hope that it allows some of the water to flow away from my plot.
Once that is done I can start to set out the fruit and herbs area, and also the patio area around the pond itself.
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| More Savoy Cabbages |
Step Dad Ken and I have had a little bet on whose cabbages will be best this year.
I have planted three in the raised 'lasagne' method bed, whilst he has a further 11 in the double dug bed next door.
Mine have been put into a square foot gardening grid whilst his are in traditional rows.
We will see how they all grow, and compare at harvest time.
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| Waiting to go in |
I need to get the third bed up and running as soon as possible to accomodate them all. This may take some time, however, as I have decided to riddle the soil to remove as much of the weed roots as I can before refilling.
30 minutes of crumbling and sorting provided about a spade-full of soil, so I have ordered a sieve from the internet which should fit over the barrow and speed things up quite a bit - I hope.
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