May Bank Holiday Weekend on the Plot

Main crop Potato planting time. 
This will be the fourth lot I've planted since last month. The variety is 'Valour' I picked this one because of it's good yield and resistance to disease and drought.

I didn't manage to plant all these, but 36 in 3 rows, is a good amount, I hope the claims of a good yield are true.

Because Valour is a main crop potato, I first dug a trench 30" (75cm) from the last trench, each seed potato is placed 15" (38cm) apart along the bottom of the trench which I watered well as the soil is so dry at the moment, I also added  a few handfuls of Chicken pellet fertiliser onto the soil dug out of the trench, so when back filling the trench the soil & pellets fall on top of the seed potatoes giving them a much needed boost as they grow.

Both the new raised beds are finished & filled with a soil, compost & manure mixture, then 4 ridges were formed then black mulch fabric placed over the soil mounds. Holes cut in the fabric allows the Strawberry plants to be planted through.

This variety is 'Elsanta' which we started last year, these plants are the runners we potted up and over wintered.

The Greenhouse is full at the moment, the Peas are podding well, the Pak Choi is massive and the Broad Beans are coming on fine, extra crops from a space not used normally over winter. 

Tomato plants have been started at home and will be planted here when the Peas & Pak Choi have been harvested.

We brought along our Chickens, Maud, Flo, Freda & Matilda. 

They are having a wonderful time amongst the Blueberries & Strawberries dust bathing!
When it was time to go home it was hard catching them, I think they could have stayed all night! But not happy to do that as nowhere for them to roost & threat of Fox attack is too great.

So much done today, also sown some Mange Tout peas in one of the raised beds.
Harvested Leeks and Rhubarb. Which we will have for our dinner tonight.

As its Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow, will be back to do more digging & weeding!
 The sun shone all day today hope it continues.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian