Busy weekend with the Rotavator and an Easter surprise

First job of the weekend was to rotavate this patch where the early spuds are going in. 

I love my Rotavator, it can turn over this patch in about 15 mins. It's bigger than a Mantis, but still folds down to fit in my car boot. 

As you can see here, the 'Rocket' First Early spuds have 'chitted' well. 

They have perfect short stubby dark green shoots, just ready for planting

Using a line, to keep it straight, I dug a trench about 6" (15cm) deep, then placed each seed spud 12" (30cm) apart along the base of the trench. I then added to the soil removed a few handfuls of Chicken manure pellets. 
I had 38 seed spuds so I had to dig 3 1/2 trenches, each trench 24" (60cm) apart. 
I will add the 2nd early 'Charlotte' in two weeks to stagger the harvest. 

While I had the Rotavator there (as I have to bring it down in the car) I thought I would turn over this patch too. 
But I removed the perennial weeds first, like Nettles, Dandelions and Ground Elder to name a few! Don't want those chopped up in the soil!

We have lots of Onions to go in that have been started in cell trays, this patch will do just fine, in the middle are the Winter Red Onions I put in last year.

We are still digging up winter Parsnips, don't they look good. 
Still have a full row in the ground, but will have to dig them up soon as the main crop spuds, 'Kerrs Pink' and 'Cara' are going in that patch. 
The bonfire is on that patch too, so lots of potash to dig in.

Here you can see the 'Stockbridge Arrow Rhubarb' now its getting warmer it's broken through and leaves are uncurling, I took this photo on Saturday and today I noticed lots more buds had leaves uncurling. So it wont be long before I can take the first harvest

The 'Solent Wight Garlic' that has been under fleece since planting at the end of January, has put on good growth, so its time to take the fleece off.

 So as I said a busy weekend, I also started to cut down that huge Laylandii you can see in the background, it has been casting a large shadow over the plot diagonally behind mine, so it has to go. 
I'm taking it down branch by branch, up a ladder with a hand saw. So watch this space to see how I get on.

Lovely Easter surprise this morning when I let the Hens out, I found this massive egg on the henhouse floor, the one far right weighs 70g the massive one is almost 50% heavier at 102g, I wonder if it will have a double yolk ? I will report on this when we crack it. 

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian