More preparation for Spring

Whilst clearing a patch of weeds and grass, where the Carrots were growing last year, I dug up more that I forgot were there.
Luckily the fleece tunnel, despite a rip in it, did it's job at keeping the dreaded root fly off them and they were perfect. Had some of them with our Sunday dinner, nothing like freshly harvested Carrots.

We tidied up the Leeks, had to do it by hand as I planted them a bit too close together to get a hoe between the rows. 
You would have thought after 13 years of growing veg I would have got that right!

Anyway they are doing well, hope to harvest these later in the year.

The Rhubarb has halted growth a bit due to falling temperature, it has been cold this week.

So I continued weeding around the Runner Bean frame, both sides are ready for muck to be added. 
Runner Beans like lots of well rotted manure, as they are hungry plants. But it's worth the preparation for a bumper harvest of long green pods, that can easily be frozen for storage.

On Saturday we visited the Edible Garden Show in Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. It was a great show, with lots to see about growing Veg and keeping livestock, Goats, Pigs and Chickens were on show, which was nice. 
But while we were there, one of our Chickens, Mabel, who had been quiet on Friday afternoon into Saturday, sadly died. 

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian.

Freezing NE wind, but we wrapped up warm

Yes despite the cold wind, we did venture out to our Allotment, on foot.

Here alongside the permanent netting, I weeded the border ready for plenty of muck to be dug in. 
We grow Runner Beans up this netting and have started them off in the Greenhouse at home.

We didn't bring the Chickens today, but hope to next week. Watch this space.

Rhubarb again, I know I have mentioned this before, but today I spotted 4 more leaves through now and many more just a bout to burst out. The cold spell forecast for next week might slow it down a bit, but Spring is just around the corner.

So as I said it was cold, even had a few flakes of snow fall today and more on the way.

But next task is to get more Horse Manure from a local stables, free too. 
The Potatoes are 'chitting' well and I am just waiting for the ideal time to plant them out.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian

What a difference a day makes

Such a lovely warm sunny day, ahead of the rain. 

So I decided to carry on with a bit more digging, I have now removed all roots, weeds & clumps of grass from the patch to the left of the Leeks. The two planks of wood are protecting the remaining Parsnips that are there, we had some on Sunday for dinner and were so sweet, leaving them in the ground longer hasn't done any harm.

Finally a Stockbridge Arrow Rhubarb leaf, just poking out from behind that bud, it really wont be long now. The warmth has helped, we are expecting 3 days of rain next, so I'm hoping to see more Rhubarb leaves next time.

As you can see the Incinerator Bin has moved & in use again, I have managed to burn all the dried weeds, including all that I dug up today too.
So a very productive, but tiring day, but I do have a satisfied feeling I got all that done before the rain.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian 

Lots done today, Chickens too.

So today was a good day to get lots done, it's been dry all week so the soil was easy to dig again.
Last week we cleared the far raised bed you can see in this photo, today we dug over the near one, removed old plants and weeds, then topped up with saved New and used Compost that we grew Tomatoes in at home.

I also dug over a bit more of the Potato patch, weeded the Leeks that we put in last year and burnt a lot more of the dried weeds, this time in the Incinerator Bin. The bin is easier to burn in as you can control it easier by putting the chimney lid on which makes it burn quicker, as I was putting in fresh dug weeds, it burns them better than on an open bonfire. 

Here, in the greenhouse you can see the Feltham First Peas I put in at the start of the year, they have done really well, not flowered yet but will soon with warmth and sunlight. The direct sown seeds are coming on well too, I showed them in the video last week.

Chicken News:
We decided to bring the Chickens today, sadly two didn't want to come, Freda and Mabel weren't keen on being caught and put in the transport box, so we didn't want to stress them. But Maud, Matilda and Flo came gladly and had a great time. I filmed them for you, take a look here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCP_2eL52-Y

So a great day for digging, weeding and Chicken scratching, even the Buzzards were busy overhead, I counted eight circling above, both adults and juniors, our Chickens were safe in the fruit cage!

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian

A good days digging & weeding

 So today was a good day for digging, hasn't rained for at least a week, so the soil was light and easy to dig.
This corner had been left to the weeds for a few years, mostly Nettles and Ground Elder, but I managed to dig most of that out.

The raised bed to the back right had Garlic in last year and, the lighter area to the left is where the Victoria Rhubarb is growing and the patch in the foreground is the Herb bed.

As I said in the video I posted last time, the current Garlic bed hadn't been weeded, so today that's one of the jobs done, looks much better.

The raised bed behind needed a good weeding too, we hope to put some Pak Choi and other early greens in there. 
The Peas 'Feltham First' are doing well in the Greenhouse and even the direct sown seed has come through now.

But the main job I wanted to do was to clear away the pile of dried weeds and woody foliage that we had piled up over the autumn/winter.

Good excuse for another Bonfire I'd say.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian

February Allotment walk through video

I've posted videos before of our Chickens, so today I decided to do a walkabout of our Allotment, not a lot is growing at the moment, but I plan to do the same walkabout once a month so you can see better how the year progresses growing wise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjpFuI_mUZE

The Bonfire.

Burning dried weeds, dried grass, Raspberry trimmings as too woody for compost and lots an lots of Nettles pulled up today :)

Thanks for reading/watching/returning. Ian

End of ground preparation weekend

Yesterday I finished digging over the bulk of the Potato patch, this patch measures 340 sq ft, there is still about 250 sq ft to clear and dig over but there are still Parsnips and Leeks in the ground. But at least I have prepared the ground for all the 1st Early Spuds 'Anya and 'Foremost' maybe the 'Charlotte' too, these are 'chitting' now on a cool window sill.






So on Thursday I went to a local Stables. I half filled (too heavy if filled) 12 compost bags with well rotted Horse Muck, all that muck filled my car (with the seats down). So today I spread out 6 bags of the muck, will leave it on the surface to break down for a week or two, then I will get my Rotovator out and mix it well into the soil ready for planting the Spuds.

I noticed the red buds of the Stockbridge Arrow Rhubarb breaking though, the Victoria has buds too, this means things are warming up, spring is on it's way.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian