2012 Allotment Diary - Me: 36 hrs He: 30.5hrs 2012 Eggs: 248

It's been 13 days since I was last able to get up the allotment.  Rain stopped play mostly!  So it was a joy to get up there today - just for a short visit - but it ended up over 2 hours.

 At last the early potatoes are above ground.   I had earthed them up and the rows looked lovely - but today the soil was baked hard on top - all the wind and a bit of sun soon changes it.

 I was amazed to see that the broad bean seeds I sowed had germinated the started to grow so quickly!

 

I need to hoe between the rows and heap up the soil again - but for now grass cuttings do the job well.

 It's amazing how quickly the grass grows up there - and so lush.

The comfrey has thrived with all the rain, and will make really good fertilizer.

 I set Mr Lottie the task of weeding one side of the compost heap - which will be planted out with pumpkin or squash plants.

 The weeds filled a wheelbarrow - and the compost is perfect.

 

What I can't quite understand though - is why it is so dry - all the way through - after all the rain we have had.  Maybe the fact that it had grass and 'weeds' growing which might had have sucked up all the moisture.

 

I had a lovely heap of fresh horse manure delivered,  and spent a while filling up and spreading it out into the other half of the compost bin.

 I once was told that if you hoe when  you don't need to hoe, you won't need to hoe!

It didn't make much sense at the time - but it does now.

 So I hoed between my broad bean plants in the front bed, and it broke up the hard soil - you can see the difference can't you.

It made a  big difference and any rain will now be able to soak in again.  I don't know how much time I will get to keep the hoeing up on all of my plot - but I'll try.

 The currant bushes, which I hard pruned are really flourishing and loaded with flowers.

I am hoping for a good crop again this year.  I freeze all the fruit and it lasts a whole year until the next harvest.

 I harvested more rhubarb too - again - it gets frozen and sees us through to next year.

The gooseberry bush is going to give me so much fruit

My fruit bush cuttings are coming on a treat

 These are mainly current bush cuttings - doing well too.

I got Mr Lottie to help me top and tail the bags of rhubarb sticks.

Well he'll be eating the crumbles and pies I make, and it'll save another trip to the allotment compost the leaves!

Rain forecast again for tomorrow - so I'll be working in the garden tomorrow.