Planning and Reviewing February in Previous Years

Reviewing the diary over the last Eight years for February

2013 - Infrastructure works, drying weeds for burning, burning weeds, Rain start of the month, dry towards the end, delivery of woodchip to plot, built a coldframe  
 

2014 - Infrastructure works, transplanting bluebells and daffs in comfrey bed, bought and planted fruit trees, Constructed Greenhouse Sub Frame, Seeds from Lidl I could not resist at 29p a pack or 5 for a £1   

2015 -  Allotment Winter Tidy Up, Spent tomato compost & coir dressing added to beds, Sprouts, Cabbage, Chitting Potatoes, Timber base for the greenhouse created, Onions from Seeds   

2016 - Infrastructure works, kerb stones off freecycle, Base for the shed on Spencer Road. Erecting the Shed, Trimming shaggy weed membrane, gathering compost paper & Coffee Grounds.

2017 - Infrastructure works, Laying concrete slabs at Spencer Road in the Greenhouse area , Portable Grow Station created and Sprouts sown, Grow Station 2 created, Chitting potatoes in Grow Station 2,  

2018 - Infrastructure works, Laying concrete slabs on Plot 1A, Installing the bed edging that had been brought from Spencer Road Allotment, Warming Up Beds with solar tunnels and obtaining Timber Roof Joists from the building site next door.

2019 - Infrastructure works, Frost and a couple or raining Allotment days this year. Andy brought leaves from home for my leaf pile. Burning rotted timber and dry vegetation. Painting timber joists on the plot. Attacking the hawthorne along the wall. Purchased potatoes from Wilko and set up chitting potatoes in Space saver Greenhouse. Attended the Garden Press Event and came home with lots of  packs of seeds and other goodies.

2020 - Infrastructure works, picked up a stack of free slabs off Freecycle, Showed vacant plots and they took plot 4. Cleaned the Space Saver Greenhouse ready for the season and for chitting spuds in. The contractor converting the industrial unit to residential behind Plot 1 & 1A decided in the infinite wisdom to remove the trees that were holding the unstable wall in place and destabilise the wall directly behind my shed on plot 1A. They cut and dropped the branches directly on my shed! Not happy and informed them and the council. Showing      

Showing Chris the vacant plots available, he decided to take on plot 14. Storm Ciara blows many polytunnels off the plots and destroys them and light weight greenhouses on plots. Mentioned In Despatches by Waltons, National Nestbox Week 

Lots of Rain during the early part of the month Storm Dennis with many photographs of flooded allotment plots, especially in Wales and then suddenly at the end of the month, dry weather bluebells and daffs showing and Fools Spring has arrived. Won Mr Fothergills Facebook competition of Swing F1 Cucumber seeds

Picked up another free Dalek to add to Dalek Army II. Attended the Garden Press Event and came home with not so many packs of seeds but lots of other goodies, and promises of equipment to trial. The Covid -19 Virus starts sweeping around the globe, and people start to think twice about shaking hands at the Event. Still cataloguing what's in my Seed Box, need to get this done a lot earlier next year, if not by the end of 2020 

Planned for 2021

As last year January was very wet, so I'm playing catch up with a lot of items that were scheduled to happen last month. So if the weather permits I have plan to undertake more Infrastructure works. 

Coronavirus UPDATE

The third wave continues and most sensible people are anticipating a rise in the the amount of cases and deaths again. Unlike the first wave when I stayed in doors for five months shielding my wife, this time as I can't work as much I will be taking the opportunity of exercising on the allotment and looking after my mental well being to get everything ready for the coming growing season when the weather allows.  

To Do List  

Below is the to do list in no particular order of what needs to be done and what has slipped 

Mill Green - Plot 1A

• Clear Bed 2 of Cabbages and cover - TBD
• Remove and dispose of Corex on the roof - TBD once a couple of dry days.
• Re felt the roof of the shed - Awaiting a couple of dry days 
• Fix the potting Bench - TBD after the bindweed is removed. 
• Rhubarb Bed to be created - I have now cleared the weeds in the bed and covered in cardboard in current location and will move the Rhubarb when I expose it again on plot 1, or perhaps buy some new.
• Tidy Up the Allotment  - Ongoing 
• Weeding - Ongoing  

Mill Green - Plot 1

• As much infrastructure works as the weather will allow - Four Raspberry beds now completed
• Beds and Paths -  Main Path into Plot 1 completed and the last two raspberry beds new paths completed.
• Daleks - Army II now all installed and the base wood chipped. 
• Square Foot Gardening Beds - Timber for 2.5 Square Foot Gardening Beds cut, two more lengths required then they need nails removed, painting and drilling for fixing screws. 
• Apple - Prune Trees 
• Erect the greenhouse - New Timbers have been cut and treated Need to find brackets
• Clear the debris from the bottom of Plot 1 - TBD
• Install the kerb edging along the bottom of Plot 1 - TBD
• Clear the weeds and install a 600mm margin around the perimeter of the plot - Trimmed path around plot 1 during November, margin to be installed
• Trench for hose from corner of plot 1 to the tap and water butt - TBD   
• Tidy Up the Allotment - Ongoing over the Autumn/ Winter to be completed by March 2021
• Timber in Incinerators - Burn before the end of March 

Home 

• Planning - Ongoing
• Cut Path Weed Membrane - When dry   
• Cut Bed Weed Membrane - When dry
• Cut Planting Membrane - Make some narrow bed tomato planting sheets
• Cold Frame  - Relocate 
• Space Saver Greenhouse - Clear
• Potatoes - into Mushroom Trays for Chitting 

Reminders

• None at the moment.- Add when remembered