Planning and Reviewing March in Previous Years

 Reviewing the diary over the last TEN years for March 

2013 - Infrastructure works, picked up 17 paving slabs off Freecycle, met my plot neighbour for the first time, finally after clearing I started on digging and weeding, Comfrey roots purchased and grown in toilet rolls.   

 

2014 - Infrastructure works continue, Erected the green house on plot 1A, lighter nights and a few extended lunch time visits from work and early evening visits, Spuds sown and solar tents to warm up the soil on beds. Sowing seeds and a hard frost at the end of March 

2015 - Infrastructure Works, the very last two beds and paths on Plot 1A were formed, Greenhouse clearance ready for using, Collecting and drying Coffee Grounds, Grass cuttings and composting starts, Spuds in buckets and sowing mad March.  

2016 - Infrastructure works on Spencer Road Plot 23B, Comfrey beds dug and weeded, Daleks Composting compound started, Lots of Paving Slabs off Freecycle, First two beds weeded and formed, Timber scrounged from roofing works, Spuds planted, Tomatoes sown.

2017 - Infrastructure works, Grow Stations created, walking Onions Bed and Comfrey pipe for Plot 23B, seeds sown and Grow house at home full, Onions and Beetroots sown on allotment.

2018 - The Beast from the East and snow early March this year, Infrastructure works, Woodchipped the paths on plot 1A, Catawissa Walking Onion Bed installed,  Catawissa Onion Planting Membrane made, Sowing in Grow Stations from the 9th March, Onions and Beetroots sown on allotment, The Agralan Compact Plug Plant Trainer purchased and used for the first time, Raspberries purchased and planted, Soilfixer over Winter Experiment concludes, Sprout Sowing, Mr Fothergill's Optigrow®  Leeks Experiment. 

2019 - Infrastructure works, Buy Seed and Cutting compost from Tesco, Quad biking for my Birthday, Onions in Modules in the Growhouse, Chitting Potatoes, Woodchip behind the shed, Full day on the plot as Jen taken out for the day, Cutting and painting timbers for beds, accident injuring leg. Picked up a load of paving slabs off Freecycle, visit to hospital as I had Cellulitis as a result to the injury to my leg. First Early spuds in buckets.

2020 - Covid-19 hits the UK. Cutting weed path membrane. Attended the Gardening Press Event 3rd March. Tree is finally removed from the top of my shed on plot 1A. Visit to the allotment to get parsnips in the ground. Radish in Modules sown, Won Mr Fothergills Swift Cucumber seeds. Runner Bean frame rebuilt. 

Tomatoes sown in Grow Stations 11th March. In lockdown due to Jen being high risk and not even going to the plot for exercise. Working on your allotment for exercise is allowed. You can use your car to go to the allotment. Bought more CHM Modules, Sowing Spring Onion seeds. Suttons & Dobies re uplift in business due to people working in their gardens, Composting at home in the back garden using flower buckets.

One could not believe the stupidity of the human race massing for loo rolls and taking little heed of warnings about not going to the seaside etc. Anthia & Hubby Fellow site rep got me sacks of compost and dropped them off.  Mr Fothergill saw a 10 fold increase in demand over 14 days due to people working and growing in the garden. 

2021 - Infrastructure works, Virtual Gardening Press Event. Keter Store retained and moved. Built and installed the timber base to the plot 1 greenhouse. Cutting path membrane for the remainder of the paths around the Rhubarb beds etc. Installing the plot 1 greenhouse cladding and weeding and clearing the path around SFG bed 1. 

Cutting paving slabs for the inside of greenhouse on plot 1. D.T.Brown Raspberry collection arrives Emma on site with be but we remain over 2m appart. Miracle-Gro Peat Free Premium Fruit & Vegetable Compost to trial. Emma & Kelly assisted in gathering all the debris on the plot. we gathered it up and placed in the greenhouses to keep it dry until we could get it down the dump.

First signs of leaf and growth of the early raspberry canes. Cutting the timbers and painting them for the Square Foot gardening beds. Trench created with the Power Planter for a hose pipe from the tap to the corner of the plot. Emma discovered how much work is involved in removing mares tail, couch grass and bramble roots when clearing a plot. Plot clearance of rubbish with Emma and Kelly taken to the local tip. 

Scaffold tubes driven into the ground each end of the Raspberry beds. Taking paving blocks from the back garden down to the allotment to replace the soft bricks (milk bottles full of sand). Hydrating Coir and home and storing on the plot in a coir dustbin.  

2022 - Applying Equigrow mulch and conditioner to beds. Clearing the old leaf bin area for the grapevines. Visiting the Harry Potter Experience. fear of Covid and traveling on the tube stopped me going to the Gardening Press Event this year instead I spent time on the allotment. Second grapevine arrives and is planted. Making up the Mels Mix for the two square foot gardening beds, hydrating coir, sowing Watermelons, sowing Aubergines and planning the square foot gardening beds, Chalk Quarry Driving Experience with Emma, Radishes growing, reviewed Son of a Secret Gardener. 

To Do List   

Below is the to do list in no particular order and catching up with what actually happened in February and what has slipped. In reality not a lot has slipped and lots of progress has been made as my wife passed away on the 23rd January and thus I have had a lot of time on my hands during February, that I have not been used too during the last eight years and have needed a whole lot of allotment therapy for my mental wellbeing.   

Mill Green - Plot 1A

• Re Add additional supporting timbers to the roof of the shed - TBD
• Tidy Up the Allotment - Ongoing but getting so much better 
• Weeding - Complete the weeding of plot 1A
• Greenhouse 1A - Get ready for early spring sowings and perhaps some hydroponics
• Greenhouse 1A - Construct a dormer window with twin solar fans to replace the vent like the one on Plot 1 Fans arrived 1st March aim is to have the dormer window constructed and installed by the end of March.

Mill Green - Plot 1

• Beds and Paths - The third SFG Bed didn't happen because I'm being gifted a 6ft x 8ft potting shed from Forest Garden, and during February that area of the site has been cleared and the base to the shed constructed.  
• Also during February the Boundary Beds at the bottom of the beds were constructed and half filled with decaying woodchips and a layer of sieved earth from the many flower buckets of soil and stones from around both plots.
• Potting Shed  - The area where the potting shed is going to be located was cleared and    
• Install the kerb edging along the bottom of Plot 1 - Ended up constructing the boundary beds. 
• Potatoes in Buckets - See what state the last four buckets of spuds are in still to be done and completed in March. 
• Greenhouse 1 -  Loft conversion  completed and installed on the 1st February.  
• Greenhouse Cage - The plan has been for some time to build a greenhouse frame in the corner of Plot 1 on the main path and secondary path with plot 2. The frame will be lined with mesh panels so that climbing plants can be grown over it and I can enter the greenhouse and just pick vegetables that are hanging.    

Home 

• Planning - Ongoing
• Cut Planting Membrane - Make more full bed blanks
• Space Saver Greenhouse - Clear and Cleaning half completed  then Sow some winter crops.