RIP British Farming

"Keir Starmer must listen to farmers and step back from the brink and do what is right and best for our great country."

Tractors are expected to travel into the capital today from across the country, including Exmoor, Shropshire, Somerset and the home counties.

The vehicles will line up on Whitehall from 10am. There will be speeches at noon and a slow drive around central London from about 12.45pm.

Why Turn Raised Beds 15 &16 Around ?

If you have been following my development plans for my allotment you would have seen that my objective was to turn the 2.4m x 1.2m framed beds into two number 1.2m x 0.8m raised beds either end with a path in between, because of my mobility issues following my cancer treatment. 

Modified layout replacing the three beds to the right of the Square Foot Garden beds with a 2m x 4m polytunnel  

What became obvious when looking into the minimum width between pallet fenced paths was that a standard wheel barrow required tolerance between the pallets in order to navigate the path as the wheel barrow is 620mm which is wider than the 600mm path without any obstructions and that works. 

It hit me that my plan for raised beds with my current 600mm wide paths just was not going to work thus the two beds 15 & 16 will be turned by 90 degrees and placed end to end such that the paths can be increased in width to 800mm either side to allow travel around the raised beds with a wheel barrow.

Buying Organic Garden Fertilizers the Right Way

 

Another informative video on YouTube by Gary Pilarchik (The Rusted Garden) which I thought worth sharing on here.

A Comprehensive Guide to Buying Bagged Garden Soils (Save Money, What's in Them, Costs, DIY Recipes) 0:00 Same Basic Ingredients & Intro 1:19 You Don't Need 'Specialized' Fertilizers 1:41 What Does N, P, & K Stand For? 2:28 Here's How to Figure Out Cost Per Pound of Fertilizer 3:23 Don't Be Fooled By Marketing, Packaging, or Gimmicks 4:02 You Don't Need Plant Specific Fertilizers - 1 Bag is Just Fine! 4:54 How to Pick JUST ONE Type of Fertilizer for the Whole Garden 6:40 How Does Organic Granular Fertilizer Work? 7:51 You Still Need Compost & It's Below a 1-1-1 N, P, K 8:18 Understanding the N, P, K Ratios & Keeping it Simple 12:29 Basic Bagged Fertilizer Ingredients - Mostly the Same 14:38 Organic Fertilizers are Mostly Manure & Animal Parts 15:47 What is Bone Meal - Do I Need to Buy It? 17:20 What is Blood Meal - Do I Need to Buy It? 19:08 How to Use Granular Fertilizer in the Garden 21:48 A Quick Tip on Buying Fertilizer at a Discount

Looking Closer at Polytunnels

 

Looking at the Crocodile Trading website at the PT0008 - 4 Arched 25mm Galvanised Frame with full Ground Bar Kit web page and the photo of the bracing I noticed a couple of things.

1. The horizontal (longitudinal) brace is fitted to the outside of the framework. This I knew had to be wrong as I know that they sell tape that goes over the framework to stop the heat affecting the cover. 

2. That the diagonal brace is fitted on the inside at the bottom and on the outside of the upright members at the top. 

So I downloaded the four page Assembly Guide from their web site for the PT0008 shown below.  

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You will notice that the advice to "Fit all horizontal and diagonal bars on the INSIDE of the tunnel arch" is repeated on each page of the Assembly Guide. 

This really begs the question, why did Crocodile Trading not erect the framework as their own instructions and why show an image on their web site that is contradictory to the advice in the Assembly Guide? 

Bracing consists of only two diagonal bars one for each row of frames. I have contacted Crocodile because as a structural engineer I will want to place the bracing in opposite directions in the same line either end so they act in compression and tension depending on the direction of the wind.

So I will be requiring to buy two additional 6 and 6A members to install as shown above in a red dashed line.

Greenhouse V Polytunnel

 

With the wet weather and no internet connection for over a week I have been toying around with the idea and cost of getting a larger greenhouse to replace the two high entry ones on each plot or a polytunnel to place over the three beds to the right of SFG1 rather than just replacing the framed beds with smaller raised beds. 

I'm considering the 4m x 2m (13' x 7' approx) Pro+ Green Poly Tunnel from Crocodile Trading.

PT0008 - 4 Arched 25mm Galvanised Frame with full Ground Bar Kit, increased added bracing, rip stop cover, front metal hinged door & rear zippered roll up door.

The additional bracing consists of only two diagonal bars one for each row of frames. I have contacted Crocodile because as a structural engineer I will want to place the bracing in opposite directions in the same line either end so they act in compression and tension depending on the direction of the wind. 

They didn't have the additional braces at the moment but said they would have them next year.  

I have been reading a lot about how people have reinforced their polytunnels and installed them to survive longer and have joint a Facebook group called Polytunnel Growers UK and have been reading what people have done to offer more stability. 

My plan is to install a timber base with 600x600 raise beds in the corners and mid point on the length and to use my existing Quadgrows in between and buy another one for the end with the zip door. This should assist in resisting uplift and and lateral movement. 

More Tidying Up The Raspberry Beds

 

Todays visit to the allotment involved the unscrewing of the timber post that actually made it impossible to get the wheel barrow down between the beds and a few of the post had failed, from the three mid and late raspberry beds.  

With my mobility issues it took time and was a painful but satisfying once they were removed. Problem is in my head I'm still 23 and fit where the reality is I'm 66 and not in the greatest of shape anymore.  

I need to find a better way of constructing a cage to keep the raspberries contained, paths clear and raspberries harvestable for next year. It's a shame I could not find an old building where they were removing the old galvanised steel metal conduits or pipes to repurpose. 

One the bed was clear, and more raspberry canes cut up, I gave the first bed a dressing of coffee grounds and a layer of mulch worthy black woodchips off the pile in the car park. 

Last dry day for a while as we have storm Darragh on its way this weekend with 80 - 90 mph winds, rain and snow hitting the UK. 

Tidying Up The Raspberry Beds

 

A very cold morning to visit the allotment but it has to be done, little and often and I will make headway because before I know it spring will be here and I have a lot of  infrastructure work to get completed before next years growing season and the weeds start coming. 

Bamboo canes removed from the timber posts on all the raspberry beds and the cut canes removed and cut up ready to go in the bottom of the next raised bed that gets constructed.  

Harvesting More Java Potatoes

 

Todays visit to the allotment was to harvest some more Java maincrop potatoes, indications of a good harvest was good on emptying the contents of the bucket into the 800mm x 800mm plastic tray that I placed on the raised bed to make harvesting easier. 

Harvest from this single bucket was nearly as much as I had from the last two buckets. You really don't know how many spuds you are going to get until you empty the buckets.

What I have found is that there is always one or two seriously large potatoes in every bucket. Gloves laid on the compost for scale. having covered the buckets with one of the trays I'm emptying them into, the soil is dry and the spud come out without too much soil stuck too them. 

Brushing the soil off the potatoes with a 50mm (2") paint brush and stacking them in a tray to dry out in the air before they were taken home and shared with my sister. 

Planning and Reviewing December in Previous Years

 Reviewing the diary over the last Twelve years for December 

There is not a whole lot of growing that happens in December, its normally blustery, cold, rainy, and overcast. It's the only time of the year with no sowing programme, though some enthusiasts and trophy hunters will ignore convention. I can't shut my plot down completely because there is too much tidying and maintenance to do on plot 1A and I have infrastructure works to undertake on plot 1. I also need to go there for some Allotment Therapy and get out of the house. 

2012 - My First December and third month of owning an allotment was mainly spent cutting down the weeds and exposing what lay underneath and discovering all manor or debris to dispose off. There was a lot of burning of weeds in the two incinerators 

2013 - Mainly clearing up the plot, Growing and cut and drop green manure, installing an infrastructure of paths and beds. Harvesting Sprouts 

2014 - Mainly clearing up the plot, Growing and cut and drop green manure, installing an infrastructure of paths and beds. Harvesting Sprouts 

2015 - Mainly clearing up the 2nd plot on Spencer Road, Growing and cut and drop green manure, installing an infrastructure of paths and beds. Harvesting Sprouts, carrots and parsnips  

2016 - Two plots on two different allotment sites Mill Green and Spencer Road, installing more infrastructure, collecting leafs, Walking Onions in greenhouse, harvesting sprouts, manure and leafs on beds, making planting membrane sheets, High winds blow over Keith's shed. Shed Break-ins and meeting the police on Spencer Road.
            

2017 - Family health matters mean very little achieved on the plot. Leaf collection and sprout harvest.

2018 - Lots of rain and not a great deal of work possible this month. Grow Your Own Tomato Seed Circle package arrives. 30th December and I was clearing the sweetcorn from the beds and putting to sleep for winter.  

2019 - Lots of rain, but I did manage to audit and catalogue What's In My Seed Box 

Jools Holland in Brighton with Kelly and John Barrowman A Fabulous Christmas and weekend away with my good lady wife meant I lost two weekends of working on the plots.

Christmas Eve my good lady wife and I were in the Royal Brompton Hospital as she was undergoing a night study to recalibrate her BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airways Pressure) machine that she has to go on each night.

2020 - Lots of rain, but I did manage to audit and catalogue What's In My Seed Box 

Raspberry infrastructure created. Weather watching and rain stops play. Plot Tour Video produced. New varieties of seeds from Suttons reviewed, In My Seed Box reviewed and published throughout the month, Seed catalogues reviewed. Before You Buy Seeds article updated. 

2021 - Lots of rain, but I did manage to audit and catalogue What's In My Seed Box for 2022 

After storm Arwen in November, Storm Barra hits the UK at the start of December. Leaf Bin and Carrot barrel set up. Rhubarb Bed 3 created; Rhubarb moved into it. So many bulbs planted by Andy and then stolen by the rats with fluffy tails.  21st December Winter Solstice and we start making our way to longer daylight. Sorted out the plot arrangement for 2022 and published it on the blog. Managed a site visit on the last day of December after so much rain. 

2022 - Not so many visits in December as my wife Jenny was very ill and the weather was not good Snow on the 12th December we had snow, Lots of post on the blog looking at what was in my seed boxes for 2023

2023 - No visits to the allotment at all during December of this year as I had finished my radiotherapy for cancer and my mobility was not very good at all.

December bonfires to clear the blighted foliage and if the weather holds infrastructure works and closing down beds for the Winter months.  

Mill Green - Plot 1

• Greenhouse 1 - Currently being used to house all the cardboard to be used in the new raised beds  
• Infrastructure - Convert standard 2.4m x 1.2m beds to 2 number 1.2 x 0.9m Raised beds with a path between.
• Potting Shed - Tidy up the potting shed ready for Spring 2025 

Mill Green - Plot 1A

• Greenhouse 1A - Set up more Coffee to dry out 
• Bed Near Hotbin  - Netting & Hoops cleared and Vegetation into Hotbin
• Daleks - Dig in the additional Daleks along the path with plot 2A
• Main Crop Potatoes  - Harvest the last 4 buckets as required
• Onions - Overwintering Onions and Shallots in weed bed as necessary. 
• Leaf Cages - Fill primary cage and set up secondary overflow cage.
• Apple Trees - Prune & Stabilise
• Grape Vines - Prune