Planting Onion Sets In SFG Bed 1

 

With my restricted mobility issues I only just managed to carry two 40l Sacks of compost to SFG Bed 1 and empty them out and spread them on the bed to top it up. I marked a 1.2m long bamboo cane in increments of 100mm and used it to sow rows 200mm apart in the bed.

The water has still not been turned on yet and the water butts next too the taps are empty as those without greenhouses or sheds that are not capturing their own water, have emptied all the open water butts. 

Once watered in the bed was covered with debris netting to stop the birds and squirrles from pulling the onion sets out 

Getting SFG Bed 1 Ready for Sowing

 

After a week of home office clearance I'm back on the allotment and what a difference a week can make in terms of weeds especially at the end of March as true spring starts to show itself. Photo above is Square Foot Gardening Bed 1 with the debris netting removed and uncovered, and as the warmer weather and sun has arrived the allotment plot has started to weed up including the woodchip margins around the paving slabs and the raised bed timbers. 

Weeded Bed and margin, the woodchip has rotted down to life supporting soil and needs excavating and replacing when I can arrange for some path worthy woodchips to be dropped off. The woodchips in the lower section of the raised bed have obviously rotted down and the level of the soil in the bed has dropped. next visit I will add a couple of bags of compost to this raised bed. 

The All Gold Raspberries have started to come up on the boundary beds. 

All Gold Raspberries coming up in the main path but theses will be trimmed back by myself and idverde when they cut the main path each month.  

All Gold Raspberries coming up in the main path but theses will be trimmed back by myself and idverde when they cut the main path each month.  

Constructing Raised Beds

 

The visit to the Allotment today was all about assembling / constructing two of the raised bed frames that will form bed 16. As can be seen in the photo theses will go end to end and as narrower than the 1.2m x 2.4m framed bed 16 will increase the width of the paths such that wheelbarrows will be able to be used  

The I also took the opportunity to top up the two beds on bed 15. There will be a break in allotment visits as I'm in the process of clearing my old office and finding new homes for my technical library that has been built over my working life. The aim is to find new homes for all my books such that they become a resource for a younger person or persons in the construction industry.   

Coffee Grounds Time

 

A visit to the allotment this afternoon and it started to spit with rain as I arrived, so I had a tidy in the potting shed. 

Decanted a very large sack and a bit of Starbucks coffee grounds into tin trays, working the grounds into more like a powder, so I can spread them out to dry when the sun comes out to play again. 

Bed 16 Backfilling Trench 2

No allotment for a couple of days as I had a bit of a stomach upset but as my stomach felt much better and with it being Fools Spring, and sunny and warm, no fleece today just a T shirt and of course Factor 50+ Sun Block on arms and face plus my Whinny the Poo hat, not the beany. I set about filling Trench 2 with two barrow loads of wood chips and walking up and down on it to help consolidate the fill material. I also topped up the level of trench 1.  

Next job to remove the timber and branches laid on the left bed 15 raised bed and uncover the right raised bed. 

Hoops and debris netting removed from raised bed 

Tray placed on the raised bed and three potatoes in Buckets emptied and sorted  and a very small harvest of spuds recovered. 

More empty square flower buckets found for us on excavating the next trench, and the compost mix used in last years potato buckets added to the two bed 15 raised beds to bring the soil level back up to the top of the raised bed, ready for sowing or planting. 

Bed 16 Second Trench Excavated

 

It looks like we are in for a 10 day dry spell, so it was off to the allotment this morning to carry on excavating the second trench. I excavated on the right and standing on the last trench back fill, the plastic shutter did lean forward and the backfill consolidated and dropped a little.  

So one I had excavated the humus material into the square flower buckets I placed them into the trench to hold the first trench backfill and stop the soil of what will become trench 3 from falling into the excavation. 

Having excavated enough material I dropped a second plastic shutter on the other side of the trench and then continued to bottom out the trench. I undermine the L shaped shutter so it could drop into place such that the lip was more near the surface of the bed.

The two square flower buckets were withdrawn and the shutter to the trench 1 backfilled face was removed. The trench was backfilled with rotted timbers from some of the 10 year old framed beds. 

Timber battens, branches from trees and raspberry canes that have been stacked on the top of the bed 15 raised beds were dropped in the trench. 

By the time I got this far, with a couple of water breaks it was 1:30 and I was flagging and needed to go home to get a late lunch. I should have given up around 12 :30 but wanted to try and at least get the trench excavation completed. 

I filled the trench with rotting timbers, branches and cuttings, next visit I need to get a couple of wheel barrow loads of wood chips and back fill trench 2 and top up trench 1. 

To get more than 50% of the existing bed excavated and into buckets will take another two trenches. It's hard work with my mobility issues and fatigue but little and often is making progress. 

Back On Excavating Bed 16

Appointment at St Georges Hospital to give blood for the Haematologist I'm seeing next week following my PET Scan mid February. At least they are not making me wait two months to get the results this time !

IN the afternoon as the weather is very Fools Spring like I  uncovered the soil at the end of bed 16 and started to weed and excavate the humus material into square flower buckets 

The flower buckets are beginning to get filled up with the humus material and I'm hoping I have enough to hold half of the beds contents such that I can then construct the 1.2m x 0.9m raised bed frames made of scaffold boards.   

From my left foot to the plastic spacer has been previously excavated, and back filled and walking and digging from the strip is helping to consolidate the woodchips that were used to fill the trench. 

As with the last trench I will excavate and place the flower buckets in the hole, and move the plastic shitter, then back fill on a hit and miss basis like underpinning a property. 

Adi my plot 2 neighbour was on his plot today using up his annual leave and was having a tidy and has dropped off two old and rusty but still functioning wheel barrows that were left by the old tenant of plot 3A on his plot but never came back to retrieve. These have been offered up for adoption by the first two of the four new plot holders, that want them and move them to their plots.    

Asparagus Bed Mulched

 

A trip to the allotment late afternoon to see what idverde had cleared from plot 3A 

I purchased a couple of sacks of Strulch ® which is a light and easy to use garden mulch made from wheat straw for organic gardening, back in November last year when it was on offer.

I weeded the bed then added the two sacks and raked it level. Job for the next visit to add posts and fence around the bed to keep the foxes from digging it up. 

Email to Jane at idverde re all the stuff they still need to remove in the morning. 

Mulching The Spring Raspberry Bed

Photograph of the first Spring Raspberry bed after two wheel barrow loads of mulch quality woodchips had been added.

On the left the asparagus bed that needs raking and covered in Struch mulch and a fence erected around it to stop the foxes from digging it up. In the middle the Spring Raspberry bed filled to the top with four barrow loads of mulch worthy woodchip.

Just before I left to go home for my evening meal I put in six vertical bamboos to start a high cage to hold in the canes when they start growing, it may be two years until I get any canes from this bed because I have cut all of them right back to the ground last year.  

One can see how much the other Raspberry beds to the right have consolidated and dropped since they were mulched in late December and January

Panorama of plot 1A from the footpath between Plot 1A & 2.

Apart from the work to the plum tree and the leaf bins and Daleks not a lot of prep work has been done on this side of Avalon so far, the beds are still covered for winter but a few weeds are coming to life, the apple trees need trimming and the grape vine cut back this month.

Planning and Reviewing March in Previous Years

Reviewing the diary over the last twelve 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

2023 - Infrastructure works, Getting the weed membrane and paths in along the boundary beds. Freezing artic blast arrives. Unwins garden Wooden Seedbox for the new potting shed. Dalefoot Compost arrives. Building the loft extension for the plot 1A greenhouse. Hydrating Coir whist the sun shines. Weeding and Feeding beds. Asparagus bed cleared and mulched, patio in front of shed on plot 1 leveled. Pebble pool installed. Loft Conversion to Plot 1A Greenhouse installed. Last ever potatoes bought from wilko. A selection of  gooseberry, blueberry and Black Current plants bought and planted. Potting shed arrives and is stacked ready for assembly. Bed 16 dressed and weeded ready for beetroots. Sorting out the components to be used in the climbing frame greenhouse.

2024 -  I still had ulcers on my legs, I could not drive myself and my mobility was seriously impaired following the radiation treatment for cancer so site visits were limited to when a family member could get me to the allotment. Applying for an Allotment article written. I sorted out my seed collections and produced my seed audit for the year. LBS Waiting List and Vacant Plots information obtained and table updated. Lots of rain and flood warnings issued. Article written about the history of Mill Green Allotment. Melons sown. Harvesting French bean seeds from beans dried and saved in the potting shed, Storm Nelson damaged my windows in the potting shed and I improvised a temporary replacement.  

This year I'm in a much better shape physically and mentally, and have been getting down to the allotment when the weather is conducive to a visit and working . Last PET/CT Scan Mid November said I was stable but blood results looks like I may have active disease. Another PET/CT Scan 15th February and I have an appointment with haematology to get results on 10th March. 

My objective is to get as many raised beds installed by mid April 

To Do List   

Mill Green - Plot 1

• Greenhouse 1 - Currently being used to house all the cardboard to be used in the new raised beds, The Loft Conversion is failing and needs remedial works.   
• Infrastructure - Convert standard 2.4m x 1.2m beds to 2 number 1.2 x 0.9m Raised beds with a path between for bed 16.
• Potting Shed - Finish tidying up the potting shed ready for Spring 2025 

Mill Green - Plot 1A

• Greenhouse 1A - Set up more Coffee to dry out 
• Daleks - Dig in the additional Daleks along the path with plot 2A
• Main Crop Potatoes  - Harvest the last 3 buckets as required
• Onions - Overwintering Onions and Shallots in weed bed as necessary. 
• Leaf Cages - Move contents of secondary cage to primary cage half done last month 
• Apple Trees - Prune & Stabilise
• Grape Vines - Prune  

Sowing and Planting Plan for March

March

                          Infrastructure Work

                          Build Square Foot garden beds higher 

Week 1              Asparagus – Sow seeds inside

Week 1              Parsnip – Germinate in Take-a-way containers

Week 1              Squash / Pumpkins - Prepare Soil 

Week 1              Radish – Sow fortnightly until the end of September

Week 1              Lettuce (Winter) – Sow fortnightly

Week 2              Brussels Sprouts - Sow seeds of early varieties 

Week 1 - 2         Carrot - sow seed of early varieties under cloches

Week 1 - 2         Carrot - sow Bugs Bunny varieties in Cut Down Water Butt

Week 1 - 2         Beetroots - sow in modules in the Greenhouse or Potting Shed 

Week 2              Garlic- plant in late winter / spring

Week 2              Rhubarb - start to harvest

Week 2              Tomatoes - sow seed inside

Week 2              Melon – Amarillo Ora - sow indoors

Week 3              Asparagus - apply spring fertiliser

Week 3              Cauliflower (early summer) - harden off

Week 3              Spring Onions - start to sow fortnightly

Week 3              Spinach - sow seed outside

Week 3              Parsnip – Transplant into loo rolls once signs of germination

Week 4              Radish – Sow fortnightly

Week 4              Lettuce - start sowing seed outside every two weeks

Week 4              Beetroot - sow seeds under cloches

Week 4              Brussels Sprouts - thin seedlings as they appear

Week 4              Cauliflower (early summer) - plant out

Week 4              Onions - sow seed outdoors

Week 4              Potatoes - plant out sprouted sets

Week 4              Sweet Peppers - pot up

End of April Last Frost Date