Cutting Debris Netting And Weeding & Apple Clearing

The highly anticipated rain forecast for this morning never arrived. 

Todays weather forecast and it appears we have lost the rain on the 1st August and the thunderstorm forecast for the 2nd August a few days ago on the 23rd July as shown below. 

What did arrive was my Grandson Digby Elvis, and he was so happy at seeing his grandad that I got lots of hugs and cuddles. Digby got his mum to phone Grandad on his way home as they got rained upon on their way home in Wallington, but alas the rain never made its way to Sutton.  

Working my way clearing the brambles to the rear and side of the end of  bed 3 as I need access to remove the last of the cat poop before laying the mixture of Compost, Mulch, Coir and Vermiculite.

I have run out of Coir at the moment but more is ordered and on it's way 

 

 Having measured from the crown of the arch to the ground I have measured, cut and rolled the Debris netting for the next 3 raised gardening beds 4 to 6 which now need to be burnt and assembled.

I received an email from Marshalls  

End Tonight: Save £15 on your onions, shallots & garlic + FREE Delivery

The Free Delivery was what got me, yes I know it's already built into the RRP for the product, but I had to look 

Normally I have three 2.4m x 1.2m beds of onions down on Mill Green Allotment but as I'm currently house bound and can't drive due to my leg ulcers, and I know from experience that it's not going to be a quick fix. At least one bed of the ultimate nine will be used for onions. 

• Approx. 65 - 75 sets
• Over-wintering onion
• Crisp and sweet flesh

This popular over-wintering red onion reliably produces a heavy crop of excellent quality red/pink onions.

Exceptionally easy to grow, this variety always provides good yields.

Choose Red Winter for an onion that's suited to pickling as well as cooking. This variety has crisp and sweet flesh.

Set in rows from September to December for harvest in July.

How To Grow

Prepare your soil: Onions, Shallots, and Garlic prefer an open, sunny site and light, free-draining soil. If you have heavy soil, dig in a generous amount of grit and organic matter into the planting area to aid drainage. Avoid planting them in very heavy or freshly manured soil. Onions are sensitive to acidity, so if you have acidic soil add some Garden Lime to the area well before planting or use our Concentrated Slow-Release Onion, Garlic & Shallot Feed Granules when planting.

Planting: Both Autumn and Spring varieties can be planted straight out into your pre-prepared soil. Loosen soil and dig in some of our Concentrated Slow-Release Feed Granules to add essential nutrients for optimal growth. I already have the Marshalls feed down at Mill Green Allotment 

Onion & Shallot Sets: Plant Onion and Shallot sets (pointed end upwards) with the tips of the sets showing at the soil surface. 

Onions: These should be spaced 5-10cm (2-4in) apart with 25-30cm (10in to 1ft) between rows. 

So looking at the actual minimum area in mm that's more SFG Square Foot Gardening based 

50mm x 250mm = 12,500 mm squared which could be obtained by spacing at

125mm x 100mm on a grid pattern rather than rows and spacing. 

Shallots: Should be spaced 15-20cm (6-8in) with 30-45cm (1ft to 18in) between rows. 

Garlic: The Bulbs should be separated into individual cloves and planted pointed end up, so that the tip of each clove is 2cm (1/2in) below the soil surface. Leave 15cm (6in) between individual cloves and 30cm (12in) between the rows. Marshalls also recommend covering garlic bulbs in Horticultural Fleece to protect emerging shoots from hungry birds!

Guide To Plant Sizes 

 

What to expect when they arrive: Marshalls sets and cloves are suitable for planting out immediately. However, if you’re unable to do so right away, they recommend keeping them in a cool, dark place until you are ready. Sets are sold by weight, so counts may vary slightly to those stated on their website.