My Allotment's Work In Progress

We just kept collecting any organic material we could get, every bit of stuff from our own kitchen & garden, all our neighbour's weeds, grass clippings, shreddings, newspapers/cardboard/pizza boxes/bog roll tubes/etc., horse poo from local stables, stable straw used initially to protect emerging spuds from frost then dug in, hen run litter, autumn leaves, etc. The soil on the first plot we took on was a yellowy/brown clayey colour, but after 10 years it changed colour and became more workable.

Another plot holder added ashes over decades and made another plot I have much more suitable for sowing seeds direct.

I also use Mypex between raised beds, but tuck it under the edging boards.

 

Hope you kept a scaffold board or two for placing on your bed..to walk on. Once dug over its best not to walk on it. A board to walk on spreads your weight and causes less soil compaction.

Scrungee is right, all organic matter you can find and dig in the better your soil will be.

Potatoes breaking up soil? In my book it's a myth and I don't care how many people say it is not. Its the gardener who breaks the soil up. Consider the following:

1. Dig bed over.
2. Dig out trench, plant seed and re - cover.
3. Earth up.
4. Earth up
5. Dig up to harvest.

Thats FIVE times your bed has been dug over in a season (not counting hoeing out weeds), now tell me potatoes break your soil up !

Steve...

 

I agree, plenty of organic material

 

I was reading a bit of a book I received yesterday for an Xmas present your garden in war time by C H Middleton. He said that manure was in shirt supply back then and to use ash instead. I can get a huge supply of this and was wondering if this would have any effects on the pH of the soil at all.

I have a large amount of garden waste cooking at the moment on the plot and don't think it will be done in time.

 

Finally finished forking over the large bed. Took a month of doing a little bit at a time but we got there in the end.



Also Ive dug over another smaller bed in between the compost bins and the large bed I just forked over. At some point soon this will have some cordon apples planted in them.



Also have cut out two small beds in the front of the plot to fill with lavender and a few other plants that will help out the bees. I built a bit of a barrier out of the some decking boards left on the plot.

 

looking promising JJ- in spite of the rather sullen and bleak appearance, we all know it will pass,
Jenny

 

looking good, I've managed to get out on my allotment once since I taken it over on New Years day, dug up some spuds, carrots, parsnips and 1 leek that's been left behind, still some more out there to dig up, I dug about a row or two of one bed, but it seems every day I'm off work it's flipping raining, or I have an appointment.

Was hoping to get out there in Wednesday but just been issued a sever weather warning, rain, sleet and snow! then in work for 2 days (I do 12 hour shifts) so desperately hoping that I might be able to do something over the weekend....

 

I haven't updated this thread for well over a month, but have still bee n making trips up here once a week (apart from when I got man flu).

Recently I've been weeding the beds ready for planting of the potatoes, onions, garlic and shallots I have on order.

But before that I was starting work on making the final bed on the plot. This is how it looked before with all the membrane still down.



This was when I started to peel it back. I had a lot of raspberries to dig out (I'm keeping quite a few but just digging out the ones which have strayed) and still a lot of other plants to move/remove before I can build the bed like the other side. Doubt I will be planting anything in this bed this year but that doesn't bother me as I have lots of other things to grow.

 

I've just read this from start to finish. WOW! What an amazing transformation. Giving me lots of inspiration for when I officially take over my plot.

 

Glad to hear it @Sarah Giles. You should create a working progress thread too.

Finally divided my rhubarb crowns and moved them to their final position Tuesday. Lets hope they will cope and grow, as I don't have much confidence in the way I divided them up.

 

Yea, I think that's a good idea. I currently have a rhubarb in my back garden but it seemed to die over the winter. I thought rhubarb was one of those things like cockroaches that could survive a nuclear war!

 

Mine struggles, and having had rabbits underneath last year hasn't helped! I love seeing your progress JJ, makes me ashamed of mine!

 

I love seeing your progress too JJ......makes me want an allotment! Just haven't got time at the moment. Maybe one day! Keep up the good work.