Having just enjoyed yet another bowl of fresh Strawberries, (picked half an hour ago), with ice cream, I feel refreshed enough to complete a blog post. (Don't mention the wet weather Rooko). O.K. I won't but it rained heavily again this afternoon which freshened up the muggy atmosphere for a while. I have been doing some weeding down the plot, over the past couple of days, so nothing exciting, just a little therapy?
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| How Many Weeds |
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| Part of the Weeded Area After the Rain In Between the Spuds |
Generally speaking Potato plants have enough dense foliage, when they are established, to smother most weeds, but this year helped by the wet weather the weeds in between some of my Potato ranks had gained the upper hand. I set to work yesterday hand weeding, hoeing and earthing up the Potatoes as I progressed. Rain stopped play at about 1 p.m. this afternoon. I had completed 2 thirty foot long ranks and one of my plastic compost bins was full to the brim with weeds. The handful of Dock plants and Withy vines were bagged up for disposal, other than in the compost.
The glut of Strawberries this year (thanks to the rain) has been a bonus and last week some jam making was called for, with some more planned for this weekend. Even though most days are still overcast the Strawberries still seem to be ripening without a great deal of sunshine. I wish I could say the same for my Apples, Pears and Plums. At the last sighting the sum totals were 1 apple 1 pear and no Plums.
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| 2nd Batch of Homemade Strawberry Jam |
Another bonus of the wet conditions has been an explosion in the frog population on and around my plot. Five of these marvels of nature were leaping about around my fruit trees this afternoon. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any photographs of them.
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| Happiness is a Full Water Butt + Nitrogenous Compost? |
After the rain had passed over this afternoon, the ground was too wet to continue any further weeding or other work on the ground. You may remember a while ago, when I tripped over some bricks whilst working down the plot. I fell into a wooden post on which my allotment number was attached, painted on a plastic plant pot dish, smashing it off with my arm. This was replaced today with a wooden door, (from my now defunct serving hatch at home), painted with my plot number. Recycling at its best?
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| Carrots Almost Ready for Lifting From Their Barrel |
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| New Plot Sign Installed |
There's Always Tomorrow.
At least you are able to get a bit done at the allotment - it is amazing how quick things deteriorate without regular visits. I too have no plums this year - I think the weather was bad just at the wrong time.
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine, yes things certainly do go down hill without attention. A bad year for fruit production too I fear. Hope the rest of your fruit & veg is growing well.
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