2 Days to a Shorter Winter Month

Although many plants & the soil benefit from cold weather & rain, I will be glad when January & February come to an end this year. The inconsistency of the weather recently does nothing to aid planned outdoor jobs, working the soil, early germination or indeed deciding wether or not to wear a wooly hat.

Before

After 10 Minutes

This week despite heavy rain I have been able to clear my top fruit bed of weeds & turn & hoe it. More mulch was added to my Rhubarb crowns, (which seem to be enjoying the colder weather), after they had been earthed up.
 My 2 year old Pear tree had a couple of branches growing from the rootstock which were removed. The cuttings could be propagated & used for future rootstock, but I do not have room for more fruit trees so the cuttings will come in handy as pea sticks.

Fruit Bed weeded-Rhubarb Mulched

I prepared six large plastic barrels which I am using for sowing Carrot seeds into later. I added compost from my heap to the barrels with a layer of soil on top then added a layer of potting compost onto the soil. If this method of growing Carrots is not a success, the barrels can be emptied later & the contents used to feed the surrounding soil.

Barrels ready for Carrot Sowing

For some time now I have been adding all my discarded paper & cardboard to my compost heap. I noticed when moving the compost yesterday that there was a tremendous increase in the amount of worms within the compost which I attributed to the additional paper & card?

Who Needs a Wormery

Couldn't Find Another Bit of Downpipe

More seeds have been "trayed" & "potted" up today. The ground is too wet for sowing peas, even under cloches, so another 100 Hurst Greenshaft were sown into deep trays as well as 100 Spring Cabbages (Spring Hero). Spring Hero can usually be sown in Spring or Autumn.

Seeds Awaiting the Correct Germinating Temperatures?

Friday afternoon was spent helping one of my fellow plot holders move the remainder of his gardening equipment to his new allotment. It took 4 of us to carry the greenhouse around the allotment road about 500 meters to its new home. This was surprisingly easy, until we reached its final resting place & then realized it had to be lifted up over a row of raspberries and their recently installed 2 meter high supports??? Ever had one of those days?

Never mind there's always tomorrow!!

2 Productive Days

Heavy frosts on Saturday & Sunday nights were followed by sunshine on Sunday & Monday. Although cold during the day on Sunday, I managed to dig over a full vegetable bed, turning in the well rotted horse manure which had been spread over the surface in October. The digging kept me warm.



Frost on the Veg Bed I was Digging

An Extremely "cold frame"



Yesterday I was back down the plot to re-position one of my water butts which was sinking & leaning over due to soft ground underneath it, on my other plot. After I had tamped the soil down & replaced the slabs & blocks supporting the butt it was midday. 

Greenhouse Roof Over the Brussels



I then marked out an area of grass between one of my bottom veg beds & the allotment road, skimmed off the turf & started to dig the area over ready to turn it into another planting area. The removed turf was added to the bare patches in one of my paths. Surprising what u find whilst digging, 2 old plant pots, half a dozen pieces of rope an old brass water tap, along with part of an old welly boot. (Think I might put them on e-bay).



Brussel Sprouts Germinating (-2) Overnight



I got back home just before dark & had time to check the seed trays in my greenhouse. To my surprise the Brussel Sprouts were germinating. I had only sown the seed last week and decided not to water any of the trays due to the heavy frosts of late. Another 2 enjoyable days.


I counted my Onions in the greenhouse then counted my blessings.

There's always tomorrow.



Last Years Onions Dwindling in Number