First Day of Hard Work

Both got the week off so straight down to Plot 119 this morning to get started on getting ready for the Spring.  If it ever comes!  First job was for Simon to put up a third arch, making three altogther for his hops, he planted his Fuggles hop today too, so three growing down there at the moment.  I prepped the soil between the two leek beds and put in three rows of shallots, different varieties, Red Sun, Picasso (did them last year and were pleased with them) and Golden Gourmet.  Then we had the mammoth task of moving four raised beds that we decided to relocate, a lot of digging and huffing but worth the effort.  Filled two of them with Senshyu onions, a bit late I know but they were a bargain and look quite healthy.  Not much room left on the raised bed side now, one bed left for the asparagus when they get delivered in March, and the bit where the strawberries are is going to be dug over and used for veg.  Strawberries weren't impressive enough last year to keep.  The final raised bed went in down at the end of the arch and that is allocated for my flowers.

After that Simon washed the greenhouse and I did some weeding, not too much weediness around but what there was is now history.  Something is still eating my January King cabbages, found one tiny slug but that was all.  More slug pellets and covered with netting AGAIN.  Mind you, after being submerged with all the floods I'm just glad something is still growing!  At the moment we have 2 beds of onions, one white and one red, both doing ok, and four rows of leeks which are looking leeky.  Dug up three celariac to take home for celariac mash - quite small but very flavoursome.  Also dumped four bags of rotted chicken manure and some straw around the fruit bushes we transferred from our other plot last week.  Transferred two goosberries and a jostaberry we didnt want to leave behind when we give that one up later this month.  All that is left up the 'top' plot now is a bundle of 6ft canes and some sprouting broccoli which hopefully will be ready to harvest when we hand our keys back in!

Back to Plot 119...

Next part of the plan - the polytunnel has to go.  So another big job.  Have to dismantle it and cut back the brambles behind, move the woodchips from the floor to put on the paths and then dig the area over, ready for beans, runner, climbing and broad!  Hopefully done that by the end of the week, weather permitting.