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Deserted December Allotments

9/12/2012

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Well it seems that I haven't updated the blog in a while!
I went to the allotment today to find a deserted site with abandoned bean poles everywhere. People have bedded down for the winter, with little sign of any ongoing work.

Today, I cleared up a load of leaves and added them to my compost bin. They will make a fine compost in time. I also weeded an area that had been dug over. I covered another large bed with thick black sheeting. I did this last year and it gave me lovely weed-free soil by spring.

I was also pleased - I have several brussell sprouts still coming along and I managed to grow some red cabbage this year. They have small, but nice heads.

Other successes this year:
Green manure,
Peas,
Broad Beans,
Onions,
Kale.
My comfrey eventually came on well.

It was a very poor year for potatoes. Only very small and sparse tubers.

I will post again soon...
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A lovely few days.

4/3/2012

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It has been a fantastic few days. Colder again with some light frost, but lovely and bright and clear. After todays sunshine, I genuinely think my leek seedlings have grown an inch. (They are in my growhouse).

I have done a lot in the last while. I put in a few broad bean seedlings that I had started in the growhouse. I have put some plastic boxes over them as cloches.

Today I popped in a few broad bean seeds, also under a plastic box cloche that has been warming the soil for two weeks.

I also made some beer traps for the slugs. They really do work. Simply sink a plastic cup in the earth so the top is level with the soil, half fill with beer. Then prop anything like a plate on a couple of stones over the top (to stop it filling with rain)... and that is it. Slug graveyard.

I put two in where I will soon be puttin my earliest peas and beans, and one in my large coldframe.

I am really pleased with the large cold frame. made it myself and it is big, strong and hopefully will shelter too. I sowed a few scallions (spring onions) in it just to see how effective it is. I noticed some weeds beginning to grow inside it, so the soil must be warming up.

The compost bin got turned over into the other side. I had more compost than I thought.

I also dug and weeded the row for the early spuds.

Also, I sat back and admired the daffodils and crocus.



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    My name is Richard, I have an allotment near Belfast, Northern Ireland.

    Seeds:
    www.thompson-morgan.com
    This website is well worth a visit. An extensive range of high-quality seeds
    including old favourites and new arrivals. Also has great advice pages, blogs
    and regular special offers.

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