Planning for 2008

Unfortunately it seems that every time I have been going to the plot lately I have been forgetting my camera, so no pictures for this post!

A rough breakdown of September so far though:

Saturday 8th: borrowed trailer to go and collect 11 large paving stones which have now been laid as a path down the middle of the plot and also outside the greenhouse. Dug up remaining Cara Main Crop potato’s – there were a couple of decent fist sized ones, but in the main they were disappointingly small with about 40% going straight in the bin! Also went to local garden centre and managed to but some onion sets and shallots, they also had a `seed sale` - 50p per packet, so got a little carried away and came away with multiple `bargains` … including 4 different varieties of tomato!

Sunday 9th: planted out onion sets, shallots and garlic in the bed where I had harvested my main crop potato’s from. Also a row of White Lisbon spring onions sown to over winter, and a couple of spring cabbages my neighbour gave me planted out

Throughout the week I have been harvesting;

Cauliflowers
Leeks
Cabbages
Carrots
Spring Onions
Runner Beans
Tomatoes
Swedes
Turnips
Lettuces

Saturday 15th: Full morning spent at the plot turning out my compost bins, in total about 6 wheelbarrows full of all the waste the plot has produced over the past 18-months, which has for the moment been piled up in an empty corner of a bed. Felt quite bad as I accidentally destroyed a mouse/vole nest in the bin by the greenhouse wiping out the family! I’ve managed to totally empty the bin next to the shed though, and almost empty the one by the greenhouse. Anything not totally rotted went back into the one by the greenhouse as I intend to remove the top bin in preparation for my new BIGGER shed I have acquired – watch this space!!!

Sunday 16th: Popped up to the Plot in the morning to go and speak to the committee (between 10am and 12pm on a Sunday there is always someone in the trading hut) Requested permission to have a bigger shed (6`x 8`) on my plot, gave my request a bit of a sweetener by telling them I would let anyone else on the plots have my old shed (6`x4`) in return for a donation to the association! Kay, my diagonal neighbour and Committee Secretary said there shouldn’t be a problem, but would let me know for definite once she had spoken to Duncan (Plot Boss)

So, plans for September….

1) Remove all gutters, hanging basket brackets etc from old shed
2) Re-arrange paving and dismantle compost bin in preparation for new shed
3) Get new shed up to allotment and re built
4) Continue harvesting remaining veg and start getting manure from local stables to cover empty beds over winter
5) Start planning for what I’m going to grow in 2008!

Hopefully I’ll get some pictures posted soon…