The Plot Thickens

[Stevie342000]

Well took a small trip down to the allotment today, it’s 3 miles from home in old money or 30 minutes on the bus.

We have had a little rain here over the last few days, the plot was once again fit for growing rice.

Which is why my return to no dig gardening is so appealing, the plot has not seen any growing in the last 5 years, I inherited the plot last November.

Having dug over part of it so that I could get some crops in for this year, has been a trial, its me against the slugs, this year they ate more than we did.

Recently planted 60 potatoes for autumn/winter cropping and 64 cabbages/cauliflowers, this time I bit the bullet and used slug pellets, so far so good it has kept them at bay.

Then I rediscovered during that time period the no dig principle of growing, to me it makes sense as you are not disturbing the micro-organisms that build up in the soil.

So with this in my mind I went to the plot mid-afternoon today with the intention of digging out those pesky weeds (sorry plants in the wrong place), docks, marestail and dandelions. These have duly been despatched and added to my bucket with a hole along with the comfrey to rot down to make liquid fertiliser. The safest way accept burning to deal with them.

Well the goodness is the nice men from the council had dropped about 3 tonnes of shredded bark and leaves for me at the top of my plot. Last year I managed to nab them and got 3 truck loads of leaves, which they had collected from the local park.

The problem with our allotment is that during the whole of the summer and before spring all the manure had gone and was not replaced. To me this bad policy as it should be rotted down before putting on your plots. Which makes the no dig process for me a slow one. But will have words with a colleague who’s daughter is a bit of horse rider, to see if they can drop some off at a specific time to me at my allotment plot.

Compost not a problem as it was my plan to place 7 sheets of news paper down between a 6″ layer of manure and compost (we have a group composting area) so it is off with the wheelbarrow for me.

This has now changed slightly as I will be awaiting the next lot of shredded bark and manure before I can add the compost, which should serve me as a start to grow in from this year onwards.

As the leaves, shredded bark and compost are on a first come first served basis it is my intention to get more than my fair share, such is life.

But the level of my plot is about 12-18″ too low which is why it floods, that and the fact that the soil is compacted, it is my intention to let the little critters do the work of digging it for me, leaving me with a fine tilth.

Then to top the whole plot up each year with more manure and compost (my own of course), pity the weather here is not warmer and the days longer as I could grow a lovely crop of rice right now. Anyone for stir-fry?

But then again I will have to play it by ear lest I should miss out on enough, compost, manure and shredded bark or leaves to cover the whole plot, which was the problem last year, it all ran out before I could get to it.