As you can see it's been a little while seen I've posted but it's been a busy time. We've sold and bought a house which is a story too twisted and complicated to go into here and it has nothing to do with Plot 130a but it has taken up a considerable amount of time (and still is - needed more doing to it than we realised).
So what's happened since we last talked? I've bought a fork to replace the one that's currently in storage to aid further digging of which a little more has occurred but not a huge amount.
Due to the current time limitations I set about the plot with a red watering can and a box of Glyphosate (which I don't feel good about but I didn't want things getting more out of hand than they already were and I'm weak). Two thirds of the plot was treated and all the couch is dead (which I do feel good about) but the docks, dandelions and a large patch of nettles survived which impressed me - tenacious bastards.
On a more positive front we have two rows of peas in (Kelvedon Wonder) with more being hardened off as I type. Two and a half rows of garlic, of which the variety escapes me but I have the name written somewhere, still need to improve my organisational skills somewhat. And about 40 onion sets just so we'll have a months worth of onions at some point.
The squashes are in the greenhouse Green Bush courgettes, Patty pan, a yellow variety of courgette and our second attempt at Butternut squashes (Hunter - the first lot just couldn't be arsed to grow which is just one of those things). Not sure if they were duff seeds, if the second lot fail I'll try a different seed company and hope to have a bit more luck.
On the plot we have found strawberry plants growing and the rhubarb is thriving. We may also have a few Raspberry bushes on there too. Sadly the one thing we have found is Bindweed. It's coming in from the plot next door which has now been taken but how we'll deal with it is yet to be determined.
Well that about covers everything for now but hopefully I'll have pictures soon (of something) and progress and talk of new beds and, who knows what...
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Tuesday 14 December 2010
The day after the day before - digging it.
Please excuse my language but OMFG!
I started the digging yesterday on the top third of 130a. The soil is fairly light and with very little compaction at this end, which made the task a little easier but I wasn't prepared for the quantity of couch root.
I expect to pull tons of the muck out of the lower end but didn't expect to find as much at the top end. I was wrong - nothing new there. The best way to describe what I found was swap couch root for steel rebar just before the concrete is poured. It was thick.
My heart broke a little yesterday when the size of the task ahead finally dawned.
Still we've broken ground which means that come next Spring we will be planting something. What that something is going to be is anyone's guess but there will be something. Yay!
I didn't notice yesterday but as I dug across the plot the area dug was spreading width ways so I probably dug about a third more than I'd planned to and would explain why I wasn't quite able to make it right across the plot before I wussed out. *(note to self remember to have lunch before going to the plot and take a flask)
Due to our current accommodation not having a bath I took a long hot shower before I went to bed and didn't feel too bad. I'd popped a hot water bottle behind my back as soon as I got home which seems to have helped avoid all the usual potential back problems of which I've suffered from since a rather nasty motorcycle accident 20 odd years ago. Oh the immortally of youth.
I wasn't ready for waking up this morning. From the waist down I had aches that made my cycling days pale into insignificance and they've got worse as the day's progressed. I only did a little digging but hell I'm unfit and wholly unprepared.
Finally I must thank Sue who kindly lent me a fork as mine is in storage somewhere in North Yorkshire with the rest of my life and I need to buy a line and knock up a couple of pegs so I can dig in a straight line.
I started the digging yesterday on the top third of 130a. The soil is fairly light and with very little compaction at this end, which made the task a little easier but I wasn't prepared for the quantity of couch root.
I expect to pull tons of the muck out of the lower end but didn't expect to find as much at the top end. I was wrong - nothing new there. The best way to describe what I found was swap couch root for steel rebar just before the concrete is poured. It was thick.
My heart broke a little yesterday when the size of the task ahead finally dawned.
Still we've broken ground which means that come next Spring we will be planting something. What that something is going to be is anyone's guess but there will be something. Yay!
I didn't notice yesterday but as I dug across the plot the area dug was spreading width ways so I probably dug about a third more than I'd planned to and would explain why I wasn't quite able to make it right across the plot before I wussed out. *(note to self remember to have lunch before going to the plot and take a flask)
Due to our current accommodation not having a bath I took a long hot shower before I went to bed and didn't feel too bad. I'd popped a hot water bottle behind my back as soon as I got home which seems to have helped avoid all the usual potential back problems of which I've suffered from since a rather nasty motorcycle accident 20 odd years ago. Oh the immortally of youth.
I wasn't ready for waking up this morning. From the waist down I had aches that made my cycling days pale into insignificance and they've got worse as the day's progressed. I only did a little digging but hell I'm unfit and wholly unprepared.
Finally I must thank Sue who kindly lent me a fork as mine is in storage somewhere in North Yorkshire with the rest of my life and I need to buy a line and knock up a couple of pegs so I can dig in a straight line.
Monday 13 December 2010
Plot 130a
Two weeks ago I paid my money was shown to my plot and started to dream about all the wonderful things I could buy from the seed catalogue.
That was a Sunday by Tuesday an Innuit would have been comfortable with the conditions. The temperature had dropped by at least 12*C and you'd have needed explosives to make even a small impression.
Not the most auspicious of starts.
This was before it got cold
That was a Sunday by Tuesday an Innuit would have been comfortable with the conditions. The temperature had dropped by at least 12*C and you'd have needed explosives to make even a small impression.
Not the most auspicious of starts.
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