In preparing my plot for next spring I've created three new beds and cleared the other beds from weeds, as thoroughly as I could. I had five beds originally three long and two short ones, one of the shorter beds is already full of strawberry strands.
The other shorter bed I've cleared out the weeds and filled it with manure, the idea is I'm going to allow this bed to rot down over the winter and I can decide later either use it to grow my pumpkins or mushrooms etc. "My ten year old son likes the sound of mushrooms mmm I think he'll probably win."
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| Bed of horse manure |
One of the original long beds is cleared and ready so I'll be planting onions and garlic in it, another one of the original long beds that you can see below I originally used to grow some onions and garlic in a couple of years ago. I'd already cleared it of weeds and spread what they call conditioner all over it. In speaking to one or two other fellow allotmenteers they swear by it so I thought I'd give it a shot.
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| Council conditioner |
The conditioner in the picture above is local council compost delivered for free, but I soon realised in spreading it you need to sieve this stuff as it does seem to have bits of waste which it not necessary conducive of growing your organic fruit and veg in. But other than that it does look like good stuff so I covered it over and left it down for about four weeks and then I mixed in two bins of manure, again I'm going to allow this bed to rot down over the winter and then I'll decide later what to plant in it.
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| Mixing manure in with conditioner |
I was talking to a fellow allotmenteer about moving my strawberry strands from their bed and putting them into the manure filled bed. He felt it might be a bit rich but if I felt too, it might be a better idea to take the strands out and put a layer of manure and back fill it with a layer of soil and then put the strands back in, as in this way the strands routes would still be in soil and would grow down into the manure and benefit from the nutriments from the manure. "Hmmm I liked the sound of this so I did it."
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| Finished strawberry bed |
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| Adding manure to strawberry bed |
He went on to advise me that I could leave the three new beds with the ground turned over to break down over the winter. I already knew this but I do like to listen to other allotmenteers as you will always learn something new but do be careful to what and who you listen too!
When I came back to work on my allotment at the beginning of September after my back going on me last year, one of the other plot holders said and kept banging on that I could and should just take out the main stuff referring to the weeds and then just put weed killer down all over it then cover it over with cardboard and spread manure on top of that and it would be ready for spring. I was a bit shocked to be honest so I quizzed him further in order for him to clarify what he was saying. I smiled and laughed to myself as I know weed killer has to go on the growing plant or weeds leaf in order to feed down to the root. Also depending on the weed killer I wouldn't be able to use that bed for some time as anything that I planted in it would probably die. I'm not saying he was deliberately pointing me in the wrong direction but do be careful who and what advice you listen to. When I mentioned this advice given to the plot holder next door who happens to be the site secretory I thought he was gonna have kittens there and then.
I've heard it said when listening and taking advice, look at the person giving the advice along with their achievements for examples and decide if you want to show up in the world like that person giving the advice, "I guess the same goes for your plot LOL.
So it's taken me about four or five weeks to get to this point barring the strimming which I did a few weeks earlier, as I didn't manage to get stuck in until when the kids went back to school at the beginning of September and I must say, I'm feeling quite excited as it's looking like I'm gonna have my best year there yet.
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| Before |
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| So far |
