The most exciting news of the year so far (as far as I am concerned!)

[Stephen]

The undergardener & I have an additional new half-plot!

Lots of reasons to be pleased:
- it has been neglected for years
- it is hosting a lot of weeds
- there were no takers from a list of 20 waiting for a plot
- it is contiguous with our full plot (so easy to integrate)
- the trees which shaded it received a lot of surgery last winter (so it isn't as shaded as it was)

So on hearing this morning that we could have it, I went straight to work! I cut down all the raspberries (two years of stems) and incinerated the lot. I hope that Bob F;owerdrew is right when he says "treat raspberries as if they are primocanes and they will behave like primocanes".

Here are the pictures.
It's a bit overgrown!

[Stephen]

A few more pictures

[Stephen]

Our plan is to follow the Charles Dowding method on most of this plot. So lots of cardboard and manure/soil mix on top then catch crops to begin initially.

On this plot the undergardener is head and I become the undergarder. Good plan. eh?

[Geoff]

On this plot the undergardener is head and I become the undergarder. Good plan. eh?

I'm not sure - doesn't the undergardener do the work and the gardener take the credit? - looks like a lot of work. With that much bindweed wouldn't you be better letting it climb up something then kill it rather than trying to mulch it out?

[Stephen]

Combination Geoff - I know mulching will only hold it back for a while. I know digging it out has limited effectiveness. I'll certainly be putting plastic bags or bottles over the shoots as they come out and spray to kill.

Re: head- and under- garadener, it is mostly about who decides what goes where. I know I will do most of the work (particularly anything heavy) on both Plot 2 and Plot 3b (it might be 3a - I'm not sure) but she does a lot of picking and harvesting. (It's also a bit of a joke between us). Plot 2 (both parts) is in my name, the new plot is (will be) in hers.

[Westi]

Love to see you so excited Stephen! Lot's of work to do but give it a few years & it will be paying you back big time. I am weird but I find it rather therapeutic clearing bind weed! It is an ongoing game but getting them white roots out is so rewarding & it is a great challenge digging oh so gently to get the longest root you can.

I've pretty much got it controlled but not gone by any means, but I think with my Autumn & Spring prep it is pretty much contained to the edges of the plot but there is always that one bit that sneaks out on a ramble but doesn't seem to interfere too much with anything low growing.

[Monika]

It will certainly keep you busy for a few weeks, Stephen, and what a good use of this isolation business!

[oldherbaceous]

A terrific project, Stephen and one that you will both rise to the challenge to, i'm sure...good luck old thing....

[Stephen]

I hope so.
I started work today, despite the intimidating cold wind.

I strimmed until the battery ran out. This revealed some old beds and paths.

[oldherbaceous]

You must be pleased with progress made, Stephen...what a good start.

[Stephen]

It's fairly superficial really. The hard part is the growing bit!

But we will start growing on that bit asap. There's no point in waiting to get the rest in order.

[Primrose]

That looks like a really good days work and with the current lockdown and lighter evenings hopefully you'll be able to make progress.

With the current situation forecast to last in some way all though the summer ai can foresee a shortage of vegetables so makes a lot of sense to get growing as soon as you can. I hope you have some good security on your site to protect against pilferers

[Stephen]

Hi Primrose

I haven't suffered from any pilfering, thank goodness.

There has been occasional vandalism. Ten to twelve years ago one lady gave up after an episode. Eight to ten years ago several shed doors were forced open, although I didn't hear of tools been taken, it seemed to be just bravado. (My steel shed resisted, just a handle was broken).

It is a very dark space once the sun has gone.

[Stephen]

More work today.
The docks are a bit of a challenge!

Day04_Dock.jpg (466.8 KiB) Viewed 3385 times

[Stephen]

And the strimmer worked hard before I put some fabric down. I think starting with two beds of "no dig" style cardboard with soil/manure/leaf mould will be quite enough for the moment. We'll grow mostly leafy veg on these initially.