Kitchen Garden Forum

Well there hasn't been any posts on here for a while, mainly because the effects of my last treatment session meant I have done nothing on the plot for weeks.

The weeds therefore groweth in abundance.

However its time to get on, I've had my last treatment session and beginning to get some energy and enthusiasm back.

Some of you may recall that earlier this year I told how the neighbouring plots home made greenhouse was causing rain to run off onto my plot and soaking the ground to a point that made it useless to sow or grow in. Even after the roof edge was cut back and the rain ran off onto his own plot it still permeated its way on to my plot.

Decided on Friday that the solution was to make more compost beds as the existing ones were constantly full to overflowing.
Obvious place to put these was at back of my plot, on the ground that cant be used for growing.
Nothing special, just made out of pallets and held together with nylon rope.

Simple compost bins but effective, breakdown is generally good as per this bin shown here.

I had some raised beds which needed topping up so I decided to dig out one of the existing compost bins and sieve contents into a wheelbarrow.

Unsieved in bin


Sieved in wheelbarrow

Of course all this work takes energy, and I am still short on that so where do we get energy from....food.

Having arrived on plot at 08:40am, 11am seemed a good time for breakfast for myself and a neighbouring plotholder.
We had made this arrangement last night

So on went the stove in my shed, and I set about some cooking....





Also had fried eggs, and all was placed in four rolls, two each.

MMMMMMM the smell that wafted across the plots resulted in a very tasty breakfast and renewed energy

Followed by a freshly made cuppa, lovely.

That looks like black pudding PA Snip. If so, I will have to restrain my husband from rushing over to partake. Your shed seems nicely set up with all mod cons !
Will have to send the food critics over to check you out.

Glad you're getting some energy back. Sieving all that earth looks like hard labour. Would it have rotted down and crumbled over winter if you'd dug the compost into your raised beds in its current state?. I sometimes find that if I dig compost in during autumn, by the time I'm ready for sowing or planting out, some of the remaining twigs have pretty much degraded without further effort on my part.

Please keep posting. It's interesting to see what you're doing.

Good on you Pa Snip, now that food certainly was working for....looks delicious.

Most important part of this reply first>

Yes Primrose black pudding it is. Food critics welcome any time, just let me know they're coming as food not held in stock. Shed too small for freezer

You are right, the compost would have broken down some more over winter, would have still needed the sieve though as somehow a lot of stones had got into it.
The raised beds only needed a two inch top up. Got some new beds which I am just in the process of making, this will be almost 3ft high to make it easier for my daughter to look after and maintain once I have taken up residence in the strawberry bed.
There was also a lot of brassica and sunflower stems which are tough to break down. Gave them a good wallop with the spade to help them breakdown quicker.

OH It was very tasty, fresh eggs from our chickens really did add to the taste.

The breakfast looks delicious PaSnip. I think I'd have wanted a nap after eating all that have you got a sofa bed in your shed? I'm glad you're getting your energy back. You've certainly done more than I have recently. We've had visitors staying for a few weeks and they've wanted to go out on nice days and I can't get on with much on rainy days. I've kept having harvesting forays though and have a wonderful apple crop and about a stone of pears to deal with.

PLUMPUDDING wrote:The breakfast looks delicious PaSnip. I think I'd have wanted a nap after eating all that have you got a sofa bed in your shed?.

no, but the guy on an adjacent plot to me has, couldn't believe it when I saw it.

As for the energy levels, by 6.40pm last night I knew I had overdone it on the plot. Fortunately a good sleep has put it right.

Pa Snip. The breakfast looks great. Any chance of a take away.

There is obviously a market for allotment breakfasts.

I shall be opening branches of 'Café Rennie' soon. (indigestion a speciality)

If you have never followed the plot then look out for a picture of The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies (Mrs Snip ) in a Knockwurst sausage roll.

Each menu will be shown only once.

Pa Snip. Re the fallen Madonna. What no black pudding. !!

Today ( 24-10-15 )one of my neighbouring plot holders will be cooking the breakfast, all Mrs Snip and I have to supply are the fresh eggs from our chickens.

Above is subject to weather conditions around 09:30

Also dependent upon weather is whether or not I shift more of the manure compost around the plot today.





or continue making the 30 inch high raised bed for my daughters future use.