All systems go !

Welcome back to Reads Allotment Retreat, our guide to starting an allotment from scratch. Regular readers will know that I arranged for my father in law - Bill - to visit the plot with his Mantis Tiller. We managed to get there on 31st March, and put the tiller to good use. Despite my reservations of it's effectiveness on the stony soil of the plot, i was pleasantly surprised with how effective it actually was. It's only downfall was that it is a lightweight machine, and it has to be "persuaded" to dig down. That said though, it produced a fine tilth on the beds we used it on.
Today we descended en-mass to the plot; Wifey , Ruby, and myself ! The timber that is pictured forming the first raised bed on the plot, was donated by my neighbour "Arthur", and was sufficient to create this first spud bed. Here we have planted our first batch of First Early Spuds (v.Rocket). Thirty seeds were planted in total, and there's another 30 of this variety still chitting, so i need to perhaps buy some timber? When I say "we" . it really was a joint effort: I made the planting holes (using an old broken spade handle, Wifey sprinkled some fresh compost in the holes, and Ruby (bless her - 22months old) dropped the seeds into the holes, before Wifey provided a further sprinkling of compost on top. The black mulch layer is a cheap weed prevention fabric that i use when planting my spuds. Aldi were selling the same stuff recently ( £4.00 for 10 Metre Roll) , but you can find it cheaper. Cross shape cuts are made where you want with a sharp blade, and you simply plant through it. A few lumps of rubble / bricks will hold the fabric in place, until the spuds start to grow through. I am really glad that we got this done today, not least because there's a few days of rain forecast, which should get the growth on its way.

Our newly positioned tree's are also doing really well, and all are budding up nicely.
This pic shows the Bramley Apple, which is already adorned with lovely crimson and white buds. I read recently that in the first year the blossom should be pinched out, thereby letting the tree put most of its energy into root growth. We'll have to read up a bit more on this as it sounds a bit harsh to me ?






And finally, a pic of a rather tired chap, oh, and a Victoria Plum tree!
This tree is also doing well, and we cant wait to reap the rewards of Huw & Jane's present. I'm sure that some Plum jam will be on its way to them as a thank you!

Meanwhile on the home front, i planted a couple of trays of seeds, 1 tray of onions (v. Bedfordshire Champion) as well a 1 tray of Leeks ( v. Autumn Mammoth). Maybe a tad late on these, but with a lucky summer (who knows) the timing might just be ok!

There's been a lot of activity on the home plot too, so pop and have a peek when you get a chance.

That's it for now. Hope you've enjoyed this update, and we hope to see you soon.

TTFN