Weekend plotting on the allotment

Restlessness, irritability, impatience.

I was suffering from severe allotment withdrawal symptoms at the weekend. I managed to get down to the plot with two helpers on Saturday and the symptoms melted away immediately. Between us we got a lot done in a couple of hours: clearing a couple of the raised beds of weeds, topping up the compost heap, tidying up grass edges and harvesting jerusalem artichokes, purple sprouts, florence fennel, horseradish root and celeriac.

It's still looking far more messy than I'd like, but this year I have to be realistic about just how much I can get done on the plot: partly because work and promoting my book have to be accommodated, and I have another project in development - let's just say I am working on helping to create the next generation of allotment gardeners.

One must-do on my list is ordering in a big pile of bark chips to lay down on the paths around the raised beds: not only to keep the weeds under control, but also to stop me slipping about when the soil is wet.

At this time of year, it's important not to try to work the soil when it's completely waterlogged: better to wait until things have dried out a bit - otherwise you risk compacting it. This just means crushing out all the air pockets that are essential to good plant growth. My soil was just about workable, but then I am lucky enough to have wonderful stuff to work with. Anyone with a clay-heavy allotment may find it's a few weeks yet before the real work can begin.

Comments

[Gabrielle]

Sunchokes! I haven't grown those in a long time. I cube them and sneak them into stew, because my DH is diabetic and they are much better for him than potatoes. Time to pick up some tubers, I think.

[John Curtin]

'creat(ing)the next generation of allotment gardeners' Can we read between the lines?!

[kim]

Will you be using a porous ground cover sheet under your bark chippings for the paths around your beds?

I am in the process of creating raised beds at the moment, and was planning to create paths between using the sheet then covered with chippings, more for aesthetics really.

I'd be interested to know if it would work without the sheet though.

[Jane Perrone]

John: yes, I think you can!

Kim: yes, I am going to put some weed-proof porous membrane down first and load the chips on that - to hold it down, provide a non-slip surface and to look a bit more aesthetically pleasing ...

[Matron]

I have had good success with laying down weed suppressing membrane covered with a few inches of bark chips. Jerusalem Artichokes are the only things which appear to have forced their way through! I really love the paths and raised beds method of growing. Long gone are the days of strenuous spit-digging. I just mulch the surface and let the worms get on with it!

[Molly]

"I have another project in development - let's just say I am working on helping to create the next generation of allotment gardeners"

congratulations! You're starting from seed, I gather? :)

[Patrick]

Congratulations Jane! Let us know how your gardener grows.