Nearly There!!

[Samurailord]

I have finally signed up, and I am now the proud tenant of plot 9, Cartmel Crescent Allotment.

I got the message to go down on Sunday morning to sign up, so I handed over my money, signed on the dotted line and went to survey my plot.

The entire plot had been strimmed for me, and the bordering cinder paths have been sprayed with weedkiller.

I have inherited a blackcurrant twig (can't really call it a bush), another unidentified tree, an almost non-existant crown of rhubarb, a clump of five foot high flowers of unknown variety (they haven't flowered as yet) and a small raised pond absolutely full of duckweed and sunken logs.

About half of the plot squelches when walked upon, and there is about three inches of standing water at the back end of the plot. The entire plot is very uneven, with large trenches and holes across it under the remaining ground cover.

The plot covers 180 square meters, and I can't wait to get started and turn it into something to be proud of.

Unfortunately I couldn't start yesterday as I had to go and support SWMBO at a WI function in the afternoon, so I found myself sitting in someone else's garden eating cucumber sandwiches, strawberries and cream and listening to a very good jazz trio instead of digging holes.

Hopefully the weather will ease a bit by this afternoon and I will be able to get a start on what I am sure will be a very long project to clear and level the ground.

My weed-resistant fabric arrives tomorrow, I hope I have cleared enough space to be able to use it by then

No pics as yet - didn't have my camera with me yesterday but I will get some today and post them on here.

Andy

[alldigging]

Welcome to the site Andy!

The flowers I think are yellow flag iris. You missed the flowers a few weeks ago - I might have a photo though.

[Jeanied]

Yay - another allotment site with more than one grape! I wish I had some on my site * sighs wistfully.

[Samurailord]

Just checked my email to find some photos taken by alldigging just after the plot was strimmed.



You can just see the blackcurrant twig at the bottom of this photo



Andy

[dominic10]

Unfortunately I couldn't start yesterday as I had to go and support SWMBO at a WI function in the afternoon, so I found myself sitting in someone else's garden eating cucumber sandwiches, strawberries and cream and listening to a very good jazz trio instead of digging holes.

Congratulations on signing up. You'll look back on that lovely sunny afternoon when you are slogging away but it will all be worth it!

[Samurailord]

More pics from the plot - not too good though I'm afraid. It's a bit difficult to work out what's there.



I will try to get better pics later.

I have just spend an enjoyable if tiring afternoon on the plot with my son Will, but the sum total of four hours work is:

Four wheelbarrows full of strimmed grass piled up

75% of the duckweed removed from the pond along with several rotting 'ornamental' logs

A single 4' x 4' bed double dug (I was trying for an 8' x 4' bed).



We also have a large number of newts and a single, very large frog.



Roll on tomorrow - hope the weather is fine again.

Andy

[Jeanied]

Newts! You lucky thing. Please put a 'ladder' in the pond tomorrow - so the amphibians have something to climb out on.

[Samurailord]

Newts! You lucky thing. Please put a 'ladder' in the pond tomorrow - so the amphibians have something to climb out on.

Already done Jeanied - there was a roofing tile or similar on the edge of the pond so I have slipped it into the water to give easy exit.

Then again, they must be able to get out by themselves as the pond has not been touched for months.

Andy

[rustylady]

Already done Jeanied - there was a roofing tile or similar on the edge of the pond so I have slipped it into the water to give easy exit.

Then again, they must be able to get out by themselves as the pond has not been touched for months.

Andy

Maybe the "ornamental logs" were piled high enough for them to climb on.

[Samurailord]

The logs were sodden and had sunk to the bottom, one stump of a branch was just showing through the thick covering of duckweed, so I don't think they could have been used to climb out of the pond.

We removed most of the duckweed yesterday, so I hope the remaining plants will now be able to start cleaning the water - it's absolutely black

Andy

[Feral007]

Congratulations samarailord!

I know the no dig method has been mentioned, but I can't tell you how good it is to use when you have a bad back. No digging. You do need someone to dump the hay bales for you but then you can just cut the baling twine and take out the 'biscuits' of hay and pile them on top of the cardboard. I used bales around the edges of my bed to start with, but ended up cutting them as well and adding them to the bed as needed (altho I must admit that the hay bale makes a good seat, and the baling twine holds the stem of the wine glass at the end of the day..........) The best thiing about it is that your stepdad would be very impressed with how good the ground underneath becomes because of the hay breaking down and improving the soil underneath. I just pulled a couple of pieces of grass from my garden bed today, it's mid winter here, so the weed suppression has been efficient from spring to mid winter. I have grown root vegetables and tomatoes and pumpkiins, and leeks. Lettuce, radish, you name it, in the hay. It's a mix of hay and compost/soil on top of cardboard. I didn't use black plastic as we have such baking heat in summer that the root vege's would've been cooked in the soil.

If it's a quick, easy, garden that improves the soil as you grow that you want (and it helps with the drainage as well) then go for the no dig garden to start with.

[Samurailord]

Thanks for the advice Feral.

My back allows me to do a bit of work, then rest, bit of work, then rest, so I would be able to move the bales myself in short bursts.

I think that the main problem at the moment is that the plot is anything but level, with fairly deep holes and trenches everywhere, so I am not sure how well the cardboard and straw topped with soil/compost method would work in the short term - I would always be afraid of stepping onto what looks firm but dropping another 12 inches through it!

How deep have you piled your straw, and how much compost on top, and how much will a single bale cover?

Having said that, I will definitely give it a go on at least part of the plot to see if it will help to level it out.

The worst section where it looks like the previous tenant has dug away the top turf is going to be used as a compost heap for now as the natural site for a heap at the back of the plot is currently under a few inches of water.

Thinking about it, I could probably use this method to raise the level of the ground down there too.

Hmm, lots to consider.

Andy

[Feral007]

SL if you have a look at my blog you will see some pictures. I might try to load some here for you as well. It covers a multitude of sins ie holes and dips etc. You do need quite a few bales. I was lucky and someone had some poor quality lucerne hay bales so I only paid $5 a bale - bargain around here. So I think I got 15 bales, but had about 5 as early feed for the horses, and used some as mulch around the fruit trees, over newspaper. Still have two bales out there truth be told, and they will be the beginnings of next seasons garden. Oh I forgot that if you go to my profile on here I have a few photos of the putting together of the garden.

We made a T shaped garden so that we could reach most of it - but put a large rock in the junction of the T for me to stand on to hose and plant etc. This season my son wants to make it into a circle with a X path thru the middle. So we'll try that. We're starting up a fruit and nut forest at the back, so are digging in the fruit trees but in a raised mound as we have rock under, and then will be putting in a no dig between with berries, asparagus and rhubarb, and alpine strawberries. The good thing is that the hay and compost becomes is mulch and then becomes the ground and you just build up on top of it.
I had no compost left when I planted the winter veg so just purchased some potting mix and put that down on the hay, put in the small plants and then added hay around them for protection.

[Samurailord]

Thanks again Feral.

Just had a look on your blog and I must admit that I am more than a bit jealous - you live in a beautiful part of the world.

I am going to give your method a try - I will have to pay our local supermarkets a visit to try and scrounge waste cardboard. Luckily for me there are at least eight major ones within five miles, so I should be able to get plenty.

I can get manure delivered to the allotment at £40 for 8-10 tons, and straw at £3 per bale so once I have everything in place I can get started, maybe even as soon as next weekend.

Andy

[Feral007]

It is lovely SL, but it is very challenging! Good thing I like a challenge!

I popped into the library today and checked the book I was telling you about. It's called No Dig Garden - by Allen Gilbert. It's done in conjunction with the ABC (not the BBC) thought it might actually be book from over there. But it is the pictures that I took most note of. And it's more the levels of stuff you put in. I think some people refer to it as lasagne gardens - but I haven't googled that yet to check. It keeps me on my toes trying to keep up with your terms!

Our bed was about 3/4 the height of the bale of hay. Would have liked higher but didnt have anymore compost to use. I put two bales on each corner at right angles, to stop the frost from settling on the tomato plants early on, then had to pull them off later to let the sun in.

I also used the bales to put herbs in - hollow out and add a bit of compost and plant the herb. Got baked here, but will do it on the shady side next time. Also grew the potatoes in the hay put biscuits flat about 3 or 4 high and put the seed potato in and cover with a bit of hay.

Just be careful if you put some manure in and it heats the bed up - you'll need to wait a week or so for it to cool down if you do. We cooked an entire garden that way and had to transplant and reseed for that reason at the T intersection of the garden.