Plot 151 - Diary of a Bad Allotment (Week 1)

I took on my plot last year with the intention of keeping our family in fruit and veg and being as self-sufficient as possible , but last years' resuts were somewhat disappointing . We got plenty of salad leaves and a fair few potatoes , but not much else . But I refuse to be disheartened and that dream of self-sufficiency will soon be realised , or at leat I hope it will . I have learnt a lot from my mistakes last year and hope to use that experience to build a solid foundation on which I can improve my plot , and share my experiences and advice with other allotment keepers. More than anything else , however , I want a fully organic plot .




This week was the first time I had been on the allotment site since Christmas , and I was pleasantly surprised at the condition of the plot . The soil was nice and soft , and although there are quite a few weeds , there are not so many that the thought of endless hoeing seems disparaging . My main concern about the plot is that my shed has become somewhat weather damaged due to the recent gale force winds . Over the next week or so , we will get the shed rebalanced , and hopefully improve its foundation .

Anita set about laying paths using bark , and defining boundaries on the allotment by using stones to create sqaure and rectangular borders to mark my growing beds .

Not much remains from last year , although I planted some Senshu onions in October , and they are doing quite nicely now , and there are still a couple of strawberry plants in the ground as well as a blueberry bush.

There is not too much to plant at this time , but I have made an early start and planted some Vales Emerald early potatoes . Next I put in some broad beans (Aguadulce) and two rows of carrots (Early Nantes 5) . The last things I put in the ground were two rhubarb crowns .

At home I have started some plants in containers on my window sill - tomato , pepper and parsley . They will be planted on the plot as soon as conditions allow .

I'll be back again on Thursday , and give another update , but feel free to add comments and advice.

Gerard


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