Starting the New Half

Another satisfying if very tiring day spent at the plot.  I don't usually visit the allotment at the weekends but I'd volunteered our help burning the overgrowth that has been cleared in preparation of creating more plots.  It was with heavy legs that I dragged myself away from Saturday Kitchen, heavy from digging for 4 days out of the last 5 but there are people on the waiting list and no vacant plots. However when I got there all the plans had changed.  The neighbouring kennel/dog home had complained about the smoke and unfortunately only 4 people turned up over 2 hours.  The 2 men reinforced 3 parts of the boundary and had everything in hand so we decided to make use of our unexpected free time, after all, we can have a completely guilt free day off tomorrow.

Mr Lottie spent his time tying up some tayberries for my fav elderly plot holder.  He's been really ill lately and we're hoping that he'll return soon, but it's not looking hopeful.  He visited his plot for the first time in months this week and tut tutted at the trailing canes, it might cheer his day up a little when I take a picture of Mr Lotties work to show him.

I spent my time digging my first ever bean trenches.  I'm not keen on runner or French beans.  In fact I can't stand them but the whole extended family love them so grow them I must.  The last 2 years I've used cane wigwams to support the beans I grudgingly planted.  Today I had a nosey at the previous tenents bean trenches to see what he put at the base of his trenches.  Blown brussels, brassica leaves, leek tops and various other green stuff.  So, yet again, I found myself digging out more trenches.  And this is the result.

It looks pretty similar to my neighbour's and I'll add a layer of manure in a week or so.  I can't wait to grow even more of the vile things.  Mr Lottie left shortly after the trenches were finished but now I'd started, I wasn't ready to leave.  I had a whole bit of new land and most of my plans for the new bit need starting this month.  Following on from the crop rotation already in place, this part is for onions, garlic and leeks mainly.  French and Borlotti beans are going next to the runners, then peas, then the aliums.  With peas following 5 rows of beans it made sense to start with the peas.  I followed the strange protocol of straight lines, dug the ground over (compared to the other plot it was delightful to dig), raked the soil (another strange thing Mr Lottie prefers) and planted a row of 184!?!? peas.  Last year lack of experience and circumstances meant that I had a very meagre crop of peas.  This year it looks like I'm going to be testing my theory that it is impossible to grow too many peas.

Even though I'd prepared and marked out 2 rows, I realised that perhaps planting 368 peas in March wasn't really a good idea.  From now on I'll sow them half a row at a time. 

Happy sowing

Lottie Lover