Post lockdown our return visit to the Co-ordin8 Allotment was one of dread to be honest. Being away from our pristine and bountiful plot for over a year had resulted in Mother Nature doing her thing big time!
We could barely see where our veg plots started and our pathways ended. The weeds that had rapidly moved in were only common, so simply had to go… pronto, before they had chance to flower and seed yet again, this year. After an assessment and a bit of job planning over a cuppa at our allotment shed, Jeanette and Stephen got to work on the weeds right away.
We lost the plot.
Next it’s time to increase fertility to the soil. In a way the weeds were like ‘green manure’ and leaving the beds fallow for last year also helped to improve the soil’s nutritional content, and beneficial insect populations. So really, more was gained than lost.
It’s been an odd sort of spring! Dought to start with, endless frosts and low temperatures and then wind and rain, rain, rain. After Stephen had been weeding and digging the plots over, Jeanette collects well rotten chicken manure and takes it to the site.
After that second early potatoes ‘Charlotte’ were planted and gladioli corms to provide cut flower for the Co-ordin8 Arts and Crafts students to draw and paint.
Watch this space for our next update!
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