Fantastic Weekend……….but there is but at the end.

[sandersj89]

This weekend was really the start of the new planting season for me.
And saw me doing about 12 hours work out in the garden/allotments over the two days.

Things started in the greenhouse with various sowings, broad bean, aubergine, rudbekia, spring cabbage, echinacea, etc. I also sorted out various pots and containers for use later on and used the time in the greenhouse to study the new heater in action. All in all a very good couple of hours and the heater/thermostat is working very well indeed.

I then moved onto the garden at home. Various bits of tidying up and removing the last of the leaves. Also finished cutting back some of the perennials that are looking well past their best. Then I started a job I hate, aerating the lawn. Urgh!!! I use a good old garden fork, drive it as deep as I can, give it a wiggle, pull it out and move 6” to the left and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and ….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat….and repeat!!!!!!! Over the next few weeks I will do the whole lawn and then brush it over with some lawn sand, basically a mix of compost, sand and top soil.

Next, the allotments. I have not done much there since December other than harvest stuff. (Lunch today was a great piece of roast beef with all veg fresh from the plot, I am amazed at how much they are giving us and we rarely go to the greengrocer for veg these days other than for fruit, I am sure they think we are very unhealthy!)

First job was to pick up all the leaves from the bottom of plot one, it is half under a huge oak tree so plenty to pick up. This also included tidying up the strawberry bed and replanting the runners I rooted in pots last summer. Next was to dig in the manure I layered on back in December in the new potato bed. This dug in beautifully and after only a couple of years of work on the plot the manure is making a real difference now. Lightening it up a massive amount.

I also had a peek at the dahlia tubers I left in the ground last autumn. On heavy soil this might not be the best idea but I think most will have come though OK. I don’t mind some losses as to be honest I had too many of them last year, even with giving friends arm fulls of blooms. It will be an interesting experiment.

Then onto a bit of serious digging. This is a part of the plot yet to be used and has been under a tarp for a couple of years. But there was still plenty of bindweed and couch rhizomes in evidence that needed digging out in readiness for new raspberry canes to go in. I also decided to move a couple of redcurrants and a gooseberry as they were all to close. They were replanted with plenty of manure at their feet so should be OK.

That all meant plot one was looking in good shape so I moved onto plot 2, the newer, smaller plot. This started with digging in more manure and giving the over wintering onions and garlic a good weed. Most of the weed was groundsel and chickweed so easy to remove but it all looks much better for it. I also pulled up the peer gynt sprouts that have now finished and some sprouting broccoli that refused to sprout but wanted to burst into flower instead…grrrr. The soil on this plot is very different to the first. It has been used far more in the past 10 years so is lighter and very easy to work, the manure will I hope add a bit of body to it but the crops have been very good. Still good leeks, parsnips and sprouts going well. I am also going to make a couple of raised beds here this spring and I will be adding a plastic green house as it is very open and light levels will be good.

I already have a large home made coldframe on this plot and this has winter lettuce, cauli seedlings. Lambs lettuce and oriental salad all on the go. There is a good few meals of lambs lettuce and oriental salad ready now. Shame there are a 1,001 woodlice living in there!

But I hear you say, what is the “But” in the title of this post?

Well, as I was digging I was amazed at how dry the soil was, no claggy clay around my boots as I walked around, ground easy to work and after a couple of hours newly worked ground was drying out on the surface very quickly! We are only just out of January for Pete’s sake!!!

I just hope we get some decent rainfall over the next couple of months to build up the soils reserve or it is going to be a busy time with the watering can come summer.

All in all a great weekend though and the bath soak was very welcome too!

Jerry

[sandersj89]

[Growbe]

Jerry

I noticed that to. I was digging today, good soil (clay) as I turned it the earth underneath was almost bone dry. I am digging in a lot of cow manure but I may have to think of adding some additional matter to act as a sponge.

Any thoughts folks? I know you can overdo it with grass cuttings and paper if you are not too careful. What about a heavy mulch?

Hopeful now I have made this post we will get some good rain.

[amphibian]

Jerry, I'm down the road from you and it is the same here, my clay is braking up easily and is very dry, no mud on site at all.

A trip over to Bewl Water the other day revealed it to be about a third full, I hope we get some rain soon.

[loulou]

iv got the opposite problem me and the kids came home from the plot with a good 6inch layer of mud on boots digging was not hard but soil heavy its not water logged but very wet so i don't need the rain  ill send it your way lol ;D

[Dan 2]

I've got very dry soil in the garden at the moment. Its seems a dry winter.
Regards,

Dan  ;D

[gtm41658]

Hi All,

Again... I've got the same problem of mud on the boots and a very slippery drive up to to the plot......

Gerry

[Robert_Brenchley]

My soil is much as usual, the stream is at its normal level, the only thing that's missing is the waterlogging I used to get.

[agapanthus]

Sanders....I'm knackered already...and I only read your post!!!! lol  What will I be like when the work really starts ??? ???

[Mrs Ava]

Sounds like a perfect weekend Jerry!  Fabulous!

In Essex, I can still hear the water trickling through my lawn.  Still plenty waterlogged in the garden, but the allotment is a lot drier.  Have heaps of compost at the ready for my spuds to try and improve water retention this year.

[Jesse]

Jerry, not sure about your area but in our part of West Sussex we're still on a hosepipe ban, got a letter from Southern Water on the weekend saying the ban will continue into the summer unless we get some serious rainfall over the next couple of months.

Glad you had a productive weekend, sounds great :)

[KevB]

Well Gerry
its Monday morning and I've just read your post!!! I'm off back to bed to recuperate :) :) :) What tablets has the doctor given you :) must be Horse tablets me thinks!!
Well done
Kevb

[froglets]

I planted a new hedge on Boxing Day and my soil is so dry in Cheshire, I had to water it yesterday.  OK I have sandy soil, but it's well enriched, but the sunny corner was bone dry.  Didn't stop the algae growing on the pation which was so slippy, I had to get out there with the (organic) patio cleaner & scrub that down.  It's come up a treat.

[John_H]

Dry as a bone is East Sussex too. The holder of the plot next to mine showed me a way to try and deal with this by planting upside down drinks bottles in mid spring so that you can water to lower levels of soil without using lots of water soak the surface.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50794154@N00/86897013/in/set-1385790/

[sandersj89]

Well it seems more than one of us has the same dry soil, and yes Jesse I am in a hosepipe ban area too. Most of our water comes from Ardingly reservoir with is only about 2 thirds full at the moment I believe.

Even with a couple of wet months I doubt it will be back to full capacity before the summer.

Eeek

Jerry

[Jesse]

I think that's where ours comes from too Jerry, a hosepipe ban before we even start, just wonderful ::)