Transformation

I took pity on Miss L and ran her to work but not before I had done the trailer run. I dropped into Wickes for a coupel and breze blocks and paving slab. When I got home from dropping Miss L off I loaded up the brew box in Degsy and trundled off to the lottie for the day. We have not any rain or snow since the snow thawed. The sun has been out all week, the wind has been keen and has really dried the soil.

I decided that I really needed to empty the old compost bin but where to put it? The compo bin has been brewing since this time last year and is perfect. I have been feeding the compo bin with selected greenage from the lottie and scraps from home. During the week I decided that the contents of the compo bin onto Bed1 which is the roots and onion bed. The root veg must not be manured as it makes the root divide. It makes for hilarious veg but a rubbish eating crop. Feeding the soil should not go amiss adding some welcome body to the soil as well as improving water retention. The bottom end of Bed1 has had the Garlic sown since before Christmas and it now stands six inches tall. I have had a large black plastic sheet covering the middle part of the bed since the autumn. The weeds have been suppressed and those that have grown are quite weak. I rolled back the sheeting and left it on the plot next to the Sprouts further down the bed. I went round with big fork and spot weeded the dock. The rest of the soil was clear of other weeds. With soil clear of weed and the dock struggling to grow in the dry and dark their white stems and yellow leaves stood out against the black of the soil. I filled up the wheelbarrow from the compo bin. Two wheelbarrows worth covered the width of Bed1 and three foot long and two inches deep. I then went over the bed and turned in the compost into the soil. The soil was in perfect condition for digging; enough moisture to hold the soil together but not so much that it did not fall to bits without the lightest of touches with the spade. I turned up the odd potato and dock root. Then off again for another two barrow loads. As I finished each section I ran the back of the fork over the surface which acted as a harrow breaking up the lumps and creating a fine tilth. I kept this up until the compo bin was empty. The result was that two thirds of Bed1 is prepared as a seed bed.

In between barrows of compost and turning it in I manged to have a couple of brews. The wind was very cold. Whilst I was bent down digging the wind was not a problem as the wind netting kept the wing at bay but as soon as I stood up it cut me in two. So whilst I had my brew I sat in Degsy and read my book. It was very relaxing. Towards the end of the compo bin I was getting bored but I pressed on. I had the White Onion and Shallot sets in the back of Degsy and that spurred me onto get finished. I then went on to planting the sets. Two rows of Onion and two rows of Shallots. Shallots keep really well over the winter whereas Red and White onions do not. I was pretty much done once planting was over. I filled up the bird feeders and checked over the the other beds. Bed2 had a few dock showing themselves so I dug them out.

I just have a third of beds 1 and 4 to dig and manure and preparation is complete. I have decided to manure the top end of the Bed1 to take the Leeks which will stand through the coming winter. That sounds strange when we are not quite out of the winter 2010 even if the nights are drawing out. Two weeks time it is Easter and I am planting my early spuds. Whilst standing about taking a breath I saw lots of little birds flitting about. I am seeing Blackbirds and Bullfinches coming into the plot along with the usual species. I hope they remember to continue to visit when the bug population starts to builds up. Something is digging into the manure pile over the Rhubarb and it worries me the next step is the "something" starts eating the budding Rhubarb. I dropped a new barrow load of manure over the Rhubarb corms in the hope of protecting them a little longer. I think the problem is mice so I think some traps are in order.

The work at the lottie over the past three weeks has transformed the plot. I have some time in hand over the weekends up to Easter and hope to have the lottie completely turned over and ready for planting.