Let the back breaking work commence

On Sunday morning I went down the allotment with one aim and that was to start digging over the new plot. I’m still not 100% sure on how I’ll use the new plot, but it’s covered in weeds and grass and really needs clearing before winter sets in.

The new plotIn one of my previous updates, I put down some weed fabric and bark chippings to try and smother the weeds. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough bark with me so could only do a small area, so before going to the allotment on Sunday, I popped into a local garden centre and picked up 4 bags of bark for £20. This was enough to cover what I wanted and a little more.

Fortunately, the previous tenant had built some raised beds and these are still in great condition considering the rest of the plot, and not wanting to rebuild them, I started to dig one of them over. It was back breaking work, the roots of some of the weeds went deep and the soil was like concrete. After 2 hours, I only managed to dig an area that covered 4 square metres. As I was tired, I decided to stop and get on with some other jobs.

Moving onto the other plot, I took down my beans and covered the area with some thick tarp to cover any weeds. I done this last winter on the potato beds and had very few weeds this year. It’s definitely something I’ll be doing more often. The leeks that I planted in the summer are really bulking up and next to them; I spotted some rather nice sprouts, and they’ll be ready in time for Christmas.

Half the plot covered ready for winter

 

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