Despite the wet start to this year I have still managed to finish my winter digging. Despite the allotment site being clay soil, my plots have had so much organic matter added to it over the years that it makes digging easy. I hardly have to put my foot on the spade to get it into the soil.
The last couple of small plots I dug were wet around the edges where the water had drained. I always take out a trench, putting the soil into a barrow and then chip any weeds and old compost into the trench before turning over the spits of soil, working across the plots. Once completed, the soil from the barrow is put in the last trench and then each plot is edged up around the paths and all is tidy and ready for spring. All I need now is some drying winds and hard frosts to help break the soil down.
The only crops left on my plot are the last of my leeks. I also have some sprouting broccoli that is ony just starting to form. Sadly, all of my Brussels sprouts and savoy cabbages have now been eaten. Another crop is in the ground for harvesting later in the year is my autumn onion sets that were planted in October.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get any garlic or shallots planted before it got too wet, so these will be planted into cell trays or pots later this month and grown on in the cold glasshouse until ready for planting out when the weather improves.
In my greenhouse my leek pips that I rooted in November are growing well, these have each been given a little support to keep them upright. The large exhibition onions that I sowed at Christmas have been pricked out (transplanted) into cell trays and are just starting to produce their first true leaves. Also in the greenhouse are my geranium cuttings that I rooted last October and some cutting raised lobelia and carnations. All have now rooted well and the geraniums have already been moved on into larger cell trays.
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