Unexpected Many Hands

Sunday last was a bit of a shock for yours truly. Having just returned from India, where the temperature ranged from 26 - 32 degrees, Sunday morning at sub 5 degrees on the allotment truly wakes you up.

With the principal growing season behind us, there is now a list of things to do in preparation for next year, together with general tidying up and completing all those jobs, that either didn't quite get started, or alternatively didn't quite get finished!

Unexpectedly the Community Payback Scheme seemed to have spare capacity, with a commitment elsewhere falling through. With all the many additional hands, the team completed the pathways at the rear of the site, plus added an additional border mid plot between the growing area and wildlife feature, before tidying all the pathways up at the top of the site with barrow loads of shredding.

The group also took the top off, dug over and motivated a section of a neighbouring plot, Hat's off all round.

In terms of project 63, the CPS team have built raised beds at the top of the site, the plot is beginning to look similar to the original drawings that we set out at the start of the year, although now looking a little bare for the winter months.

The courgettes and squashes, which had been pretty prolific were now finished, and these dug up, the soil turned over and heavily manured in preparation for next year. Garlic and Broad Beans have been planted, the former relying on frosts to form the cloves, and the broad beans to encourage an early crop, free from black fly that seemed to plague the crop last year.

The Tomatoes and aubergine plants have in the majority been dug out, and the soil turned over in the poly tunnel, which leaves Chilli's ripening off and peppers, but expecting this to finish soon.

Once again, a big thank you to Brian and his team, for this weeks endeavours which were wholly unexpected but hugely welcome.