More plotting

Another full afternoon on the plot on Easter Monday saw more progress punctuated by chats with fellow plot tenants and the odd cup of coffee.

We usually have a list of tasks that we want to complete on our plot visits and anything else that we managed to fit in is a bonus.

My number one task was to plant out some cabbage and calabrese. After our club root disaster the plants were bought in to plug the gap and hopefully give us a crop before any seed raised plants would. It's always a bit of a gamble buying brassica plants as this can be a source of club root contamination but hopefully buying from a reputable company minimises the risk. One way of supporting plants so they can have a chance against club root infection is to grow the young plants on in pots so they develop a good root system before planting. The plants were now at a stage though when they had to go out in open ground and fend for themselves. Martyn has posted more about the brassica plants here.

The bed had previously been prepared and the appropriate piece of weed control fabric put in place. Whilst the brassicas were being planted deeply and firmed in, I am sure countless little eyes were watching from the telegraph wires and the occasional white butterfly flew past to inspect a possible site for egg laying.

I was, however one step ahead and once planted and plants watered in, the bed was covered with butterfly and pigeon proof netting. Any holes resulting from repeated use were tied up as some determined creature would no doubt use any large hole as an access point.

Whilst I was on planting duty, Martyn was tasked with sowing. He had already prepared the bed for carrots and parsnips. On our last visit, the channels in which the seeds were to be sown had been filled with compost and well watered. The compost was watered again and then seeds sown. Once sown, to keep carrot fly at bay, the bed was covered with enviromesh. The mesh will only be removed if it really has to be. The weed control fabric should cut weeding down to a minimum which will also mean the roots of young seedling are disturbed less. We don't thin out the carrots allowing them to shoulder one another aside. This also cuts down on root disturbance and the need to remove the mesh. At the early stages the compost will need to be regularly watered through the mesh by either us or nature.

Although the parsnips don't really need to be covered the excess mesh has been laid across the area where the seeds have been sown. Hopefully this will cut down on 'divets' made by paw prints or foraging birds.

Martyn also sown some Carouby de Maussane mangetout. These are a purple flowered variety which we have grown in the past. Previously we have raised them in pots but have found direct sowing seems to work better for us. We will see. These are tall growing plants and so hazel branches will be put in place once the seeds start to germinate.

One disappointing situation on our site is that plots that have been vacated this year still appear not to have been allocated. Does this mean there are no applicants for plots on our site? I don't know, but I do know that previously well kept plots are becoming overgrown in the interim and the chance for planting up for this season is slipping by.

If you live in Wakefield and are either on a waiting list or would like a plot it may be worth contacting the council here. You don't need to live in Horbury to take on a plot at Green Lane.

Taken from Google maps

Copyright: Original post from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments http://glallotments.blogspot.co.uk/ author S Garrett