December News
November on Lotti
Hagg Hill is looking pleasantly attractive with trees just holding on to some brown and orange leaves. The heavy spells of rain are making the ground quite heavy and the beds in Mayfield are waterlogged. It looks like we will need to take some steps to divert the water coming down the hill and overflowing the pond towards the privet hedges instead of collecting under the raised beds.
The remaining summer crops in the Poly Tunnel have been cleared, the tomato supports dismantled and the beds weeded. The Autumn Cauliflowers are growing well (though we will not see any harvest until Spring). We still have half a bed of mature Chinese Leaf – these have grown well as an autumn cash crop but they don’t seem to be too popular with members (try them in soup, stews or stir fries). They will not survive the cold weather so help yourself next time you are on the plot.
Outside there isn’t much produce to be had apart from a few perpetual spinach leaves, leaks and winter cabbage. We have some Parsnips but these are much tastier after a few frosts have converted some of the starch to sugar. The PSB is growing well this year and Eleanor is looking forward to the first harvest in the new year.
The bed clearance has stalled a bit but we still have plenty of time to prepare areas for 2013. We now have some paving in front of the top compost bins to overcome the muddy area there. The patio between the main shed and tool shed looks immaculate thanks to Glenda’s weeding efforts. Both the greenhouse and shed look a lot tidier too.
A recent rainy Wednesday morning proved useful in identifying leaks in the buildings. The wood store looks good but there are 3 small cracks in the Plastic sheeting in the Greenhouse and a very annoying little leak in the shed where the felt joins. Again we need to take action to make all areas watertight.
We have found wood to make the final raised bed in Rivelin and this is currently drying out in the Poly.
We have made a bed planting plan for 2013 and ordered seed potatoes and onions from the Hagg Lane Allotment shop. Don is for Brassicas, Sheaf/Mayfield legumes (peas/beans), Porter Brook/Sheaf Potatoes, Rivelin root crops and Wyming Brook a catch-all overflow area for anything we cannot fit in elsewhere.
And finally we should mention the excellent bonfire party at the beginning of the month.
December Working Day Priorities
· Move the four trees from plot 62 to a new area by the main path to the Poly (Eleanor knows where).
· Recover the weed suppressant fabric from plot62.
· Concerted effort to weed the tyres/paths in the fruit cage. Move some of the larger fruit bushes to the Fruit area.
· Collect bark chippings from the end of the lane and renew paths
December/January Jobs
· Finish clearing the beds ready for next year.
· Lime Porter brook beds ready for 2013 Potatoes
· Compost onto Don beds ready for 2013 Brassicas.
· Tidy and reorganise the wood store.
· Re-erect poles and wire for trees on top boundary
· Erect support for two fruit trees on Rivelin side of new path from entrance to patio
Hagg Hill is looking pleasantly attractive with trees just holding on to some brown and orange leaves. The heavy spells of rain are making the ground quite heavy and the beds in Mayfield are waterlogged. It looks like we will need to take some steps to divert the water coming down the hill and overflowing the pond towards the privet hedges instead of collecting under the raised beds.
The remaining summer crops in the Poly Tunnel have been cleared, the tomato supports dismantled and the beds weeded. The Autumn Cauliflowers are growing well (though we will not see any harvest until Spring). We still have half a bed of mature Chinese Leaf – these have grown well as an autumn cash crop but they don’t seem to be too popular with members (try them in soup, stews or stir fries). They will not survive the cold weather so help yourself next time you are on the plot.
Outside there isn’t much produce to be had apart from a few perpetual spinach leaves, leaks and winter cabbage. We have some Parsnips but these are much tastier after a few frosts have converted some of the starch to sugar. The PSB is growing well this year and Eleanor is looking forward to the first harvest in the new year.
The bed clearance has stalled a bit but we still have plenty of time to prepare areas for 2013. We now have some paving in front of the top compost bins to overcome the muddy area there. The patio between the main shed and tool shed looks immaculate thanks to Glenda’s weeding efforts. Both the greenhouse and shed look a lot tidier too.
A recent rainy Wednesday morning proved useful in identifying leaks in the buildings. The wood store looks good but there are 3 small cracks in the Plastic sheeting in the Greenhouse and a very annoying little leak in the shed where the felt joins. Again we need to take action to make all areas watertight.
We have found wood to make the final raised bed in Rivelin and this is currently drying out in the Poly.
We have made a bed planting plan for 2013 and ordered seed potatoes and onions from the Hagg Lane Allotment shop. Don is for Brassicas, Sheaf/Mayfield legumes (peas/beans), Porter Brook/Sheaf Potatoes, Rivelin root crops and Wyming Brook a catch-all overflow area for anything we cannot fit in elsewhere.
And finally we should mention the excellent bonfire party at the beginning of the month.
December Working Day Priorities
· Move the four trees from plot 62 to a new area by the main path to the Poly (Eleanor knows where).
· Recover the weed suppressant fabric from plot62.
· Concerted effort to weed the tyres/paths in the fruit cage. Move some of the larger fruit bushes to the Fruit area.
· Collect bark chippings from the end of the lane and renew paths
December/January Jobs
· Finish clearing the beds ready for next year.
· Lime Porter brook beds ready for 2013 Potatoes
· Compost onto Don beds ready for 2013 Brassicas.
· Tidy and reorganise the wood store.
· Re-erect poles and wire for trees on top boundary
· Erect support for two fruit trees on Rivelin side of new path from entrance to patio
