These were all new plots in the top of a grass field near the existing allotments. Now, naively I (and the rest of the new plot holders) was expecting the plots to be nicely ploughed and and all tidy, ready for planting. Wrong! They simply rotovated the grass and chopped it up into little bits for us to clear or dig in. Thanks for that!
With all the rain that's been falling lately today was the first real chance of getting to do any work on the plot. The first problem was what to do with the sods of grass. I decided that I just wanted to get my potatoes in and worry about the grass later. So after pegging out a path down one side of my plot, I pegged out my first bed. I raked off the grass and piled it all up at the end of the plot. I plan to either dig it in somewhere else on the plot or cover it in black plastic and let it the grass rot down.
I then came home for a spot of lunch - and to give my back a rest. My back has never hurt before but something happened today and I'm not liking it! Emily and I then returned with all our seed potatoes which had been going mad chitting in the garage for what seems like ages.
I proceeded to dig the trenches whilst Emily put the potatoes in. I then filled the trench in with the soil from the next trench. After a couple of trenches I decided that I could actually lose some of those sods of grass in the trenches first. Better late then never I guess. Emily was also in charge of the admin of recording what potatoes were going where.
So this is what we've planted (I'm writing it here to remind me of what's what later, when I can't remember anything!)
- Pink Fir Apple, 13 tubers
- Pink Fir Apple, 11
- International Kidney, 11
- International Kidney, 8
- Salad Blue, 9
- Nicola, 10
- Sharpe's Express, 10