Update from Sunday Sunny Allotment ...VELVET worm..

[Francesco Benvenuti]

Heya all!!
a wee update from what happened this sunday at the allotment..

1)What we did
2)What need doing next wednesday
3)general notes

1) things that were done are :

• We made a new bed out of stone out of the few little rotting herb boxes.. it look super and I think that we could use it for some potatoes.. But Robin the architect might have had other ideas in the design..
• We Nitrogenized (??) the asparagus.. Just put some of the dead field beans which were laying in a pile around the asparagus and garlic bed.. So they will slowly rot and release bounty tasting Nitrogen.
• seed Potatoes have been taken out of the shelf and exposed in the sun (on the table in the greenhouse) to CHIT (see--> http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/basics/how-to-chit-potatoes/256.html) . I guess we can plant them next Wednesday if FOlks are up for it. (P.S. they are different varieties and let's try not to mix them)
  
• Weeded and watered the dry seedlings
• Did a general clear up of the Bench (Tomatoes are taking so much space so we might need to find a solution)
  
• Planted inside: Sweet peppers, some Nastridium, some green squash (nor really sure about it) :)
• Transplanted out : 2 Sage seedlings into the herb spiral.   1 Blackcurrant shoot, 3 wood rush (shade loving little fella)
  

2) things to do:

• plant the leeks from the green house outside (need to thin them out)
• Remove dead onion (last generation) from the leeks bed and plant new ones---
  
• Plant potatoes outside in designed beds (i'll bring the map next wednesday)---> Some info : Dig in well-rotted manure or garden compost (apply no more than one wheelbarrow-full of well-rotted strawy manure, or two of compost, per 10 sq metres of ground). Plant tubers into trenches or in individual holes, 7-15cm in depth. Cover with soil. 
  • 1st early – 28-36cm apart, 38-50cm between rows.
  • 2nd early & maincrop – 36-45cm apart, 65-75cm between rows

• Plant carrots outside (they 'll need protection from birds)
  
• Thin the salads that have been sown in the bed outside.. They are all growing and they will compete for food.. the one we remove we can plant them elsewere (but ideally you want one plant every 15/18 cm?   so sad, but'll have to kill some :( ...
• Plant the rocket outside
• Some more rocket can be sown directly outside
• Weed the spinach bed and general weeding around broccoli and all the rest
  

3) General NOTES..

I was thinking that we might benefit from a page where we can discuss what we need to do (now that is the planting & growing season would be beneficial for all so that we keep updated with what is going on?)  Maybe the website? Robin any news on that?

• Robin had a big find.. He excavated from its castle-home a big nasty and sticky New zeland worm! AMEN, we had to sacrifice it for the good of our beloved round earth worm-- New zealand worms indeed would unscrupulously kill them.. But we had an Idea, we'll  send them back to New Zealand with Daisy so they'll be happy again at home and stop killing..  
• There is a little asparagus island in the bed of the Jerusalemme Artichoke... NO IDEA how it got there but will need to be brought back in the home bed ideally
• Slugs are already damaging some of the sweet peas --> suggestion: if you know any pub-owner or you might feel lucky we should collect "draught drip" beer (that pub usually throw away) and use it for keep them out. I once brought empy milk plastick bottles and asked them to fill them with the wast stuff.. :) they though i was a cheap drunken student..:)
• Finally, The  FINE compost has kind of disappeared an d we have only less than two bags left.. Maybe we can start miing it with the medium or coarser one .,.,,,,  otherwise won't have enough for future indoor planting..
  

I think that's all.. Lot to do and it is looking beautiful!! all is flowering (APPLE TREES TOOOO) and the RUBARB WE TRANSPLANTED HAS just GONE MAD!!!  IT has grown soooooo much (Cornelia have a look!!)

ok ok I stop... sorry got really excited

see you wednesday!! :) blue veggies

Francesco

[Kasia Latham-Warde]

Hello folks..

Aw it was such a beautiful day on Sunday... it was a much deserved afternoon in the sun away from the nasty computer thing i'm in front of right now.
So... Francesco that was a wonderfully jam-packed update! :-) ... that worm was crazy! I've never seen anything so slimy and greedy looking hehe.
A couple of things to add... we seeded some kale in the greenhouse.. cos its just so yummy for our tummies... and parsley and coriander were also planted in the herb spiral (with markers). Ooo and major watering action! Im going to be away for the next couple of weeks.. so just so you know if you sneak into the garden behind the allotment all hush hush then you can steal their hose :-) of course being respectful and replacing it like fairies as if we were never there..
The lovage is amazing! Its properly sprouted forth! wheeee! Maybe we can make an angelica-esque sweetie from the stems? That would be an adventure!

So.... I've been thinking as well... there seems to be less emphasis on the permaculture side of things in the allotment recently.. with many a plant just being planted randomly (I think?!) without thought of its ecology/effect on other plants, or its invasiveness.. or purpose. Maybe we could have a meet just to refocus our purpose (seeing as we do call ourselves the permaculture and allotment society) on that aspect. Maybe we could create some kind of Information document with info about each thing we plant?
Je ne sais pas.... but its just an idea! :-)

love from the library to wherever you may be..
Kasia x

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Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2012 17:18:15 +0100
Subject: (allotment) Update from Sunday Sunny Allotment ...VELVET worm..
From: evn...@gmail.com
To: allotment-and-perm...@googlegroups.com

[Edward Lewis]

yeah agreed with the permaculture shout, when we were making the bed plans weeks and weeks ago we tried to accomodate for companion planting etc (of which we will have one bed (e.g. asparagus, garlic, and hopefully the marigolds growing in the greenhouse (against aphids)). It would be good to get some more research done on this, the problem was space and diversity of crops, e.g. roses are good, but aint much room for them, whilst trying to get veggies at the same time. But i totally agree, permaculture should be something we naturally do, not a nice thing that we sometimes do.

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From: visions_...@hotmail.com
To: allotment-and-perm...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: (allotment) Update from Sunday Sunny Allotment ...VELVET worm..
Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2012 17:36:44 +0100