A hint of Spring on the allotment

Spring is coming to the allotment as the buds on the fruit swell and the leaves begin to show. Today each of the fruit bushes had a feed with a good spadeful of compost and then a mulch of leaves which will keep the weeds down and the moisture in. The new flower beds had a solid edging put in.

The rabbits have been enjoying the young leaves on the strawberry plants so they were all netted and fleece put down over the plants which will fruit this year. We are hoping we shall get some early fruit.  They have also been eating the tulips leaves, not something we have seen before.

We put black plastic down on the bed, where the early potatoes will be going, to warm up the soil so we can plant the tubers earlier. We’ll keep an eye on the soil temperature with a soil thermometer. There is no point in putting them in if the soil is cold and wet, the tubers will just rot.

The broad beans, variety Perla, sown at home last week have germinated already and showing good growth so  once they have been hardened off they can be planted out.

Jobs for next week

Finish mulching the beds
Start double digging the new raised beds
Weed the comfrey bed and take out the alkanet wherever you can see it.