First report from the allotment team
Thursday was the first day back on the allotment and the team warmed up on a chill grey day with the annual New Year bonfire, burning the prunings which had accumulated over the season. 
The wood ash is a good source of potash and it will be spread around the fruit bushes.
They found an interesting mushroom type fungi as they were clearing a heap of nettle stems.
Since the ground is too wet to work at the moment they will concentrate on replacing the rotten wood on the raised beds.
They have a number of fruit bushes to move or put in:
- the yellow autumn rasps need to go to a sunnier site,
- the primocane blackberry needs a better position
- the Saskatoon and the two apple trees George used to demonstrate grafting need to be planted out.
So the areas for all this need to be cleared and prepared.
The high raised bed which currently has strawberries will take the herbs – as they will cope better with the drier conditions and be out of the reach of the rabbits, and the strawberries will be planted out elsewhere.
So plenty to keep the team warm over the next few weeks.
As you can see there is still plenty of kale.
Jobs for next week: Spread the ash; Replace the rotten planks on the raised beds; Move the strawberries; Fill up the high raised bed.
