Fruit Tree washing on the Allotment
Finally we had a still, dry day at the Allotment so good weather for giving the fruit trees a winter wash to control insect and aphid eggs.
Repairs started on the raised beds – scaffold planks are cheap and a good size but they do not last long. We started a little weeding, removing especially the chickweed which soon becomes a menace if it is allowed to seed and found that the pak choi plants had rotted at the base. Some of the leaves though were saved for a stir fry.
Winter Harvest – January 2023
The sprouts are almost finished and the stalks with the remaining sprouts were dug up – it is much easier to remove the sprouts at home.
Last year we grew the dwarf Jerusalem artichoke. From the one tuber, there was a reasonable crop of red coloured artichokes but most of them were dug in again to grow on and give a better crop next winter.
Dwarf jerusalem artichokes
Jobs for next week
- Continue with the raised bed repairs
- Move the saskatoon
- Tie in any loose shoots on the soft fruit
- Trim the grass edges
Don’t forget, our Winter Fruit Pruning Workshop will take place on the allotment on Sunday 26th February 2pm-4pm. The workshop is free but you must book your place. Please contact rchsallotment@gmail.com to register.
