Moira's beginning of March report from the allotment

A little chilly on Thursday (2nd March)  but the sun came out later and it was good to be out of doors. The saga of the new raised beds is finally over as we finished the job today – bar one nail. The paths between the beds will have wood chip put down as the allotment gets a delivery.
The ground was too wet to start digging it over but I hope we can start that next week.  The first plants to go in will be the onions and shallots grown on from seed but the soil temperature needs to warm up a little first. We shall put down some black plastic which will have the dual purpose of warming up and drying off the soil.

A cover was put over one of the rhubarb plants at the beginning of the year to force it on and get some of the delicious pink early stalks and today we had the pleasure of picking them.

And we finished the hazel framework of the new windbreak and started weaving the willow prunings through it.

A sowing of broad beans into pots has been done at home. The ground is too cold for direct sowing and at this time of year, the seeds would end up being eaten by the mice not to say the pheasants as well.

Jobs for next week
Feed the fruit and mulch with leaves
Start on the digging
Edging for the new flower beds
Work on the windbreak