Seasonal changes on the Allotment
The sounds of the skeins of geese flying high on their journey south reminds us that autumn is definitely here, but there is still plenty to harvest and plenty of winter greens to keep us going through the cold months.
Some things are now over: the sweet peas (after a magnificent season) were taken out. The sweetcorn has also done well for us and the stalks were chopped into small pieces to help the rotting down in the compost bins. The old fruiting canes on the soft fruit were cut to ground level, the spindly new ones cut out and a start made on tying in the new growth to the training wires. The old canes were stacked up ready for a winter bonfire.
Cutting up the sweetcorn
The comfrey bed was weeded, and the attack continued on the green alkanet which is taking over the north edge and is in among the soft fruit there. A ditching spade with a long sharp blade is ideal for this job. Green manure was sown on the empty potato beds and the sweet pea bed – perhaps too late but if the weather holds then any growth is a good thing, and the grass had another cut.
The apples were all checked for ripeness and the potatoes and onions in store checked for rot – a necessary weekly task since one rotten one can quickly infect the others. Still picking the autumn rasps and blueberries – the late variety is Liberty – beans and courgettes.
Still a few boysenberries left
Jobs for next week
- Finish tying in the soft fruit
- Make new cage for leaves for leaf mould
- Keep weeding!
