Warming up on the Allotment

There was no need for warm jackets on Thursday. The lack of rain is really showing now. Once you start planting, you can see how dry the soil is. The hose came out for the first time this year to keep the new plantings and the new fruit bushes thriving.

Trained apple tree

We did more planting out of the peas that we had brought on at home but we can now go for direct sowing as the mice now have other food sources available. Some Swiss chard plants were also put in.

The frame for the runner beans was put up which needed the help of the tallest person on the team and the bed for the sweetcorn had the last of the manure spread over it.

Building supports for runner beans

There is an excellent crop to come on the cherry tree and we netted that today to prevent the birds getting the fruit before we do. It seems, however, the last frost caught the plum tree since not much to be seen on it.

Jobs for next week

• Feed of fish blood and bone
• Put straw down round the strawberries
• Plant out cauliflower and summer cabbage
• Weed the plum tree bed
• Weed round the fruit trees
• Watering
• Cut off the dead branches on the gooseberries