Work on the allotment goes on.

Sunny and windy but cold. As we have now had the first frost Tom’s dahlias were blackened, but they have given an excellent show of colour over the autumn months. It is now time to dig up the tubers and store them somewhere warmish and dry.

The frost also means the end of the autumn raspberries and time to take the netting off the fruit cage. The netting has been catching on the hazels and cherries and the birds have learned to peck away at it to get in. The trouble is they can’t remember how to get out. So we need to think whether we should put it back next year.

The last of the carrots were dug up and the remaining beetroot which were half eaten no doubt by the rabbits. We planted two garlic, this year Carcassonne Wight described as strong and vigorous and Elephant garlic. This had 2 huge cloves in the packet so we’ll be expecting very large bulbs.

Cleared out the playpen and stacked the canes and sticks neatly. The plastic round the sides of the compost heap needs to be replaced so we will start on that next week. The sides of the some of the raised beds need attention. The soil is now above the general level and it is pushing the sides outward so these need to be taken apart and put together again with reinforcing stakes. We also started putting another layer of wood chips on the paths.

Some of the Japanese veg have been frosted but a double layer of fleece has kept the Shiso going.

Jobs for next week: Repair the raised beds; Replace the lining in the compost bins; Finish adding wood chip to the paths