Put some Compost on Allotment 2, and through out storage box on Allotment 1 and replaced it with a new storage box

Today I went down the Allotment for a couple of hours in the late morning and early afternoon. I took some compost from the compost heap and have put 3 wheelbarrow loads over top of where the flower bed will be going on Allotment 2. I then took some of the raised beds out of the old storage box on Allotment 1 and started to make these up so that I can create the flower bed making the raised bed edges. This allowed a lot of room in the storage box and as this one was falling apart I have brought a new one of which was sitting in the polytunnel made up ready to put onto Allotment 1.

Flower bed patch before compost being put on

Compost on to the flower bed

Raised bed that will be put around the flower bed

I put weedliner down behind the Greenhouse and have sat the storage box on top of this and have put the remaining raised beds as well as netting into this for the time being.

Behind the Greenhouse before tidying up this
morning 

The back of the Greenhouse after being cleared

The back of the Greenhouse with
weedliner laid and the new storage box

Cleared raised beds on Allotment 1 and done some more digging

As it was a nice sunny afternoon I went down to and onto Allotment 1 today for about 4 hours. I tidied up the other 2 raised beds, dug them over and added some more compost to top them up. I then covered these over with weedliner to help to keep these weed free. I also cleared the paths around the raised beds from weeds and these will need more bark putting on top. The pots which contain the blueberries and fruit trees I have tided up by taking the weeds out and topping them up with some more compost, which means I need to get some ericaceous compost. 

The raised bed at the right hand side of
the Greenhouse before clearing out

The raised bed at the left hand side of
the Greenhouse before clearing out

The raised bed at the right hand side of
the Greenhouse after tidying up
and topping up with compost

The raised bed at the right hand side of
the Greenhouse after tidying up
and topping up with compost

I also continued to dig over some more of the vegetable plot, but this time I started to dig the raised bed side of the vegetable plot.

The part of the vegetable plot that I have
dug over today

Cleared out Raised beds on Allotment 1

Today I went down onto Allotment 1 for about 1 hour. As a result of the very strong winds I decided I would start to clear out the raised beds. I managed to clear both raised beds in front of the Greenhouse and cover these with weedliner however rain stopped play and as I result I had to go home.

Before any clearing of the raised beds

Raised bed to the front right of the
Allotment Greenhouse after cleared out

Raised bed to the front left of the
Allotment Greenhouse after cleared out

Raised bed to the front right of the
Allotment Greenhouse covered in weedliner

Raised bed to the front left of the
Allotment Greenhouse covered in weedliner

Raised beds started to have been covered up by weedliner

Christmas day visit to the Allotment

Today I went down the Allotments as I havn't been down there for about a month. Nothing really exciting is happening at the moment as it's the winter but it's still remarkably mild for the time of year. Even though it is Christmas Day, rather windy and raining at present it's 14 Degree's Celsius and it has been very mild for some time. Due to the very wet weather we have had it was quite squelchy under foot so I don't think I will be on the allotment plot for a while yet.

Right and Front of Greenhouse

Inside of Greenhouse

Left hand side of Greenhouse and looking down onto
 Allotment 1

Looking down onto Allotment 1

Fruit Cage

Raspberries and Loganberries

Rhubarb patch

As can be seen above, Allotment 1 needs a bit of a tidy up which I shall do when it is a bit drier. I will need to dig over the middle part of the vegetable patch on the allotment as this still has potatoes in it left over from this year. Also the raised beds will need a bit of clearance and tidy up. On the Allotment there are rubbish bags that will need to be taken to the tip and some bags which contain compost and leaf mould of which I got in the autumn. The Raspberries and Loganberries will need pruning along with the Blackcurrants, Red Currants and Gooseberries in the Fruit Cage. I will also need to tidy up around the Rhubarb. Due to new rules coming in from January I will also need to get some weedliner to cover the ground as I dig it as no vacant piece of ground is allowed to be left uncovered.

As can be seen below Allotment 2 will also need to be cleared up:

Looking down Allotment 2 towards the hedge

Looking down Allotment 2 with Polytunnel in view

Looking up the Allotment towards the Polytunnel

Environmesh covering Carrots and Parsnips which
have been swamped by weeds.

Globe Artichoke at the end and the
 Onion bed at the front

View inside the Polytunnel

As can be seen in the pictures above Allotment 2 was started to be cleared however it still needs considerable clearing. Where it has been dug over at the very top of the allotment, this is where the Potatoes were dug up from. In front of these there are several onions which appear to have started to grow again so these will need taking up to clear the ground. In the middle of the Allotment there were lots of Potatoes which were not dug up and this will need to all be dug over and the potatoes cleared. Due to the new rule of covering up vacant ground on Allotments, this allotment will also need to be covered using weedliner of which will need doing during January.

The Runner Bean canes will need dismantling at some point as they are still standing. Down the very end of the Allotment, there is currently nothing in the onion bed as nothing appeared from the spring onion seeds sown in Autumn. I will dig over this part again but will not need to do much to this area as I put compost and leaf mould in during autumn. Under the Environmesh are carrots and parsnips which are covered in lots of weeds and this will also need clearing of which will also be done in time.

As seen the Polytunnel also needs a tidy up at some stage and I am considering whether to keep this structure or not as it appears again that the cover will need replacing and this is quite costly.

Sowed Onion (Spring) 'White Lisbon Winter Hardy' seeds, cleared out 2 raised beds and dug in front of Polytunnel

This Afternoon I went back down to the Allotment for about another 1 1/2 hours. I made a drill using my hoe where I had put the line earlier today. I then sowed Onion (Spring) 'White Lisbon Winter Hardy' seeds into this. I decided to split the row (9 foot and 9 foot) so I could sow some Red Onion seeds however as I didn't have any overwintering one's I will get some tomorrow and leave the drill open to sow them tomorrow.

Drill opened using hoe

Onion (Spring) 'White Lisbon Winter Hardy' seeds
where sown in half of the drill.

I then cleared two raised bed's on Allotment 1. The one to the right of the Greenhouse and the one to the Left of the Greenhouse (Minus the unknown Brassica).

The Raised bed to the left of the Greenhouse

The raised bed to the right of the Greenhouse

I also went back over to Allotment 2 and dug in front of the Polytunnel to clear all the weeds. I am currently unsure what to do with this space.

Before digging in front of the Polytunnel

After digging in front of the Polytunnel

Went onto Allotment 1 and continued to dig and clear paths, and clear raised beds

This morning I spent another hour on the Allotment, digging out the paths around the raised beds, as well as clearing the paths and raised beds. I finished off clearing the raised bed to the front right of the Greenhouse and also managed to clear the front left raised bed. I have also started to clear the raised bed to the right side of the Greenhouse and this is where I left it today.

Raised bed to the front left of the Greenhouse

Raised bed to the front right of the Greenhouse

Raised bed to the right of the Greenhouse

 When I next go down to the Allotment providing the weather is good I will continue to clear the raised beds out as well as clear the paths. I also need to get some more bark chips to put down on the weed membrane.

Put some compost on new onion bed, dug some paths on Allotment 1, started to clear raised beds, harvested some Beetroot and saw the Runner bean's are beginning to crop.

This morning I went down onto both Allotment for about 1 hour. I emptied two of the bags of compost that I got the other day onto the new onion bed and this will be dug in when possible.

Some compost where the Onion Bed will be

I also started to dig out where the paths are around the raised bed's on Allotment 1 as these have become over grown with weeds. While doing this I also started to clear the raised bed to the front right of the Greenhouse. I will continue to do this during the week providing the weather stays nice. 

Showing the edge of the Allotment before starting

Front edge of my Allotment

Showing the edge of Allotment 1 being dug out

Started clearing out one of the raised beds

I also harvested some Beetroot from the Raised bed's of Allotment 1.

Beetroot that I harvested today

While on Allotment 2 I also realised that the Runner Bean's that I planted back in may are now beginning to crop.

Runner Bean's are now beginning to crop.