A MAMMOTH task

OK. So I’ve got the allotment, and I’ve been down a couple of times to “test the water” as it were. I’ve made rudimentary measurements of the plot and then check those on Google Earth. I make it 7 metres by about 16 metres. I don’t know whether that is a normal size or not, but all the 60 odd plots in the allotment area I have in Bracknell are about that size.

 

I took a spade down to the allotment and dug a small area – a couple of metres square – to see what the soil is like. It seems just fine! However, all of the soil is covered with a LOT of tall grass, and there is still the issue of the Bramble to clear!! I wish I hadn’t decided to do it organically really, it would have been a lot easier to clear bramble with some chemical or other, but I know its for the best really!

 

There also seems to be some Raspberry canes, I think, growing amongst the tall grass, but being new to this I can’t be sure. I need to get down the allotment whilst there is someone there who has been there for a little longer so I can confirm or reject this. It seems a shame to chop them down if I can possibly save these… I’m researching now to see if it’s doable!

 

I’ve received my newsletter from the council and, interestingly, they are splitting some of the sites into 2 or 3 smaller plots for people that can’t cope with the large size. I’m glad I got in early on mine; I would have hated to accept a smaller plot.

 

I’m heading down again this weekend to really start digging out the front 2 or 3 metres of land so that I can look at setting up some beds. It’s late in the season but I can plant some Rhubarb sets (thanks to my folks I can head over there and split some Rhubarb) and I know I can plant some varieties of pea and garlic!

Because I’m planting Rhubarb, a vegetable that doesn’t like to be moved and therefore needs a permanent bed I need to organise how I’m going to do my crop rotations. Plenty of drawing and planning to be done!

 

That’s all for now – I may remember my camera this weekend so I can update this site with some pictures!

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