Bobs 2012 Dairy

Forgot what happened last year - maybe it's here!!
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HappyBob
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Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by HappyBob »

First visit to the allotment of the year, mainly to check if we had any wind damage from the other day/night. Pleased that everything was still intact and in its own place the only casualty being one PSB that was at an angle of 45 degrees, a stout post and a bit of twine soon had it standinding back to attention. One of the lads had his newly built shed on its side so a few of us gave him hand to get it back on its base. Cleared away some old kohl rabbi, perpectual spinich, beetroot and a few sad looking lettuces onto the compost heap and a quick fork over. Took some potato,s out of storage, dug some leeks and parsnips, and a nice looking celeriac. All in all a very pleasant few hours.
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Mallard
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Mallard »

I've tried to grow celariac for the last two seasons, they look all right on top, but with nothing underneath! :?
What's your soil like? We have a neutral, well drained riverside loam, but celariac and swedes don't like it. Any tips?
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

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The thing I,ve found most important with celeriac is never let them go short of water, the soil I grow my celeriac in is always double dug with a fair old wack of manure to help the soil drying out. Some say that taking a few leaves off each plant encourages them to swell up. This year I took the leafs off half the crop as an experiment but it didnt seem to make any difference they all ended up the same size.
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

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Had a walk down to the allotments today. The local seed store had his lime delivered so I bought a 20 kilo bag, this will be put down aprox 2lb per square yard where the brassica,s will grow this year. I loosely use the 3 bed system so in theory all the beds get limed once every three years.

Also potted my dahlia tubers up in some spent compost from last year and put in shed as they will get a little more protection from the cold snap we are due.
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

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A very pleasant half day on the allotment, opened up last years compost heap and barrowed it to my main compost bins to be used next year, this turns it (top to bottom, bottom to top)also gets some air into it, as I,m filling the bin I spread about 2lb lime every 8-10 inch layer. Also limed four 13ft*4ft raised beds (2lb PSY)where the brassicas will be planted out. I also raked it level. The beds should be well consolodated for brassicas. The wife cleared away all none organic rubbish and bagged it ready to put in skip that council provide later in the year, also gave all the paths a bit of hoe. I,ll start putting a few pics on as the year progresses.
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by HappyBob »

Put my early potatoes on egg boxes to chit them, hoed off all my paths, discarded a bit of red chard to the comp heap and dug the bed over.

Cleaned up my Gladioli bed,as this year I didnt lift the bulbs as I usually do, it seemed a bit pointless, as I want to grow them in the same bed. Restocked/sorted out the fertilizer cupboard, filled perlite/vermiculite buckets.

I was offered a small polytunnel if I want it but cant make mind up, I have while next week to let the gentleman know.
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Lillia »

You're getting alot done~ )t'
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

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Well today was a tiring but enjoyable day, I double dug my 1st of three beds, I double dig my whole plot every 4 years. This involves taking a 3 foot by 4 foot (the width of my beds) a spit deep from one end of the bed in this case 30 feet and barrowing it to the opposite end then getting in the trench made and forking the bottom over, I then put a full barrow of well rotted manure in this will be about 4 inhes deep, then I dig the next 3foot by 4 foot but this time throw the soil forwardi on top of the manured section. This carries on untill I come to the end of the bed, then the last job it to fill the last section with the barrowed soil from the front of the bed.

This shows the trench dug out.....

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The bottom being forked over.....

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Manure added to the bottom of the trench....

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And finally the whole bed finished .......

Image
Last edited by HappyBob on 25 Feb 2012, 00:17, edited 2 times in total.
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by HappyBob »

Lillia wrote:You're getting alot done~ )t'


No rest for the wicked Lillia .... :-D
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Lillia »

Wow! You're really putting alot of work into this and it looks fantastic! :-D
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by HappyBob »

Weather started off fine then slowly turned wetter as the day progressed, but still managed to get my 2nd of 3 raised beds double dug, although the paved paths will need a good clean as soon as its dries up a bit.
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Spreckly »

Your soil looks beautiful Bob, we are on clay, but OH has put a lot of compost, and mushroom compost and goodness knows what else into our vegetable plot. The rest of the garden is quite a mess in this weather.
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by HappyBob »

Were also on clay Speckly, I,ve also had to add a lot of organic material over the years when it comes to hand, to open the soil up. I,ve got it to were it needs to be as you know growing on clay does have its problems but I think once its opened up its quite a productive soil.
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

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Yesterday I took down the poly tunnel that I was kindly offered, and went about repairing a few bars that had snapped, bent. I also built two raised beds that the tunnel will hopefully cover. Today I put the tunnel up and dug the sides of the tunnel into the soil to help prevent it blowing over in strong winds. I had a few surplus pavers so i placed these down both sides of the tunnel, and also lashed it down a little with 10mm poly rope. I certainly got warm inside while adding some garden compost to the raised beds.

Tunnel all shut up snug

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And a through the keyhole shot

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Spreckly
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Spreckly »

So beautifully neat, Bob.
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