The months of wet, wet weather may not have dampened our spirits – but they have slowed down work on the skip site at Levenshulme and District Allotments.

We snatched a dry day in November, and the New Year has started with two volunteer weekends in a row. So now that the clearance of the Skip and Recycling site is complete, the next step is to build the path that will lead to the recycling bays.

The finished area will allow waste from allotment plots to be separated into potentially re-usable materials. Green waste can rot down, and branches and bracken be shreaded into mulch; Timber can be re-used for minor repairs to plot sheds and fences.

We hope that an increase in recycling of materials will reduce the use of the skip, and limit the number of times it will need to be emptied.

The next day for action is 3rd February, meeting at 11am at the Skip Site – here marked with a “1″.

I heard today that this is heading towards the wetest January on record! and don’t we know it. I have not managed to get two days on the trot working on the plot for some time. The only things that are getting done are those that don’t involve going on the soil.

I have managed to top up the leaf bins from the pile on site but that is all. So on Sunday I decided to start preparing the beds in tunnel 2 for sowing in early February. I dug the central bed and soaked it with water (the only places on the plots not wet), I will do this a further couple of times before sowing, to build up some water in the soil.

Plans for the week depend on the weather, but if possible I intend to carry on digging the strip already started and try to finish it. Other than that it might be a case of working on tidying the area round the site skip and stacking the leaves up into a pile.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK

1. Continue last weeks jobs
2. Tidy up round site skip
3. pile leaves up

WORK DONE THIS WEEK

Sunday

1. Dig central bed tunnel 2
2. Soak dug bed
3. Clear rubbish round skip

Monday

To wet

Tuesday

Meeting with councilors

Wednesday

1. Continue digging strip
2. Soak central bed in tunnel 2

Thursday

Wet and windy

Friday

1. Dig a bit more

CROPS PICKED THIS WEEK

1. Leeks
2. Carrots
3. Parsnip

January is the time of year when you work dodging the rain, frost, wind etc., this year is no exception. One day it’s fine  and then for the next two or three days it’s impossible. As a result of this not much got done last week, and I suppose this week will be the same, still if some work is done progress is made.

The seed order from Kings arrrived in the middle of last week, not bad that only 10 days from posting the order off. The delivery has been checked and only needs sorting into sowing order.

I think this week will be a continuation of the digging started last week, with a bit of picking and watering thrown in. The garlic is continuing to grow and push it’s leaves through the soil but the sprouts are slowing down a lot. iImust order some manure soon as I have some bare land already dug.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK

1. Continue digging cleared strip.
2. Take down second brassica frame

JOBS DONE THIS WEEK

Sunday

1. Water tunnel
2. dig

Monday & Tuesday

Busy  and bad weather

Wednesday,Thursday,Friday 

No work eithwer meetings or too wet

Saturday

1. Top up leaf bins
2. Start watering tunnel 2 before digging in manure

CROPS PICKED THIS WEEK

1. Carrots
2. Sprouts
3. Leeks
4. Parsnip

The start of another new year and a new season for all our plans. The days are already noticeably longer giving us more time in the afternoon to work and catch up. The perennial plants are in some cases begining to show signs of new life as are the shrubs in the flower gardens.

It is nice to start thinking of the crops that we will be growing this year and all the tasty fruit and vegetables we will be picking and eating, but what are we eating now? I am still providing a large part of our meals with fresh produce topped up with stored crops. At present I have in the ground parsnips, perpetual spinach, sprouts, leeks, red cabbage, sprouting broccolli (still to start producing) and chard outside. Inside I have carrots, leeks, spring cabbage and spinach this manages to keep me picking for some time to come.

I have at last managed to get the seed order done and posted, so we can expect that soon. The holiday period has allowed me to clear the strip of ground covered by old timber and containers so it is ready for me to start digging and preparing for this season.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK

1. Dig over strip cleared
2. Take down second brassica frame
3. Dig area of brassica frame

WORK DONE THIS WEEK

Sunday

1. Start digging stip
2. Pick
3. Water tunnel

Monday

Very windy and wet – no work

Tuesday

Raining !

Wednesday

1. Continue digging strip  cleared.
2. Walk on leaf bins to prepare to top up.

Thursday

Wet and windy again 

Friday

Wet and windy

Saturday

1. Continue digging strip 

CROPS PICKED THIS WEEK

1. Sprouts
2. Leeks