Woodchips, Weeds and watering

Just as well I grabbed a few barrow loads on Thursday. They're all gone now. That's what happens when you get a whole load of allotmenteers starved for manure and woodchips. It's a somewhat vital part of growing on the allotment.

Anyhow, the pile I did manage to get has been liberally spread around (most of) the goat paths. But before that was done, I had to remove all the invasive grasses and weeds. So most of the day was spent digging out weeds. But now, the plot is looking a little better.

After that, it was case of watering, watering, and more watering. We haven't had rain now for, I'm guessing, about 2 months. The soil is like dust. Whenever you water it hits the surface and then runs away. So the only way you can make it stick is to rake a few small furrows in the soil (when you're weeding) so the water drains into them. Then allow it to filter down for a while, before going back and watering some more.

Mind you, this heat is being loved by some of the plants. Most notably the Chillies. They're coming along just fine since being potted on.

Elsewhere in the greenhouse, our spare courgettes are looking rather yellow. Not only their leaves, but they have also started producing flowers. A sure sign that they're under stress. Most probably from the fact that they're pot bound. I guess I may just pull them all out and throw them in the compost bins.

But one which we threw into a bucket half full of manure, and topped up with compost and kept in the greenhouse is looking really good.

Outside, the netting which I put over the Kale decided that it was going to all fall down. The trough is empty and as such it's rather light. So we've had a stiff wind blowing around the plot and it fell over and took all the netting with it. Well if it wants to fall over, then let it. I dragged one of the other spare trough over to join it and then re-arranged the netting.

At least it'll keep the damned pigeons off.