23rd October 2021, Caterpillars and raised bed continuum II
One of the biggest challenges on the allotment is keeping the wildlife away from our precious crops. It isn’t easy, this wildlife is cunning! Take a look at these caterpillars! " Where are they?" I hear you say. Those green fellas are difficult to spot and when they are 1/10th the size of these they are virtually impossible. They can do some serious damage though, as you can see. They love the fresh new shoots, which keep them alive, till they disappear, but can wreck the plant.
Back to the building work which is more under our control. Here, the raised bed is a bit further on. The water flood has seeped away now, so we can actually work on this again. With the front wall now finished, we move onto the sides.
One side is now completed in the next picture, and a ledge added, polytunnel side, to improve strength too. In the next picture a full couple of coats of wood preserver has been applied which we have added to all the construction projects in an effort to make these last longer. Pallets are notorious for rotting, and we are hoping we can keep these going for 5 years minimum before any major repair work is needed.
This path is going to end up being dug up a little and then raised a bit with a covering of woodchip which should provide a soft walking experience and be less muddy… we shall see.
