1st June 2022 - Summer has arrived! Woodchip finale…
Since February 8th we have been putting in the hours to finalise plot 1. We didn’t even know about plot 2 back then, but we ran out of days last year to get everything done that was on the list. Today as we sort out the front of the polytunnel and put down the woodchip this is basically the last landscaping activity needed. Look, there are still things left to do of course, but for the most part the tasks needed so we can get on with the growing season are complete. Now we can focus on the new plot, and get cracking with developing some more land to plant everything we’ve got on the go.
The broad beans (to the side of the polytunnel) are getting close to needing to be harvested. They have shot up really well over the last month or so, we have been battling with aphids (spraying with milk, apparently they get all stuck to it and they don't like lactose) and so time to harvest and then reuse the space for something else maybe.
The front of the polytunnel looks good now with a sturdy woodchip working pathway. After yesterday's slippery wet day we are glad to have had woodchip available - we might survive falling over for a while yet! Here is what it looks like, as seen from the bottom perspective of the path.
Just the grass path to do now. The jury is out as to whether this would be another woodchip installation or we keep it grass… the path’s are subject to quite a bit of wear and tear, so we’ll have a think about this, just like we changed our mind about the access to the polytunnel. We originally thought we would have it as grass...
And so, finally spade gets put into the soil where the make-shift polytunnel/greenhouse of the previous owners used to be. This was originally dug out, some kind of weed suppressant buried and then soil on top. This “weed barrier” is making things a little difficult to dig, and the weeds / roots underneath are pretty voluminous. This is the patch that we are going to use for our “3 Sisters” idea. This is the so called "companion planting" of runner beans, sweetcorn and butternuts.
The idea with the 3 Sisters is that the corn grows tall, the beans grow around the corn while providing nutrients into the soil and the whole thing is kept weed free by the butternut which grows on the ground and fills up the space. We’ll see how we get on.
We have learned that apparently this plot has historically had a lot of thistles growing. I can see some for sure, we’ll see how much of an issue this is as the season continues.
