2nd Terrace Next Steps

 13th November 2022 - 2nd Terrace Next Steps

We’ve been away and now back to the Allotment. We have spent a few days before taking these pictures and consequently it appears things have moved on quite a bit.

The remainder of the second part of this boxed-in bed on the new plot is now pretty much sorted, maybe a couple more screws to finish off the job. Also the terrace has now had the black plastic installed and on this side the panels have been added to block the soil from finding its way under the terrace.

The decking surrounds are not ready but the way they have been laid here you can see how they will look in due course. And the wall which finishes off this vegetable plot although not installed is now taking shape and we’re marshalling the resources for when we want to finish everything. The next task is to complete these two beds as it won’t be long before the manure arrives and will be dumped exactly on this section.

In the next picture you can see that the soil needs levelling out, and we will need to work out how to finalise the wall where the soil will rest against, but, this is about as far as we can go now until Chris digs out the Cold Frame (white door) and everything is ready to complete. Like all good building projects, the preparation work always takes way longer than the finishing up and beautifying parts. 

The Terrace Arrives (Unfinished)

 16th October 2022 - The Terrace Arrives (Unfinished)

Finally finished preparing the space for the terrace. The soil has been shored up to stop it from falling into the hole. We’ve got the Workmate out to assist with cutting wood for the stakes (piles) and we have the pallet ready to test everything out as we go along… make sure what we are creating actually works.

Here is the second picture, it looks like four stakes are in the ground, courtesy of the Sledgy. The first pallet then is sitting atop those stakes and just two more to go! … What Chris has done here is drive in a wide-ish stake where the pallets are next to each other, such that we only need one stake each side to provide support for two pallets. So 4 stakes on each side, a total of 8.

In the 3rd picture you can see the size of stake wood we are using. It should last a long time, especially as the amount of water going under the terrace should be minimal, so not that much rotting going on.

In the 4th picture the basics of the terrace are now in place. 3 uniform pallets, all at the same height, ready for positioning of the decking surrounds, batons and then the decking to screw down onto that… Plenty of other things to be getting on with now though so to prevent soil from getting underneath the terrace, we are going to use pallet panels screwed to the stakes and pallets to do that.

Another view, from the other side. There is no black plastic down under the terrace as yet. We will do that part before putting the side panels on, but we are going away for a couple of weeks or so, and may just run out of time now.

So a panorama view of the top section of the plot and you can really start to see how the plot will look in due course. We are miles away from finishing, but at this time in the Autumn, when plants are finishing off and there is little in the way of propagation, this is a great time for construction work and repairs to take place.

In the last picture a view from the top of the plot (roadside). The Sledgy has proved a real asset doing this task. Would have been virtually impossible to create this solid pile / stake type support without it. You can also see with the two long bits of wood in front of the white door the height that the wood covering the terrace and the two cold frames is going to be. Shaping up well and looking forward to completing this… but for now, we are off to Bulgaria and then Hungary for a little R&R.

Second Terrace Preparation!

 15th October 2022 - Second Terrace Preparation!

Bigger than originally prepared, the terrace needed some additional digging out. My guess-timates on the space needed for 3 pallets came up a little short, so extra digging and levelling out was needed.

In the second picture - a closer look at things. Chucking all the extra soil onto the second section where the vegetables will be. This soil here is very sandy. Maybe it was once used for breaking down plasterboard and cement. We will get delivered manure at some point and that will hopefully add some nutrients and fiber. 

The "Sledgy" is making an appearance again to hammer in the stakes that will support the pallets. More stones, 3 buckets now!

Here we go, two other pictures providing other views from different sides of the hole. 

So the process for making this terrace will be as follows:

1. Create a hole that is large enough for the size of the terrace; deep enough to be able to protect (in whatever way decided) from vegetation growing underneath. 

2. Drive in sufficient stakes to place the pallets onto. Must use a spirit level to ensue everything is at the right height.

3. Place black plastic into the hole in such a way as to restrict light, prevent weeds etc. but with holes to enable water to drain away.

4. Place rubbish on the black plastic

5. Affix the Pallets

6. Board up the sides to prevent creatures getting in there (birds, rats, mice etc. ) as they may not get out again and we don’t want blood on our hands.

7. Finally lay the surrounds for the decking boards, and then screw on the decking boards.

This is the plan, although we will not be finishing this side of Christmas as we will complete the project in the spring when the weather improves.

There is a video about this HERE (https://youtu.be/QqP4M0rIsxs)

More Construction Holes And Soil Displacement!

 10th October 2022 - More Construction Holes And Soil Displacement!

Fortunately we needed some additional soil to make up the difference in the lower (of the two) enclosed beds we are now building. In the last blog you could see the difference and it is just visible again here top left of the first picture. 

This is going to be where the second terrace is going to be. Why are we digging it out so deep? Well, we are going to put the terrace (pallets) on stilts (piles), which will allow us to easily level off the terrace and give us something to build on top of. Below the pallets we will be lining with black plastic to prevent weed growth and then filling the space up with all the rubbish we have dug up, bits of plasterboard, rubble, metal, plastic et al.  We won’t be using these stones that you can see in the buckets. These we are saving to use as slightly decorative filler for another part of the construction… more on that later.

In the next picture Check out all that rubbish we dug out (center left)… that little lot, plus those bricks there, and two compost bags full of junk metal, plastic and other random stuff.

The melons were long harvested and here is another view of the construction. Now the second sowing of peas is doing well in the foreground (above picture), as are the radish behind them (it must be the 3rd or 4th sowing of those).

In the above picture you can start to see how things are shaping up. Gradually the plot and what we intend for it is emerging. Top right: the three pallets that will be forming the main flat surface of the upcoming terrace. They were acquired via a fellow allotment holder who he had 4 or 5 of them, and told us to use as many as we needed. We grabbed 3 as we wanted uniform pallets for this particular need. Some beetroot seedlings have been put in the foreground (notice the sticks that mark out the ends of the lines).

In the last picture. The courgette foliage has all caught this dusty white mold. We keep chopping off these leaves as it inhibits the leaves from doing their job… to the left of them, the swedes are going well too… although the white stuff appears to have spread to them and we might need to do some pruning to encourage “fattening up” during the remainder of the Autumn. 

We have to wait for these plants to die off before we can seriously harvest the potatoes which are in the foreground within that box-like construction.

Construction Holes And Soil Displacement

 9th October 2022 - Construction Holes And Soil Displacement!

The construction continues and now the first box is completed… This will be the area to grow flowers. It is quite a bit larger than the raised bed around the trellis so should be able to get a good show of flowers for the bees and other pollinators next year. 

Now Desi has completed the weeding of the cabbage patch, it looks rather good. Marigolds are pretty good with cabbage, allegedly good companion planting and helps keep the bugs off (naturally).

Back up at the top of the new plot, you can see the height differential between the top box (now finalised) and the potential steady slope of the soil down to the cold frames and where the new terrace will be.

Also we have now marked out the soil to be removed for the new terrace. It will extend from the side of the small cold frame to where the soil has been turned over on the right hand side. The path will be created out of wood by those two large wooden stakes, and might even have a little storage area designed in. 

This part is now taking shape as we go along. Not really any grand designs, just random developments as we go along… adventuring!!

Construction Continues As Does The Weeding!

 8th October 2022 - Construction Continues As Does The Weeding!

We’re running out of days this year. December is a bit hit and miss and we’re going to be away for over two weeks towards the end of the month, plus we’ve got to get this top plot ready for the manure which is going to be dumped on this top bit and that is coming next month! … so got to press on with the construction when the weather is good.

In this first picture, the the side panels have been installed and now preparing for the second raised bed wall that separates out the flowers section from the vegetable bit that extends down to where the white door is laying. This top bit will be a stepped drop, so sorting out the levels and moving the soil around.

The second picture is a different perspective from just below where the new terrace is going to be positioned. Right in the middle of the plot giving a nice 360 degree view of this new plot.

Meanwhile, over in our cabbage and brassica overspill mini plot, Desi is performing some miracle weeding. Check out the back bit she hasn’t done yet! Marathon job to be honest even though the plot is relatively small. I think it is like this because when we dug over this bit which was under black plastic when we inherited the plot… we just popped in the plants and didn’t do any weeding (they were all dead) but the roots live on and the seeds are only suppressed. 

This was the closest to “No Dig” we have come to. The black plastic suppressed weeds as we carried on with other areas, then when we were ready, up came the plastic and in went the plants, but… no dig doesn’t mean there is no weeding. Definitely a very beneficial way of getting a plot under control without having to keep tending to it… until you are ready, that is.

Allotment Challenges

 7th October 2022 - Allotment Challenges

In the first picture, the string, the stakes and the bottle on the stakes (eyes not being poked out) have all disappeared, all gone, in what looks like yet another piece of vandalism. Even the tyre marks have been blatantly left for all to see. No one is hiding their actions. What do you think? Someone lost control of their vehicle, or just wanting to be a nuisance? Anyway, thankfully the wood and stakes remain.

This issue of vandalism on the allotment has been an ongoing issue. It is known who is responsible, but they would do much worse if accused or challenged about it, so we just let it be, move on, and repair / resume when it happens.

Here the tyre marks clearly visible. The footsteps in mud to the right of the picture are mine. As I begin to level out the soil and prepare for the next stage of the building process.