[RJR_38]

Gorgeous sunshine here today so spent the morning digging - I have made much more progress than expected so have ordered some autumn fruiting raspberry canes on express delivery so I can get them in this week. Will make a simple pole/wire fence for them tomorrow. Not sure I will be able to get any manure in time though - do you think this will be a major problem if I just use some new, decent compost instead?

[HHH]

Yesterday and today - both cold frosty mornings with the sun coming through around 11 and building up to a toasty 10 1/2 degrees - we made a start on our new full-size allotment: 6.2 rods. We agreed a swap with a neighbour who wanted to downsize and use our half-plot to centralise his collection of greenhouses and switch over to mainly flower growing. We hadn't worked on our old plot since December and had been waiting for him to complete his re-organisation. Meanwhile, we'd been accumulating seed packets, chitting potatoes, sowing a few broadbeans in the conservatory at home.

In our two sessions this weekend we have:

• Moved (with the help of three other hitherto unsuspecting allotmenteers) his final greenhouse to behind the half plt
  
  
  
  • Emptied our compost dalek into the wheelbarrow and transported a rather lovely rich mixture to the bigger plot for further use.
    
    
    
    • Moved our Growmate hexagonal rotating greenhouse to its new resting place to act as a cold frame this spring
    
    
    
    • Cleared away a mass of old roots, glass shards, bits of half-brick, plastic etc.
    
    
    • Agreed finally on what is to remain of paths, brick edgings and so on - we're also inheriting a 6ft deep row of year-old strawberry plants so the swap is quite honourable.
    
    
    Measured up and marked out rows for the crops we plan for this year. We've also got detailed plans of what has been grown, and where, for the past two years.
  
  Now we'll leave it a few days as the ground is still sodden, but the forecast is for cold and dry days, before I put spade to earth in earnest.
  
  Loving the almost-Spring - but not totally deluded buy it!

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[richy]

finished digging over the last of my beds, just need to dig the bean trench, it was so warm today that i was working with my top off

[pompeyboy61]

Took advantage of a second sunny day in a row. Dug over the last of the plot that was needed , then sowed two rows of broad beans ' Sutton ' in a raised bed and covered in fleece , then fertiliser around the cordon apples followed by a mulch of well rotted manure. Took time out to chat to fellow plot holders that had been seduced by the sun to check on their plot , and time for a coffee and biscuit to just sit and look over the plot . Always an uplifting moment. Planning already the jobs for next week.

[Peas let my pumpkins grow]

dug over what will be my potato patch   

unfortunately i found lots of half eaten half rotten potatoes already living in there

ill need to take another look at my no longer 'set in stone' crop rotation plans 

also attacked a long bramble patch and won back a 2m wide strip of my allotment !

[Kirpi]

Weeding - the proceeds going to our pet rabbit to turn into manure 

Pruned summer raspberry canes to the ground - let half of them for a second fruiting.

Measuring beds for planting up later. Did some work on the computer garden plan (Excell spreadsheet).

[Li]

Finally got out to the plot  weeded in between onions, hoed over beds as they have been really good with weeds this year considering i had left the plot uncovered and not been touched since september, tidied up the nets for the beans and so forth looking forward to going back tomorrow to have another hoeing session on the rest.
In garden i filled my broad bean home made paper pots with compost ready for the beans tomorrow i am all excited as its starting of the good times x

[angelavdavis]

Oooh, we had a lovely day today.  I got some shallots and very late garlic in (hadn't managed earlier due to recurrent chest infections).  Also, planted 120 daffs and tulips which had been delayed for the same reason.  We will see if we get any results from both!

Hubby dug out autumn raspberries as we had decided to set up a dedicated raspberry bed this year.  Luckily, we had already prepared the bed ready.  Hubby replanted into the new bed.  We will set up a support structure later. 

He then dug in the green manure on one bed and cleared the caulis which had been a disaster due to the poor weather (they had literally rotted on the stem). 

He finally dug out a bean trench ready to fill over the next few weeks and build a munty frame over the top. 

Such a beautiful day, blue skies, smashing sunset - even the kids commented on it (where have the clouds gone Mummy!?!)

[noshed]

Sowed a couple of rows of Aquadulce broad beans. Sowed a tray of summer cabbage and put in a cold frame. Tidied my shed, found a number of things I'd forgotten about and took 3 bags of rubbish away to dump. Still plenty to do...

[JayG]

Finally got the bean trench dug, used compost emptied in, and backfilled.

A sprinkling of sulphur granules for the blueberries followed by a dressing of Growmore and a mulch on top.

Garlic planted, last of the parsnips lifted which are in the way of part of the area I'll be growing my shallots in this year.
Feels good to have made a start, if only to save me having to post in "Way behind!!!" in COTP!   

[Sweetpea C]

I took some more cast offs to the plot in my lunchbreak (a shed from freecycle, some more pallets) and have realised that I may not be planting all that much this year...there is just too much to do to get it ready. Still, at home I have put my dahlia tubers into pots in the greenhouse to get them going early.  Talking of which, I'm going out there now to have a chat with the sweetpeas....!

[RJR_38]

I had a wonderful day at the plot today - dug a long trench ready for my raspberries which are due to arrive any day now (hopefully before Thur as I go away for 4 days) and put some compost and blood/fish/bone at the bottom ready for them. I built some shelving to go on the balcony at home when I plant my leeks and brassicas and then spent a couple of hours 'de-stoning'  2 of my beds - only 3 more to go. Today was probably the first day since I got my plot in November I have enjoyed being down here. Other days I have felt I have achieved a lot but the digging and fighting with various weeds in the cold was hard work. Today sitting in the sun, removing stones and watching several robins come hopping up to see if I had unearthed any worms for them it was very relaxing. Looking forward to doing the same tomorrow!

[n.b83]

Had a lovely afternoon digging over some of my plot and ( I must admit this is my favourite bit about going to my allotment) sat and had a brew while watching the world go buy.

[jenny53]

well today as it was sunny i took the spade out ..not sure if the ground was drying out.. so a quick check and of i went ..

dug a big piece ready for the potatoes to going in at Easter ..need working again before i plant..

cleared a piece of ground that had a over grown blackberry on it ..late Autumn i weed keed it did a quite good job ,but a few bit to sort ..so cut back old bramble clear away..also the dead grass ..

removed black plastic from the area i,m doing to use for my courgette..and started to dig over..
well that was a lot of work in a few hours but love it ..cant wait to do more later this week ..

[JaneF]

Poked a couple of shallots back in that had been pulled out after my first ever planting session on Saturday.
Took delivery of another 10 scaffold boards so as to construct my final 2 raised bed frames. Emptied the dalek composter and disposed of the contents, as it contained a massive ants nest,for the council to heat and composts down. I did save numerous earthworms in the process and a slow worm too.

Really looking forward to coming back from my hols in mid March to crack on in earnest. Daren't let on to the OH I'm more excited about the coming back than the going as might get some serious feedback!