Famous last words - never underestimate the weather

I don't mean "never underestimate the weather" are anybody's famous last words. Though they may have cropped up in a lightning storm and I might suggest them to Michael Fish (will we never let him forget dismissing reports of a hurricane? I probably won't).

I mean that it was only 10 days ago that I was thinking how mild it was and had bought countless bags of potatoes and was even considering recklessly planting them in February when, out of nowhere, along came snow. 

To be fair, it wasn't really a surprise - they had predicted it for over a week and we'd had a chilly period ahead of it. We'd even starting mocking the weather men as there was no sight of snow on Saturday evening. It was only as we started driving across town that the snow started in earnest. Damn.

But a day and half later, the snow man's head has rolled off it's body in a snowy parody of the French revolution and things are returning to normal. Except I STILL haven't sowed the broad beans, cut down the raspberries or prepared the potato beds.

In the mean time I have been reading gardening magazines. One feature on whether to dig or not (which appears in most magazines at this time of year) appealed greatly.  Clearly my lazy self favours the no dig method but only if it means that I don't find myself 'mini digging' throughout the rest of the year to get rid of roots and pernicious weeds. There is also something quite satisfying about digging over a plot (at least at the beginning before your back feels like it is breaking. Technique, I know, blah blah blah).

As it is, I did little bits of digging to neaten things up and then promptly made things messy again by upending a whole compost tardis (sadly not really rotted down enough). Fingers crossed the snow will have had a magical effect on the contents otherwise I can see me pleading with Tom to put the heap back into the tub whence it came. 

A dilapidated wheelbarrow and laziness are also the reason I haven't hoarded the manure that was recently(ish) delivered to the plot.  I did pick up some in the autumn and that will have to do for the moment on the pony poo front.

My friend Carol who has a plot in Thornton Heath has had great success with some winter green manure seeds I gave her to help control the weeds and protecting the soil from losing minerals over the winter. I just always worried they'd end up being more worrisome than the weeds...

Green manures and the first frosts

The first frosts came on the 24th October and this is apparently the earliest frost to hit the area for the last 8-9 years.

Though the plants in the garden have survived because they are sheltered by fences and the house walls, the tender herbs on the allotment have not fared as well.  The purple beans, nasturtiums, and pineapple sage have all been affected. In fact the nasturtiums have collapsed completely.

So off to the compost heap they go though some people think to treat them in the same way as green manures. That is to dig them in and return the goodness directly to the soil to break down over the winter.  I sowed phaecelia into the fruit area - this has pretty frondy leaves and can flower though in a fit of tidiness I have also cleared this and put it onto a compost heap (one of many developing all over the plot).

Some green manures can return nitrogen into the soil such as clover and field beans as they work in the same way as all beans and have nodules on their roots that break down into nitrogen in the soil.  Others are fast growing and provide efficient ground cover and suppress weeds over the winter.

Enjoy the good weather while you can...

Saturday brought us a rare gap in bad weather. The fluffy clouds in the blue sky and being surrounded by green and productive plants just makes makes you happy. Perhaps having had almost 3 weeks of constant rain make you appreciate things all the more.  All that rain has also meant that crops are swelling almost as you look at them - runner beans are growing prolifically, tomatoes are splitting with juices and courgettes are turning into marrows if you don't spot them early enough.  I discovered this monster when clearing the mildew-y courgette leaves. It weighed a massive 3.2 kilos. Luckily I bought "What will I do with all those courgettes?" by Elaine Borish which should help me find some recipe ideas on how to use the beast.

It is hard to believe on days like this but winter is coming - the mornings are getting chilly and in Scotland they are being threatened with light frosts. At this time of year it is important to keep harvesting but start to clear plants that are past their best. I have already cleared the last of the tumbling cherry tomatoes and pulled up a courgette plant that was suffering from mildew. When clearing the worst of the leaves on the other plants I had to debate with myself whether to compost leaves or to burn them as recommended by some.  In the end I compromise by piling them up around the corner and wait to see if it rots down without contaminating the rest of the compost. 

I have also started to plan ahead for next year. I already ordered in vast quantities of seed (despite having loads left over from my binge buying in Spring). I have also planted a soft fruit collection which includes a thornless blackberry, an autumn fruiting raspberry and a red gooseberry. As the gooseberry is spiky and grows vigorously I need to allow space.  Unfortunately this is something that is running out on the plot.  Maybe I can consider training it like they do at West Dean Gardens in West Sussex - amazing kitchen gardens that put my humble allotment to shame.

I also bought some scaffolding planks from the allotment organisers to make raised beds. This will make access easier and the marginally warmer atmosphere might make plants grow earlier.  The only downside, apart from having to build them, is that I will lose a bit of space as I sacrifice space for paths.  I did apply for another plot that has been overgrown on the allotment but it's a strictly one plot per person policy. I am still considering applying for one on another plot for my soft fruit (which are less trouble than vegetables I think)but I'm not sure if I can wait another 5 years.

In areas I have cleared I have sowed green manures which can be used to block out weeds and enrich the soil when they are dug into the soil. I started with Phacelia which is a quick growing hardy annual green manure that germinates at low temperatures and is ideal for sowing from March until September. Now all I need is on that is suitable for overwintering - mustard is a strong candidate.