5 beds, now?


Couldn't get to allotment yesterday, and today's shaping up the same way, (though I might get a hour tonight). Lovely weather, it's a sin to be cooped up with domestic duties and the EdD, but there we are.

But I have come up with a last minute change to the crop rotation. It occured that the structure to the West (above) of the central path could extend East to the other side of the path. This will limit the space needed in future for a poly-tunnel and perennials bed. Besides, the beds as I had them are probably too big. That pond bed can probably be smaller next year, too. Depends on this year's yields.

I should mention the winter field beans. The are of course legumes. They covered most of the NW area over winter, except for an area where the brassicas will go, which was waterlogged enough all winter to stop them growing. The ones on the plan are 3 or so rows I'm leaving to go to seed to plant out somewhere over next winter. I'm very impressed by their resilience and long roots.

Also, I'm interested in the soil quality of the once-waterlogged areas. That includes most of the North end, except for the last 6ft or so, which was on slight rise and drained well. So on the plan above, that's half the tattie bed, the brassica and half the green manure bed. See, those parts must have been waterlogged pretty much for years. That brassica area on the plan, near the hedge, was waterlogged last summer, for goodness sake. What we have, in effect, is a newly drained bog this year. I'm curious to see what quality of neeps and cauliflowers it yields.

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