A day of catching up. While I was at the allotment Susan was giving the grass a haircut seeing as No Mow May has long since gone.

It was my first visit to the plot since 18th July. I was pleasantly surprised. The marestails had grown as I expected. Not as much as I feared, otherwise there were few annual weeds.

I had a good crop of broadbeans and the brassicas are doing well, including swedes. I found courgettes as big as marrows which were gratefully received by Tony for his Digging For Giving initiative.

The dwarf French beans are very luxuriant as is part of the runner bean frame. A magnificent crop of beetroot which we adore and the spuds are better than usual.

I thought you’d like to see the plot now compared to what it was like when I began “no dig” in January and February

https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/3202016810299822026

All things considered I’ve very pleased by the outcome given I sowed directly into the mulch. I know the weather has been wet so that hasn’t tested the claim about needing less water.

I’ve been behind with sowing and planting which is understandable given the circumstances with Doreen in March and April and then we were away on Orkney for much of May.

The soil is so much more workable, soft and any weeds easy to pull. And I’ve noticed much more insect life in it. The companion planting looks good although it has stifled the runner beans somewhat.

I do know that I need deeper mulch on the spud beds next time. While the tubers are much better size and quality the shallow mulch has resulted in too many green potatoes above the soil.

The chestnut poles are for a brassica cage. I hammered some drainpipe into the soil and slotted the poles into the pipes. Hopefully, this will stop the poles rotting in the ground and make the cage easier to move next year. Still to buy the netting.

All good learning for next year.