My New BOL/Allotment Diary

[Arzosah]

The difference you've made in such a short time is fantastic! Can I ask, do you have a wood burner at home? What do you do with the ashes, if you do? They could help with either the paths or the mulch ...

And your Starbucks comment reminded me about hairdressers/barbers - if you have a local one that you can pop into regularly without too much trouble, you might ask for their hair clippings - great for the bin! I did that where I used to live, and they said finding somewhere to put the black plastic bag was difficult, they were using every inch of space in their premises, but if you can persuade someone, it can help with long term fertility.

HTH.

[ggc]

I have been reading this post from the beginning with interest. Thanks for keeping us updated and it's alsways good to have a thread with lots of pictures. If I'm fortunate enough to get an allotment any time soon then I will be doing similar things.

[dannytsg]

The difference you've made in such a short time is fantastic! Can I ask, do you have a wood burner at home? What do you do with the ashes, if you do? They could help with either the paths or the mulch ...

And your Starbucks comment reminded me about hairdressers/barbers - if you have a local one that you can pop into regularly without too much trouble, you might ask for their hair clippings - great for the bin! I did that where I used to live, and they said finding somewhere to put the black plastic bag was difficult, they were using every inch of space in their premises, but if you can persuade someone, it can help with long term fertility.

HTH.

We don't have a wood burner at home but I light the wood burner every time we go to the allotment. The ash we have accumulated has been thrown into the compost bins and mixed in with the mulch. Hopefully it will help give a boost to the compost.

[Hamradioop]

Urine is supposed to be good for compost.

[dannytsg]

Urine is supposed to be good for compost.

It is! and we keep a potty at the allotment for our daughter and whenever she does her business it goes on the heap.

[featherstick]

Urine is supposed to be good for compost.

It is! and we keep a potty at the allotment for our daughter and whenever she does her business it goes on the heap.

Ladies' urine is not so good for compost heaps - something to do with the hormone balance. Gents' urine is much better. I save a lot of mine by peeing into milk bottles (you should have seen the look on my mother-in-law's face when she found them) and it goes onto the compost heaps at home and at the allotment, and also directly onto the plants in a 10:1 water:urine solution, when necessary (but no closer than 3 weeks before harvest). It's excellent for leafy plants in particular as it's high in nitrogen. It will also help stop Mr. Fox digging over your beds when he smells the chicken pellets or bone meal you've just put down.

[featherstick]

Have I killed this thread off?

[Stasher]

Have I killed this thread off?

lmao

[Arzosah]

We're just silently admiring the level of detail in your post on urine

[dannytsg]

Not killed it off at all. It's been a quiet weekend at the allotment really but here's a small periodical update.

Saturday 14/3/15

An uneventful weekend at the allotment with more management and tidying than planting this week. I managed to get hold some old carpet from a house clearance (my grandmothers) to take up to the allotment to use as matting in the greenhouse for the floor and also as a weed barrier in some other areas. We have been growing some seedlings at home and have now uncovered them to reveal some leek seedlings that we will bring on for a little longer until replanting in the poly tunnel.

I have also been toying with the idea of a mini aquaponics system utilising one of the large water barrel I have and coupling it with a solar powered pond pump and oxygenator. My idea is to keep carp as they are a good eating fish that don't need the strict oxygenation that a trout requires and using the fish waste in the water to help grow some more veggies.

Our lamb hasn't arrived as yet but we are eagerly awaiting it's arrival and already planning the meals for when its raised to slaughter. Our piglet is still with mum and will be being weaned at present but will shortly be going out to pasture for the remainder of its life.