September weather has been really good here on the West Sussex coast. Settled, warm and having mostly sunny mornings that give way to cloudier afternoons. The coming week is going to get warmer still. The great advantage to me that this time is the dryness at the peak of harvesting on Plot 106. This is my first full cLender year on the plot, so whilst I have nothing to base comparisons on, I am pleased with events. That dryness is a great boost to lifting the maincrop potatoes. They are variety " Picasso " ( https://www.europotato.org/varieties/view/Picasso-E
) that were planted out on Good Friday after being chitted from late February. I planted the tubers at about 6 inches depth, 15 inches apart and although not adopting the true " banking up " favoured by many did draw over a further covering. The growing area had been covered in horse manure since the previous October. The crop is very pleasing. I lifted each row early in the morning and exposed the tubers to the sun and air for the day and then brought them home to be stored in hessian sacks given to me by #keithdollemore ( thanks mate ) that are kept in the garden shed at home. Total crop weight is around 90lbs; an excellent return on 5lbs of tubers. They are overwhelmingly of good jacket / baking size. Taste is excellent. Now they are out I am going to rake the growing area this morning and sow a crop of Phacelia Tanacetifolia as green manure ( https://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/…/Green-Manure-Phacelia-Ta… ) .... I have taken from the earth and so I must in turn put back This article is a blog from my new project, thoughtful gardening with andy. It might interest you. I have set up a website at https://thoughtfulgardeningwithandy.weebly.com/ and a Facebook Page at #thoughtfulgardeningwithandy and a Twitter feed at #GardeningAndy
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AuthorI launched this website on 16th August 2020 to bring together my thoughts on gardening,, its importance for health and wellbeing and two projects running concurrently, a renovation of my own garden on the West Sussex coast at Lancing and a nearby allotment. But also to learn from other gardeners about the inspirations for their plots, about their gardening projects and enjoyment of beautiful plants and gardens Archives
February 2024
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