It's an Under Cover Job

Posted by Rosie

Wow - with Spring well and truly sprung here (please Winter - no nasty returns) and with no husband or children to distract me, I have been able to make some really good progress in the veg garden this week.  Over the last year or so I have been employing a new method of gardening to reduce down the amount of digging I need to do.  Previously I would dig patches as they became vacant in the Autumn, suffer with back pain  and then watch as the weeds grew back in the spring before I had time to plant anything.  Now I use weed suppressing fabric.  Once a plot becomes free of veg, I add manure (often even fresh as it will rot down nicely over winter) and then I cover it with GeoTextile.  Come the spring the weeds are gone, the manure has been incorporated by the worms and with minimal work I can get the ground ready for a new crop.

And the new crop in question this week was onions and shallot sets.

This was their designated patch: 

And this is what just 3/4 hr work resulted in - ready for the sets to be planted.

In the picture below, the weeds just on front of my spade are the bit of ground I didn't cover with fabric so you can see what a difference the fabric makes - and so makes my back a lot happier.  The cracks are mouse runs - I suspect they might not be too happy with my uncovering work but needs must!  There were also a few nettle roots that had persisted but they were very near the surface and were easily removed.

In the polytunnel things are chugging along nicely:

Seeds are germinating - these are Rocket:

 ... and those early lettuces are growing nicely, all except for the front right one.  I have no idea why that one should be so much smaller

However not everything has worked and these are the spring cabbages shortly before I pulled them up and fed them to the pigs.

With the mild winter they had succumbed to mould.  I cut off the infected leaves and hoped they would recover but instead they went to seed.  Oh well - you win some, you lose some and the pigs were happy.

Outside there's plenty happening too.  Look at those lovely rhubarb shoots.  I had best get on and finish the rhubarb I froze last year then - there is still quite a few bags in the freezer. 

Oooh I have just had a lightbulb moment - I usually only offer Pavlova as the pudding for guests when they order supper from me.  I think a hot option would be a good idea.  Rhubarb crumble anyone?

To see what other bloggers have been up to in their gardens this week follow the link below.