New Strawberry Bed

Early February at the allotment and the first task was to build a container from some pallets (see above) which I can use as a general dumping ground for things that I don't want to put on the compost heap. The plan is that things dumped in the pallets will either be collected up to be taken to the dump, or burnt in my incinerator. Over on the other plot there was already a similar container (see below), but all four sides were fixed in place. So I removed one side and added some hinges to it so that the 'pen' can now be opened and closed to allow easy access. I intend to use this as a manure store for any manure left over from the large pile so that the rest of the plot is free. It can be stored in this 'pen' until I need to use it.


The next job was to start a second strawberry bed. The bed I created last year on the first plot produced a lot of runners, which I trained into pots (see below).


On the second plot I prepared an area for the new Strawberry bed by digging it over, added several barrow loads of manure and then covering it with a weed mat. I then cut holes in the mat for each strawberry plant and transferred the plants from their pots into the new bed (see below). Since there has been some quite cold weather lately I then covered the plants in the new bed with a layer of fleece to protect them from any frost. The plan is that in a few weeks time I will construct a fruit cage over the new Strawberry bed, much like the one on my other plot, to protect the fruit from birds.


The other job this week was to buy seed potatoes and set them up at home to start 'chitting' (sprouting). I bought 1 bag of Main Crop and 1 bag of Second Earlies (Maris Piper/Maris Peer) both from B&Q (two bags for £5). These will stay at home until they're ready to be planted at the allotment in a few months time.