22/1/24 - Signs of new life
There was a heavy frost this morning, but we’re forecast to have temperatures reaching 20℃ by the middle of this week. I checked my gardening diary for last year and the last frost was on April 20th. Ridiculously late, but I’m trying super hard not to sow too early this year. I normally do, and end up with tomatoes a metre tall and desperate to be planted out.
Frost on the purple broccoli picked at 11am.
I spent quite a bit of time yesterday laying down more cardboard on the empty bed in the potager. I then cleared out one of the dalek composters and dumped several barrowloads of good compost and some organic fertiliser pellets on the cardboard, along with wood ash and the straw, chicken poo & shredded paper from the hen house. This will break down over the next few months before I need to plant into it.
Potager
It looks a mess but all the material will break down so it will be like the dark soil on the path. That used to be rock hard shale but two seasons of covering the path with wood shavings has resulted in beautiful black loam. Meanwhile, in the greenhouse the hotbed is still running at 55℃ while helping the seeds to germinate.
Greenhouse hotbed
The first seedlings of mixed salads have germinated. Almost ready to be pricked out into modules.
A little later today we’re going to be moving the hens from the orchard where they’ve been since September to a spot up near the greenhouse. Moving them is a bit of a palaver so we have some friends staying who’ll help us. One of the hens has starting laying again after the winter break, and she’s producing the most beautiful eggs. Thanks Maya.
