The Allotted Month - April 2008

In the spring growth comes on quickly, and this is true on the plot as well as in our gardens. Last month three of the sections in the plot were just bare earth. This month all the shallots and garlic, started in Rootrainers in the greenhouse, have been set out to bring some welcome greenery. Similarly, the potatoes and onion sets are now adding a bit more green as they push through the soil into the daylight.

There won't be much to say about section A for a couple of months. Early in May the potatoes will get their first earthing up and this will be repeated two or three times until the foliage canopy makes this task just too difficult.

Almost half of section B has already been planted up with shallots, garlic and onions. When this section last had this crop, four years ago, they were at the other end of the section so that there is an eight year rotation to keep down the onion white rot. The rest of the section gets peas and carrots; three double rows of peas growing up their canes as single stem cordons alternating with three triple rows of carrots. This arrangement gives space to get in and harvest the peas.

Four rows of the earliest of first early potatoes have also been planted in section C. These varieties grow and are harvested before the dreaded Potato Root Eelworm has time to mature and lay eggs in the roots. It is these eggs that stimulate the potato to produce the characteristic tiny egg bearing cysts. In some countries the farmers can grow three crops of potatoes in a year and seem to escape eelworm infestation because of quick growth. I don't grow any late maincrop potatoes as they are certainly in the ground for long enough for the eelworm to complete its breeding cycle. Because its only two years since this section had potatoes, and in a similar way to the onions, this "catch crop" of potatoes is alternated end to end each four years as a means of keeping down the eelworm. As soon as the potatoes are lifted they are replaced by leeks and there is enough space between the rows to sow some Crimson Clover green manure.

The only really green bit of the plot just now is section D where the late summer sown (after the potatoes were harvested) Crimson Clover has made good growth since the winter. In May this will be hoed off. The roots will be left in the soil where the nitrogen rich nodules help to feed the brassicas. A second application of lime is made and hoed in before the brassicas start to be planted out. The tops of the clover make a welcome addition to the compost heap.

This month has been much less busy than March, but May is another busy month. The peas are already growing in Rootrainers in the greenhouse. I'll make seed tapes for the carrots, it saves having to thin out the seedlings. Brassicas start to be planted out and the direct sowings of leeks, parsnips and beetroot are made. As always, the weeds need to be dealt with by a combination of hoeing and hand weeding. In section C, where the dung of two years has been brought to the surface with digging, there is a good germination of the weed seeds that came in with the straw and hay of the dung. It's a penalty of farmyard manure but I'd rather have the dung and the weeds than have no dung.

B. A. Plotter.