2025-03-08 Digging over

Late autumn last year I ordered a ton of manure for my allotment - about 20 barrow loads. It seemed like a lot when I was wheeling it up from the gate. Most of it went on the main bed, which is about 30m². It gave a good thick covering, which has been sitting there over winter.

Now is finally time to dig it in. Today was a bright, sunny day. Almost too warm when I got working. The soil is still quite wet, so all I managed to do was turn over about a third of the bed. A couple more sessions this week and it will be done. In a few more weeks when it has dried out a bit I will break it up a bit better. Most of the bed has had crops growing in it for at least two years now, so the soil is improving and it is largely weed-free (it was full of bindweed and mare's tail when I first started).

I have also started a bit of sowing. A couple of trays of leek seeds (Icicle F1) that I planted a couple of weeks ago have germinated and are about to burst into life. I have just sown some parsnips (Sabre F1), which I have never grown before. They can take up to a month to germinate, which always makes me worry they might not come up at all. We will see.

I've overwintered a couple of things in the greenhouse. They didn't need much attention, just watering once in a while. I have a couple of 8-inch pots containing mint, which have now sprung back to life. Traditionally that is used with new potatoes or peas, of course, but I also use it to make a raita, just a mix of mint, yoghurt and cubed cucumber that goes well with a curry.

I also planted some rhubarb from seed last year. It grew quite well, although it was tiny compared to a mature plant. Thin stalks and leaves a few inches across. It died back in winter, as you would expect. Now I have to hope it comes back, it isn't showing any signs of life yet.

And somewhat unexpectedly last year's parsley is still going strong. I had assumed it was an annual, but now I've checked it is a biennial - that is, it lives for two years. In the first year, it develops its roots and leaves, and in the second year, it flowers and sets seed. Most people grow it as an annual because it is the leaves you eat and they are best in the first year. I will keep last year's just to see what happens, but I will also plant some more.