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Wellington Fields Allotments - Hixon.

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The Things To Do In Winter.

With all the Storms we have had since early Autumn and during the Winter there have been lots of Branches and even whole Trees to cut up at work. We try to use the bigger stuff wherever we can, making things like legs for a rough bench, log seats for a forest school that one of the staff is involved with and some of the straighter lengths are used for Path edging instead of Boarding.

The smaller, twig like stems get put through our Shredder though and then anyone can have old Compost Bags filled with the result. I have had no end of Bags of this “Wood Chip,” although it isn’t as course as the Chippings produced by the big Chippers that Tree Surgeons use. It is still quite good to use on Paths though, so I have completely renewed all of the paths in my back garden and have also used some round the Fruit Bushes on my Allotment. Woodchippings shouldn’t really be dug into the soil until they have been well rotted for a year, or two, as the composting process they undergo when buried will actually remove Nitrogen from the surrounding Soil. Put on the surface though they will also slowly start to break down over time but in this case will quite harmlessly take Nitrogen out of the Air. I like to use this finer stuff as a “Mulch,” between the permanently planted, larger Plants on my Allotment, to supress weed growth. After cutting back most of the rubbish in my front garden though, I had the opportunity to bring some bags of Leaf Mould home from work. As a “Mulch,” this will not only condition the soil as the worms take it in, but it will also provide a little bit of a feed. I did bring a lot of Bags of it Home, but there wouldn’t have been enough to cover much of my Allotment as it is like “Gold Dust,” to Gardeners and some of the other Volunteers at work had a share. So, to improve the Growing Beds on my Allotment, I have been scattering well-rotted Horse Manure over them that will be dug in at a later date. If it hasn’t been standing long enough before use, putting it on well before Spring helps to allow the weather to “Mature,” it a little more, while nothing is growing. You can use Manure when it is fresh, but only round Rhubarb Crowns. Even then you must make sure that it doesn’t cover the Crowns as this will cause them to rot.
Instead of using horse Manure a few people grow “Green Manure,” on their Plots over Winter that they then dig in as Spring comes. This helps to supress Weed growth while the Beds are empty of vegetables over winter and will add goodness, in the form of Nitrogen, and various Minerals, back into your Beds depending on what you have sown and how you treat the foliage. There are a number of recognised plants that are favourites for use as Green Manure and they include Red Clover, which will bind light, sandy soils and fix nitrogen, Mustard that is fast growing and like Clover better sown in the warmer months and Field Beans that root down deeply to pull up minerals, break up heavy soils and will germinate much later in the Season. There are quite a few other plants that can be used as a Green Manure though including some types of Grasses, a type of Borage and some Chicory. Many of these plants will also provide Nectar at different times for various Insects which is another bonus. Green Manure Seeds are readily available and most Seed companies will offer a range of Green Manure Seeds throughout the year that you can simply add to your regular seed order.

Another idea for improving the Soil in your Allotment Beds is to add Spent Compost from old Pots of things that were grown in your Greenhouse last Summer. Most people with a Greenhouse grow Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Aubergines, maybe Lettuce and in my case Yacon, in large Pots or Grow Bags, and when these are cleared out people often just bin them. However, the Compost will make a great addition to the Growing Beds on your Plot, or alternatively it can be bagged up to be used in the bottom of large flower Tubs that you may plant up for the Spring. This will prevent the need to use quite so much new Compost and will thereby save you quite a bit of money.

With Spring not far away now, some of the Buds on various Trees are starting to swell and amongst those I find the most interesting are Peaches and Apricots of which I have a couple of Specimens.

Recently, it was a nice sunny day, but for whatever reason I was inside and lying on the Settee looking out of the Window at my Garden fascinated by the activity of the different Birds in my Garden that seemed to be there in higher numbers than they had been for a few weeks. I saw quite a few small birds active on my Peach Tree where earlier on I had seen that Flower Buds were developing nicely when I suddenly realised what the Birds were eating. It wasn’t insects – it was the Flower Buds on my Peach Tree! ! ! The small birds were Bullfinches and Flower Buds are one of their favoured foods at this time of year! ! ! It is always said that early flowering Fruit Trees need covering to protect the opening Buds and Flowers from frost, but nobody told me that they needed protecting from Birds who would actually eat the precious Flower Buds! ! !

With Birds becoming more active in Gardens at this time of year you can see why wildlife experts now say that you should leave dead and dry, old Seed Heads on your garden Plants. However, with all the wet weather and Spring almost in sight, I decided to start and cut back some of the dead and excess foliage on the Shrubs in my back Garden. The Pheasant Berry, being about the biggest and getting taller every year, was a prime candidate, followed by the red Cornus, Buddleia, Kerria, Deutzia and Senecio. I have however also cut the foliage back on my Irises and Sisyrinchum Striatum, but am still leaving most of the “Flowery,” stuff with its Seed Heads for the Birds. It’s the same on my Allotment with my leaving things like the old Thistle like Seed Heads on my Globe Artichokes and the Seed Heads on Plants in the Perennial Cut Flower Bed.
Where I could, everything went onto my Compost Heap, but the Prunings from my Garden Bushes in particular had to be Shredded first as will the Prunings from the Fig Trees and Grape Vines on my Allotment when those are done. They should be pruned around the end of February as should Kiwis and Hazels. It is also time to Coppice Willows, so again that is something I have been doing recently, not on my Allotment, but at Work. Here though, the cut material was saved and sorted into lengths for our resident Weaving Expert who will make good use of them. Our Weaver has been trying to use various materials to get different finishes as well and has tried red Cornus and Bamboo, but I am thinking of getting him one, or two, fancy, coloured Willows. I knew that there were a few different varieties of Willow and was familiar with Weeping Willows and Twisted Willows (of which I have one in my Garden,) but I didn’t realise beforehand that you could get Willows with stems coloured Purple, Red, Yellow, Green and many shades thereof. (Some cut Willow lengths for sale are dyed, but some actually grows in those colours) Recently, I saw a TV Gardener visiting a specialist Grower who had a Field filled with a Rainbow of coloured Willows and low and behold when I looked them up on the Internet some were readily available. I know they are not really an Allotment plant, but they can be used around sites in perimeter Hedges, as Screens and the like, especially when coppiced. Indeed, we may well plant one to help screen off our recently constructed Allotment’s Toilet and Communal Storage Shed.

As we start to go through February it will be better for planting more things including some Seeds such as Parsley, Leeks, Onions, Broad Beans and Chard. However, they may need a bit of warmth from somewhere like a Kitchen Windowsill to get them going. Soon, I will also be potting some Oca and Jerusalem Artichoke tubers that will go in our Plant Sale in May.
My old Chrysanthemum Stools are starting to shoot so it won’t be long before I can take cuttings off them. It is said that you should grow on the cuttings and then discard the Old Stools to prevent Disease from getting a hold.
Hopefully, the Yacon, that I over wintered from old Crowns and divided, will also start shooting. I usually “Jump the gun,” with most things including planting out my Chrysanthemums too early at the end of February, but usually I do alright. Soon after those go in, I normally plant my Pink Fir Apple Potatoes, but I will have to resist planting out my Yacon Tubers as they are quite tender and mustn’t go out until Mid-May at the earliest when Runner Beans, French Beans and Sweet Corn can also be planted out. It might seem a long time until May, but it will come around very quickly now Spring is in sight.


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