down at the allotment and in the garden what are you up to

[ina]

No muck going begging where you are? Plenty of it around here... Folks are still throwing it away - all those people with horses and without gardens.

I meant to get my onion sets in today, but got busy with other things. Keep fingers crossed that the weather forecast is right and it stays dry tomorrow, otherwise it won't happen again.

[Flo]

Ah this year you don't know what's in your muck chemical wise and also I would have to ask the family to bring it in as I don't drive. They hated the job last time and whinged about the smell (city kids despite growing up in rural areas it seems!).

[oldfella]

Got some compost from the waste disposal yard today, and a trailer load of horse muck from my mate, well from his horse really, and my neighbour told me last week that I could have a trailer load of cow muck next week , so my question is, has anyone got a recipe for good garden compost mix, oh yes I have one compost heap as well. OOOh lovely can smell it from here.

[Flo]

Let the muck rot well - it needs to be a couple of years old before it's any use at all on the allotment. Then dig it on.

On the other hand - layer of green waste, layer of manure, layer of green waste, layer of manure etc - cover and use next year.

[oldfella]

Let the muck rot well - it needs to be a couple of years old before it's any use at all on the allotment. Then dig it on.

On the other hand - layer of green waste, layer of manure, layer of green waste, layer of manure etc - cover and use next year.

Thanks Flo, Will go with option 2, don't want push my luck

[Flo]

Have a Hadrian's Wall of compost to use at the moment. So I've lifted strawberries, built up two raised beds that had settled and replanted the strawberries. They'll have their feet down by spring and won't have to be disturbed when they are getting ready to fruit. Also topped up the raspberry canes raised bed where soil had dropped. Have composted and turned a patch for winter onion sets and garlic. It's going to need some more compost to make it really useful. But I'm knackered so I'll do that tomorrow and then plant up. There's one more strawberry bed to sort out. After that there's the herb beds which need to be topped up as well. And Hadrian's wall of compost will only be a little bit smaller then.

Hey this allotment business is hard work - and this is only the "back end" preparation!

Someone tell me why I took on an allotment? (The answer actually is that you can take Christine out of the garden but not the gardening out of Christine and old enough to know what labour it takes so no sympathy needed )