What destroyed some fencing?

More pest trouble, but this time something with muscle. As I mentioned in the last post, I think something has died under the shed, judging by the bluebottles and the smell. When we took over the plot there were three very substantial concrete fence posts which I used as a base for the shed. I levelled them and put damp-proof plastic on them and put the treated shed base across them. This keeps the wooden base off the ground to help keep the rot away. Once the shed is down you can't treat the bottom of the floor again without fully dismantling the shed, so keeping it off the ground helps a lot. This leaves a small gap between the shed base and the concrete posts next to each of the wooden rails. I covered this gap with some strong wire fencing, held in place with plastic strips screwed to the shed. Something destroyed this.

The stiff wire is bent and mangled. The plastic has been ripped off the screws. There is blood on some of the wire. Something was very keen to be into that space. It looks like it was ripped off from outside rather than pushed off from inside.

I had to use a hammer to straighten the wire, so whatever bent it was pretty strong. I suspect a fox or a dog was trying to get at whatever was under the shed.

I hammered wooden stakes into the ground, replaced the wire and screwed the stakes and more plastic bands across the wire to hold it in place. I hope that is enough.

Progress

The weather has been warm and calm and is set to be so for a few more days at least. I've built a simple frame for runner beans from canes and planted out the beans. I decided to wrap the bottom of the frame in netting to, hopefully, keep any bean munchers out. I've weeded the next strip of ground ready to plant out sweetcorn and mange tout. I know all peas are vulnerable, especially to birds like pigeons and partridges so they need carefully covering. It seems that sweetcorn is also vulnerable this year, with other people's being munched. Some suggest deer which might be the case. My perimeter fence is intact as far as I can tell but it certainly wouldn't keep deer out - they could easily hop over it - so I'll try to cover the sweetcorn as it goes out.

The beetroot I planted out a few days ago is now recovering from flagging badly as it went out. I've planted out the next batch too and some spring onions have gone out. All of this is under a netting cover.

At home the broccoli is coming on nicely, another batch of spring onions is on the way and savoy cabbage is doing well. All of these are vulnerable and will need netting, so I need to make sure I have enough netting and some frames to hold the netting would be good too.

Whatever the pests are that are eating our produce, one of them has died under my shed I think, it probably succumbed to rat poison on other plots. There are lots of bluebottles around and a smell of rotting flesh. I can't easily get under the shed, and I'm not sure I want to, but it has encouraged me to ensure the space under the shed is all secure with wire mesh.

Rabbits with a sense of humour

The saga of the hedge being pulled out and replaced with a fence and then, eventually, being replanted as a hedge has caused a lot of comment, some mirth and some bad feeling. The parish council chairman, who is strongly in favour of this plan, has decided that he is not talking to me. I asked the East Riding of Yorkshire (ERoY) council if our parish council could pull out the hedge, ERoY confirmed that they needed permission which they didn't have so wrote to the parish council to let them know they couldn't just pull out a rural hedge.

The parish council was invited to a meeting to discuss this, but the parish council chairman took this as some sort of dressing down, which was certainly not the case. As a result of a simple email from me the parish council chairman is now shouting at me that he is not talking to me. His childish behaviour is causing a lot of mirth and has lost him a lot of respect. Other village residents are very unhappy about the way the parish council is handling some planning matters too, so I hope that at the next election there will be some changes, but I'm not holding my breath.

The hedge-to-fence-to-hedge idea is supposedly about stopping rabbits getting onto the site which I don't think stands any chance of working. Some rabbits have taken up residence in the middle of the site underneath a shed. Clearly a fence along one side of the site would not keep them off our plots. Oddly enough that rabbit-infested plot is rented by, of all people, the parish chairman.

Carrots!

I had given up on the carrots. I've bought some more carrot seeds to have another go. Today the carrots have decided to show up. I will sow some more carrots as the new seeds are later season carrots so hopefully they will extend the season. It seems impatience and vegetables don't mix.

I have dug over some more of the plot in anticipation of planting out some of the things growing on, mostly still at home. The recent rain has left the soil lovely and crumbly but it has pushed up weeds like mad. I do wish weeds were edible and tasty, but they do make good compost in the long run.

I have sown some runner beans, and two sorts of manges touts. I have some prunings from the hazel trees and I think they will make great pea sticks. I do need to cover the plants this year, the peas especially. Partridges have been seen and already onions across the site have been nibbled. I expect to net over everything and surround stuff with wire netting too.

I have noticed that Ronnie has planted out sweetcorn. I'll see how it does before I plant mine out, which is still a bit small yet.

Cold again

The courgettes have survived their first night out, under fleece, but the wet, windy and chilly forecast for the weekend is ominous and then it is forecast to get colder!

I'm planning to sow some more seeds at home, I hope it warms up soon.

Asparagus glut, odd weather and courgettes

Today's asparagus

The asparagus is prolific at the moment. There are new spears every time I look and I can hardly keep up with it. It is lovely, especially the soft tips. I've tried it cooked by searing it on a griddle pad and steamed in a dribble of water, covered in a microwave. Both work well. it goes with fish, eggs and meat and now I'd like to try something else, just for a change.

I think the wet year last year will have helped the asparagus bulk up and it started to show nearly a month late this year, probably due to the very cold March winds, but what every is the cause the crop looks and tastes very good this year.

A poor photo of a great courgette

The cold start to the year has held up everything. I sowed seeds deliberately late this spring, but still there are come concerns about tender plants. My courgettes have grown fast at home and have main leaves and even flower buds, but I was concerned about frost so I haven't put them out, until today. The plants look really strong, but one nip of frost and they will be doomed, so after planting them out, I covered them with a fleece tunnel which I hope will protect them enough until the risk of frost has passed. I planted them quite deep and made a little well around them, so when they get watered it flows to the plant - they are very thirsty. I also planted them wide apart, they can be rampant and need a lot of elbow room.

The broccoli is still producing spears, though some are flowering now so I think it is nearly over. It has been really good and I'll certainly try growing it again, though protecting it from pests has been difficult and it is important, having lost two thirds of the plant in a couple of days to pests - probably rats.

The broad beans are beginning to show the first truss of flowers. They have all survived the wind and chill and are looking good plants. They are getting big enough to think about tying them in to another string support. Leeks in the greenhouse are all doing well, the failure rate so far has been almost zero. No sign of any carrots yet - I may have to sow some more.

Harvests and sowing

Some rhubarb was ready to take today. It looks lovely, but the real treat today was asparagus. The spears were finally big enough to take and many more showing so it could be a good harvest this year. The broccoli is still producing lots of small florets. I watered the asparagus, broad beans and fruit bushes.

I dug over, carefully weeded and finely raked out a bed for carrots. I sowed two rows of seeds with lots of room for more rows, but I need more seeds. I'd like to try some other varieties so I'll see what I can find.

It was another lovely day at the site, sunny, calm and warm. As I dug and weeded the ground it was great to feel that it was warm even well below the surface.

A house just across the street from me is having an extension built and Paul had a chunk of lawn to dig up. He asked if the earth would be useful at the allotments - it is. People now have extra raised beds and all those little sunken corners have been filled in. I fetched a few barrow loads of the rich, loamy soil which I will just use as a mulch to improve a few parts of the plot.