March – My Plenty Food Project

It’s 12 months since I first saw my plot – and an unprepossing sight it was too! I was given the option of taking it on from 1st April 2018 or waiting until it had been rotivated as part of the council’s downsizing works on the site. Not being a fan of rotavation I opted not to wait. And am I glad I did – the works have finally started this week! My plot is still very much a work in progress but I am satisfied with what I have achieved and learnt over the last year and am so much better prepared for this year.

Waiting for the works to commence has had an impact on my plot though. I’ve had to leave the top 5-6m vacant to allow access for machinery to clear brambles from the vacant half-plot next to mine. And also to allow for drainage to be installed – this will also run through my top section. So not only could I grow anything in this area I also haven’t been able to erect my shed – and it also meant that I couldn’t site my polytunnel at the top end of the plot.

Plot east of mine

Plot south across the road

The plots to the east and south of mine have been vacant and completely overgrown. Although this is often thought to be problematic due to spread of weed seeds etc I have actually found it to be beneficial to me. Every time I felt a bit down about my progress I could look across at the next plots and see what mine would look like were it not for my interventions. Also as a first time (not counting a half shared plot 30 years ago!) and slightly experimental grower I have quite enjoyed being tucked away in my little corner with no-one sucking through their teeth and telling me they wouldn’t be doing it that way if they were me 😉

Contractors came onto the site on Monday this week to start the full programme of works which are scheduled to take 5-6 months and will include the installation of stone roads, improved drainage, more water taps, car parking, community room and trading shed and fully-accessible raised beds. I had anticipated that work on the plots may be the last on the schedule but was delighted to discover that they are actually first. First chance I had to take a look was yesterday afternoon – appropriately a very sunny first day of Spring. And there parked next to my plot was a massive digger – and those vacant plots have been cleared, along with the brambles at the back and side of mine. I wish I could have seen it happening but am very pleased with the results.

Something’s been digging my plot

Brambles gone

So as I prepare to start my 2nd year on the plot not only is the Spring energising me but also the changes that are taking place across the whole site and what I hope that will do for our community of growers.

I may have jumped the gun too soon by starting off a lot of seedlings in February – seduced by that week of almost summer weather – time will tell. But my thinking was that if seedlings didn’t germinate or did but seedlings failed to thrive then I would have time to have a second try in March or even April. And I also thought that I may have my polytunnel up and running and providing a sheltered haven even for those crops destined to grow to maturity out in the raised beds.

The burgeoning number of seedtrays soon outgrew the kitchen windowsill and I gave over my spare bedroom with two very large flat trays covering the bed and those seeds such as peppers needing some bottom heat found a home on top of the wooden cover of the radiator. Despite a couple of failures (chives!) I was very happy with the germination and took great pleasure in stroking the tiny seedlings to encourage strong growth. But soon they started to show that what they really needed was light and they were growing at ever increasingly acute angles towards the window, probably not helped by worsening weather and greyer days. I took to carrying a lot of the trays outside during the day and back upstairs at night and then leaving some hardier types (kales and cabbage) in my lean-to which had some overhead light and a little protection. But the daily transportation of the seedtrays quickly palled and I also need to reclaim the bedroom for human use by the end of the month. So what to do?

Well as overhead light was what they seemed to be craving it seemed that a growlight might be the solution. I have to confess to getting a little confused by both the websites and Youtube videos I watched as to what size of light I needed. But finding myself close to a hydroponics shop last weekend I went in to see what type of lights they stocked and what they might advise. I don’t think most people shopping in such shops are actually allotmenteers interested in growing vegetables. I think its another leafy crop they are keen on propagating 😉 The shopkeeper was knowledgeable about the products but not so able to advise what was best for my situation. But I walked out with a large 125W CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lighting) bulb giving out 6400K (Blue spectrum light) for about £20. For some reason I couldn’t quite fathom it didn’t come with a lampholder and plug. I wasn’t sure that I wanted a reflector as thought I could make something suitable from cardboard and foil! But when I got home and researched online for an E40 size bulb holder and method of mounting the bulb it soon became apparent that a reflector would provide the socket, lead and plug and a means of suspension with handy loops on the top. So that’s what I went for with a side order of ratcheted cord hangers.

On Thursday it rained on and off all day – but what did I care? I spent the day sorting out my new growing room 🙂 Previously known as the ‘shed’ it’s actually a breeze block built structure and has electricity if no water supply. It’s got some free standing shelving and a fixed bench which I use for my potting. It also housed a certain amount of junk! But a couple of hours chucking out the rubbish, reconfiguring the shelf units and I had space for the light and for an array of seedtrays on the floor. The ratcheted cords allow me to hang the light at differing heights. My understanding is that it could be placed very close to the seedlings but I’m trying it at about 1.5m to give light coverage of the area I have. I’ll monitor it carefully over the next week or so to see if the seedlings are growing straight and staying healthy. Luckily my tidyup of the shed had unearthed a timer so at the moment I’ve set it to be on from 7am to 8pm but may make this a little longer. There’s a window in the shed which I can see from the house so I can tell its on and working. There’s also some glass bricks in the rear wall but I’ve blocked these off – I back onto a park and I don’t want to advertise that I have a growing room in case it attracts unwanted interest from those who think I might be producing something more exciting than green leafy vegetables 😉

Tiny patchwork of seedtrays under the growlight

I’ll be monitoring the growth of my seedlings over the next few weeks and hopefully if the weather warms up again I’ll be able to move them out of the growroom and into either my lean-to or my polytunnel (when I dare to put the cover on) before being planted out in late April onwards. If all works well next year I may be tempted to make a start with seed sowing even earlier in the year…….

Category Archives: March

It’s Spring and change is in the air

Shedding light on it….