Plot disaster

You might have noticed that there haven't been any updates recently. This is for 2 reasons; firstly this is my busiest time of the year and my paying job has to take priority and secondly because the plot was completely wiped out in the recent floods.

When the water started to rise in Oxford one of the first places to be submerged was our site in the southwest of the city. At one stage the plot was under a couple of feet of contaminated brown water. A few days ago I made my first trip down since the waters had receded to see what was left and if anything could be saved.

Anything which had ripened but not been picked before the water came has had to be cut down and either dug in or composted. It is certainly not safe to consume any of it as we have no way of know what was in the water. The shed floated away, but at least stayed in one piece this time. The asparagus looks like it may have survived and the 'forget me nots' which were growing around it have been killed off along with most of the remaining weeds on the plot.

So there is one good thing which has come of this - I have an almost clear plot to start work on for next year. The whole site has been covered in weed suppressing fabric and cardboard boxes. The boxes can be dug in later in the autumn along with some well rotted manure. I think this may be a good time to build some raised beds to try to stop this happening again. At the moment the plot is almost 12 inches below the site access tracks and it needs building up.

plot update

Quite a lot has been happening over the past few weeks, so it's time for an update.

1. A shed has been acquired and assembled on the plot. Good move as it gives me somewhere to store the cheaper tools and bags of compost and the like.
2.The bindweed has gone absolutely mad.
3. The sterlised manure/topsoil mix the asparagus was planted in has turned into a 2m square of forgetme nots. So much for sterilised! The whole lot will have to be dug up and disposed of. Thanks J.Arthur Bowers.
4. Theshed has been rescued from 2 plots over after the wind picked it up 2 nights ago. That will teach me for not securing it properly.
5. The brambles which were originally covering the plot have made a reappearance. Measures have been implemented to remove them properly this time.

Asparagus

Spent the day today finally planting the Asparagus crowns which have been sitting under the table for a couple of weeks. I ended up planting 18 crowns on 3 rows ina 2m by 2m bed. Just to make sure I had completely eliminated all traces of the weed forest which previously inhabited the plot I dug out the whole bed to 2 spade depths, sieved the whole lot and then added 50kg of sharp sand to aid drainage. The whole lot was then put back on the bed and the 3 rows planted and watered in. The stalks had already started to grow in the box so they will be left to grow and flower for this year before I hopefully get a few spears next season. In the meanime i'm off to the local Asparagus farm to get some for my tea.