Guy's as you all know I have an allotment, and over the past few months, I have been working on it.
I found that it wasn't producing like it could do and looked closer into the problems and what was coursing them.
On My allotment, I have a tree at the very top as you first walk on to the plot, when we first got the plot I thought it was great as it gave shelter.
It turns out I was right, it was sheltering the land and no rain was making it through which means the top of the plot was always dry.
And when the tree drops its seeds I was getting little saplings popping up through everything.
The ground around the tree was a problem too, as everything that I put in it, even with added fertilizer I found nothing would grow.
I was getting sick to the back teeth of the space I was loosing, so I took things into my own hands and decided that I needed to move a few things around.
Now the idea is to have raised beds all the way down my plot, and each raised be is going to have a lid so I can open and close them depending on the weather.
I have also bought a drip feed system that will go in place when everything is moved into its new homes.
Today I decided to build a trial raised bed to see if it is what I want to work in and make sure that the size is workable too.
I had to dig the ground to make my raised bed level.
The raised bed is 4 ft wide and 12 ft long, and the hight is 12 inches. it is a great size for what I need.
Once it was made I took a step back and decided that it was what I needed.
I laid cardboard in the bottom of the raised bed and watered it, and then topped it up with well-rotted horse manure.
The horse poo I got from a friend and I can get as much as I want as he has tuns of the stuff at his stables and he is happy for me to take it.
The horse poo is 2 years old and has been hot compost, when I got to the field they keep it in you could feel the heat coming from the pile.
The idea of the cardboard it to keep the weeds a bay, I have had so many problems over the last few months, that I feel like I am just weeding.
Now, this raised bed needs painting so it fits into the plot as I like a bit of color. I am thinking along the lines of blue or a light grey, I don't know yet as I am still thinking about it.
I do know what this raised bed is going to be used for, and I am going to use this one for strawberries, it is in the perfect place, and once the drip feed system is installed which might be next year it should be a perfect growing spot.
What do you think guys?
Until next time stay safe.
