Spuds

I am probably the last allotmenteer in the UK to get my spuds in the ground. In fact I only have half of my chitted spuds in the ground I don't think that I had fully appreciated how much space that they would take up. I have filled three quarters of the bed that I had prepared with just the first earlies (lady christel), I still have my maincrop (romero) to go in. But where will they go in?

Last year I made a couple of mistakes with my potatoes. The rows were probably too close to each other. It made earthing them up a little bit difficult and I just made one bad attempt at doing this 'earthing up thing' over their growing season.
This year I have carefully watched other plot holders and how they have put their spuds in. Most people seem to dig a trench rather than pop a spud into a hole. There does seem to be huge variations in the size of ridges that these spuds live under. Some of the ridges are real architectural constructions.

What have I done this year, well I dug trenches for my spuds but when I had finished they seemed to be very flattened disappointing ridges on top. Luckily because I spaced them a little better this year, I dug a trench between the rows and used the earth from the trench to build the ridges into mini mountains. I can now see where the earth to earth up with will be coming from later in the season. It took me two whole hours to do this task at the end when you lean back on your spade and survey your activity you do ponder how what you are looking at could have possibly taken two hours.

After the spuds went in I did not want to do too much more in the line of digging and took the route of planting out and sowing. I have now got my poppet peas planted out and surrounded by slug pellets, I wove a frame for them to grow up from some of my saved raspberry canes. I am not sure if it is bit enough for them its a case of crossing that bridge if we get to it and the frame needs extending. A short row of spinach has also gone in today, I can see the broad beans I sowed a little while ago poking their little heads up.

I'm hoping that after work tomorrow Owen will be in the mood to plant out his sweetcorn, we have discussed doing it but he is known to change his mind, it would be fantastic if we can squeak a visit to the plot in - all of the usual obstacles excepted .