January already?

Wow, it's been a month since we last blogged...the last few weeks sure have passed quickly.

Like most of the country, we have snow in Norfolk at the moment, and have done for the past couple of weeks, so it's pretty limited on the allotment front at the moment. HOWEVER, our seed potatoes arrived just before Christmas...I should have taken them out of the box as soon as they arrived but left it for over a week, and on peeking in the box, found they had already started sprouting...and not the right kind of sprouts either - they are pale and stubby, rather than the dark green more leafy type shoots which are needed. This has happened because they have sprouted in the dark rather than the light. I've now moved them into the lean-to, in cut-down cardboard boxes to make open 'trays' and put them out of direct light, plus broken off some of the bigger shoots. Hopefully some of the green shoots will start to develop soon. I know it seems quite early to start chitting but I began at about the same time last year and things turned out ok (it's so cold in the lean-to they don't chit too quickly).

Also, rather excitingly, last week we visited a friend who has a horse and collected lots of lovely well-matured manure. Mmmmmm. JB was worried it would smell the car out but I was pleased to be proved right that nicely matured manure doesn't actually smell! Access at the allotment is a bit poor, so I had a 'fun' time trying to reverse around a tight corner onto the site so we didn't have to move the bags too far. Just about made it on the second attempt and didn't skid on the slope, hurrah! Was a tad embarrassing as two kids were watching the whole time. It was easier to reverse in than reverse out though.

This is the allotment before Christmas: The tracks on the path are fox and cat :o)


These are the autumn onions, hope they're alright under there!