Wall to wall carpeting for the Allotment plot

I've been a bad boy, I have neglected my allotment for some time. I will not bore you with my excuses.

As a result I have lost half my plot. Which is fair. And have about a month to get my remaining half of the plot in shape.

Nothing like a fixed deadline to get me focused.

So I enlisted some help. Shaks will work for me in exchange for me working for him. I. E. For every hour he helps me. I owe him an hour of help.

Now Shaks didn't want this arrangement, but I insisted.

The plan is simple. Take as much cardboard down, then cover the ground, then place a raised bed I've already knocked up. And fill with plug plants I've started at home.

I'll cover the finer points in another post. For now here is a before and after photo of 4 hours graft.

Work crew on the plot at the allotment

With so much on at the moment the allotment has been neglected. I sent out an request for help to the Jnr squad (all of my younger brothers friends). we started work around 15:00 and paired up in two man teams (total of 6 of us). We worked till 20:00

One teams remit was to clear the long grass. Team two went over the brook to collect leaf mould to add mulch to the beds. Team three was to lay cardboard into the beds after pulling up any weeds.

What's working well: 
-The lasagne mulching system of laying card board, manure, then newspaper then mulch is working extremely well. little to no weeds present.
-The group effort makes for a more enjoyable effort.

Not working:
-The paths in between the beds has an abundant amount of grass and weeds.
-No yields.
-Fire fighting. I'm reacting to what the plot is doing.

Problems: 
-Lack of gravel or wood chip in close proximity to cover the paths.
-Lack of man power. I can't keep asking of others without paying them back in some way.
-Going away from end of July to mid Sept.


Next achievable steps.
- Set up the plug production in my home green house.
- Make 18 compost at allotment to have a high quality medium to plant plugs into.

Long term goals for plot. 
- Set an example of permaculture principles in action for a low maintenance and high yield plot.

Explaining what we're doing at the allotment (East London Style)

My allotment buddy has been great. He picks me up at sunrise on each Sunday morning and off we set for a hard mornings graft at the allotment. He keeps asking me why we don't just do like all teh other plots. But after answering all his questions I think he's getting the it (lasagne gardening aka sheet mulching)

Here he is explaining it East London Style