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

Shoe Box Garden March 2011 update

Not much growing in March. Have topped the the beds with some rotted horse manure and the field bean plants are growing very slowly. I'm using them to fix nitrogen and to add organic matter to the soil.

The fig tree was moved into the mini green house with bottles of water (to act as thermal stores) for the winter. I threw in a handful of field beans, which are doing better then those in the beds. I'll chop and drop these into the pot once the weather warms.

The comfrey is making a come back and will be back stronger their first year. I'll be using the leaves to make a liquid feed.

Here's another. I have a third also. They act as nutrient pumps bringing nutrients deep down up into their leaves. Come late summer I'll split each one and transfer three new plants to my allotment

In this corner I have two bags filled with autumn leaves from the front garden which should give me leaf mould come next autumn. I purchased the mushroom log which has mushroom spoors placed into drilled holes. Lets see how it turns out.

Planted x 3 Minarette fruit trees, 2 variates of cherry and pictured here a  duel variety pear.

HMR HIIT (Horse Manure Relocation High Intensity Interval Training)

Just like many others who part take in any amateur competitive sport. I have limited time to put towards training, more so for conditioning. As it’s not as enjoyable as the skills based training sessions. Also requires a higher level of motivation as seldom is it done in a group environment. My personal solution was to combine some manual labour required on my allotment plot and some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)



This is how HMR HIIT was invented. It allowed me to stock up on the horse manure just outside the allotment site and place it on my own plot. Armed with a wheel barrow and spade I jog to the manure site load up the wheel barrow and jog back pushing the loaded barrow. Tip out the barrow on my plot and hand over the barrow and spade to my brother who’d then do the same while I jog in front to ensure the narrow path way is free from by passers. After thirty minutes of this we relocate six wheel barrows full of manure. Great work out.



This morning we knocked up the first bed and the horse manure was shoveled on.