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.

Neglected shoe box garden

As part of my zone 1 diploma project I knocked up a lean to green house. When I say 'I knocked up' I mean I had Andrew the handy man knock it up.
In the process the shoe box garden took a battering. It took a good beating before the green house as Andrew was pointing the whole exterior walls.
I finally got myself in gear and got to work today.
I emptied about 5 rubble bags worth of soil which Andrew had dug up from the front garden into the East bed. Covered the lot in newspaper (whole paper, overlapped cover to cover). Stacked out the weaper hose. Socked the newspaper. Which I stack up with all the papers I pick up on the train.
I'd saved some leaves the council had bagged in autumn. Will be covering the lot on Tuesday.

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

Chop & Drop Mulch in the Show Box Sized Garden

Lazy Sunday, so I took to the shoe box garden sickle in hand. Chop and drop mulch baby.....



As Richard would say 'Just mulch it'