Saturday 4 June 2016

Rotovator fail

I'm still trying to knock my plot into some sort of shape. One part of the plot is nice and orderly...


The other half is a bit of a weed and grass covered mess.


So I decided to hire the rotovator from the shop and give the grass and soil a damn good going over.

FAIL!

The idea seemed sound. The soil is of course London Clay in places. But covered with good quality soil from which I inherited from the previous owner who had a penchant for making soil. It didn't help that when I took over the plot, I used a mini-digger to scrape all the weeds, grasses and top part of the soil into the mound. The mound that has been so successful with the courgettes. Of course the remaining part of the plot, now minus a couple of inches of top soil, exposes some of the clay at times, which can bake nicely in the sun and harden up. Such that only a rotovator can get through it.

But I was forgetting the tenacity of the grasses. The couch grass in particular has nice long, relatively strong roots. These same roots wrapped themselves carefully around the tines of the rotovator and brought it to a screeching halt.

Needless to say it was an exercise in frustration. About the only good thing that did happen was that the broken up soil was easier to dig out the roots allowing me to clear enough space for a new bed.

This will eventually be filled with soil from the mound and surrounded by nice wood chippings which should be a nice home to the various mycellium necessary for good gardening.

Elsewhere on the plot, the bees are taking an earnest interest in the Wife's flower bed.

Where the Foxgloves are currently in full bloom.

And the rhubarb is threatening to take over.

A huge change from a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile in the greenhouse, I may soon be enjoying some fresh strawberries.

Whilst the slugs outside are enjoying some fresh beans.





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