2014 The Reckoning posted 30 March

With The Reckoning due on the 30th March all of the allotmenteers have been hard at work after the rain.  R and I had a load of manure from Mr Heard.  I think if I was him I would change the spelling and be selling venison! 

We got the planting underway this weekend on our 8 rod allotment.  We have had it for 15 years and we are in no way experts.  Fifteen years ago it was completely matted with couch grass and brambles with a painful sprinkling of nettles.  This, my record of planting, has been sporadic but I am going to try and maintain it more thoroughly this year.

In the top third we planted this weekend a total of 9 rows of potatoes. The first earlies Home Guard went in on the Saturday, then the two main crops Pentland Crown and King Edward went in. In previous years I have put them in trenches and then made a deeper hole, this year I dug a hole with a trowel about four to six inches deep and then mounded them up.  My purpose was to see if we might get as good a crop whilst preventing them being left in the soil to be found when digging for the new season. 

As we prepared to leave The Reckoning was underway - the allotment inspection.  We feel confident we will not be receiving a letter this year to shape up or ship out.