Compost Alley

I had a late night trip to the lotty this week to deliver a load of compost bins that I’d managed to scavenge from my block of flats. It was interesting seeing the site in the middle of the night. I had to use my high power halogen torch to find my plot but once I got there I was able to turn it off and do a bit of weeding by the light of the overlooking train platform. I wonder if my plants will benefit by the extended light hours?

Not quite enough light to bother taking photos though - that had to wait til Saturday when we were back to do some more tidying. Shakti was my able assistant this weekend and we spent most of the day trying to remove a patch of nettles and clear the remaining bindweed root from the edges. Nettle roots are amazing - such wiry yellow critters - a complete pain to remove but I bet they’d make a great clothes dye.

I am really excited by the compost heap windfall, I love compost and will have a production line going in no time.

After de-weeding (fingers crossed) the edge, I transplanted the raspberry canes that my dad donated, to make a fruity fence alongside the railway track. I also shifted the plum tree even though I should probably have waited til next month.

My new neighbours are jolly friendly and offered me spuds if I could be bothered to dig them. As this is just about my favourite harvesting task of all (after pea podding) I was delighted and we had a little bag of what I think were Pink Fir Apples to see us through the rest of the week.

Back home the ginger beer plant seems to be slacking a bit. I think its just too darn cold in my flat and the yeast has gone to sleep. It created a few more bubbles after adding sugar today and yesterday as its a lot warmer and I’m wondering if I should just carry on feeding it for another week or just get on and bottle it. Decisions, decisions.