Terry Walton is making do and mending, plus he cares for his wormery
We allotmenteers like to do our bit for recycling while saving cash
The only downside of the colder days is the absence of some of the plot holders. Many of them must be si ing by the fireside or on excursions to do the Christmas shopping. Still, some of our intrepid members still manage to put in a late-morning appearance, even though the ground can be as hard as concrete.
There’s no need to stay at home as there’s plenty to be done in the warmer climes of the greenhouse. A few hours spent now on preparation will ease the workload in the months ahead when lighter, be er days return. My adage is ‘an hour spent now saves five in spring’. All of your seed trays and pots need to be clean and disease free for the planting times that’ll start in the heated greenhouse in January, which isn't too far away now. Fill a bucket with warm water, to which you’ve added a li le disinfectant, and wash trays and pots thoroughly. You can then leave them to dry on the staging, ready for use in just a few weeks.
Do the same with your old plant labels. No need to spend money on buying new ones! A bowl of warm, soapy water and a piece of fine sandpaper and last year’s writing can soon be removed to use again. There are no spendthrifts in the allotment community! We’re doing our bit for recycling while saving our cash. What do you think is the biggest motivator out of those two?
With all this water about, I couldn’t believe it as I walked to my greenhouse – my socks were soaking! I took off my favourite green wellies and there in the sole was a split. This is the result of an autumn of digging. Only the left one was leaking, so where do I go to buy a single right-footed boot? Never mind, I’ll put this on my Christmas list and who knows, Santa might bring me a new pair. It doesn’t cost the earth to please a gardener!
While wiling away the hours in the shelter of my greenhouse it’s time to prepare my ‘hot box’.
This is mainly to encourage my chrysanthemums to send up new shoots for next autumn’s show of blooms. The back of the frame against the window is lined with bubblewrap, as are the two sides. A ached to the frame of my greenhouse is a roll-up cover, which gives me easy access to work on the plants, then at night this is rolled down to keep them warm. Inside is a small paraffin heater, which provides enough heat at a low cost to encourage them to shoot. Then its other duty is to help the rooted cu ings get underway. Any early seed sowing can be housed in there to start germination.