Day 5: Clearing & organising the compost heap and planting cabbage seeds

The baby fell asleep in the car on the way to the allotment and stayed asleep in the buggy for a good two hours, which allowed me to do some heavy lifting that I’d been saving up for when he had fallen asleep.

On top of the big compost pile there were some eucalyptus branches that were cut from a neighbouring plot’s tree that was cut down late last year. The branches had not decomposed at all, so I was advised by the site manager to move them to a bramble-filled abandoned plot at the end of the allotment where large compost can be left. I opened up a big plastic sheet that I’d found previously in the green storage bench and piled it with branches and bramble branches and then dragged it down, about 4 plots away. I did about 3 or 4 of these trips until I felt like it was clear enough. I then moved the piles of weeds that I’d been digging out of the beds I’d cleared onto the compost heap. This opened up the walkways and made the plot feel a lot less chaotic.

My unruly compost heap.

In the future the compost heap is something that I’d like to spend some time cleaning-up as it has some old pallets around it that is holding it in place, but they are all crumbling away or slanting different directions. This, along with the apple tree, is the first thing you see when you look up to my plot, so I really want it to look a little more cared-for.

I’ve been slowly buying seeds of plants that I either want to try planting or have heard will do well in my particular allotment site. One of those plants is red cabbage, which has a soft spot in my heart as I know my Grandfather loved his red cabbage. So much so that my Granny’s sauce pans were stained red!

Cabbage seeds are in!

I sowed some red cabbage seeds in a seeding bed, on the opposide end of where I planted the asparagus. I scattered them in a row and covered them in a thin layer of soil, then sprinkled with lots of water. Once they’ve established themselves a bit, I’ll find them a spot with more space as I've read that they can spread out a bit so will need some room of their own.