OCTOBER - Almost over October

Ok so I have finally stopped moaning about the rain and its devastating effects on my plant life at the allotment. The cubes this month look rather rough and untidy but there is still some life left. I noticed some broad bean plants have sprouted. How did that happen I wonder. They won’t do that well given the last few I planted in the cubes but I have left them as they look healthy and will stop the cubes looking quite so empty in the winter months.

There is very little I can do with the cubes at present but plan to empty them, replace the compost and start again. The broad beans won’t survive anyway and I may replant them into the beds. I think its coming to the end of their season now so I have started a new plan ready for next season and perhaps a new location. Wait and see.

I thought about crop rotation as the cubes themselves may be emptied of soil and compost and get a good scrub down and maybe even a re-stain but just in case disease is lurking I think its best to start again.

Now I have several ideas but have not looked into them enough yet. Perhaps when I have harvested its contents completely I will update you. Ideas so far are my soft fruits, cranberries, strawberries (as I have lots from runners currently in the glass house). Some lovely healing herbs and flowers would be a great idea. I did well with oca and sweet potatoes this year so I may use the cubes for these in a nice warm spot with some sort of wind break netting.

I think with all the planting and harvesting I have done in the cubes so far my successes are the flowers and herbs, lettuces and leaf salads, some roots like baby sized carrots and beetroots. The spring onions did equally as well wherever they were placed as did the beets. The roots grew larger in the beds but the cube saved them from root fly damage more.

In all I think the herbs and flowers looked awesome in the cubes and if allowed to flourish looked more tidy and picturesque. I am thinking if I do plant just the flowers and herbs for medicinal and culinary purposes next year of making a feature of the cubes around my little leisure seating area on the plot.

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