An experiment!

I have read a lot about setting potatoes in the ground at this time of year to get new potatoes around the new year, and I have been itching to have a go. So when I got my Mr Fothergill's Seeds catalogue about a month ago and saw that they were offering some specially prepared Charlotte tubers for planting now I couldn't resist. They arrived yesterday and as they don't need chitting (see instructions below.....clickable to enlarge the photo) I planted them out in my spare deep bed in the back garden. They said it would be 10 tubers but it was actually eleven and they nicely fitted in the bed at the correct spacing. I gave the bed a heavy dose of chicken manure pellets, and watered each spud in well. Later I will soak the bed when I do the tunnel.
When the time comes I will earth them up with compost from the Daleks, and the instructions recommend covering the bed with fleece after October.

I mentioned that Wet-n-grow wetting solution the other day which I had applied to these deep beds and I have to report that I am thrilled with the results. From resembling a concrete path the bed now cultivates beautifully, and the soil has taken in the recent rain perfectly and was a dream to work. That stuff is well worth the money. I have ordered another bottle as they recommend dosing about once a month. I still have half a bottle but don't want to run out.

I know that with my back problems this spring the writing is on the wall for the plot but I have a while to perfect using the back garden veg plot to the max. I tried the spuds in bags method this spring and wasn't impressed with the results, but am willing to persevere. If I can make a success of that I can get more bags, or dustbins even....we have three spare since we went for a wheelie bin to foil the wretched bin-raiding Whippet that lives here....and line them up along the path to the back gate against the west facing wall and probably end up with as many as I get from the two large beds at the plot.

The other thing I need to do to make the plot redundant is to try to incorporate as much fruit into the garden here as possible. I think I should be giving up some of the flower beds for fruit. We already have some very productive fruit trees, a Victoria Plum and a Conference Pear. We planted a cultivated blackberry this spring here at home, and with a bit of effort I'm sure I could get more raspberries and the gooseberry here somewhere.