Finally got down the plot for an hour on Saturday after missing last weekend and was greeted by weeds, weeds and more weeds. It’s incredible how fast they grow when you turn your back.

So it was out with the Dutch Hoe and a few hours of fighting back. I reckon i’m going to get more than my fair share of weeds this season due to it being a newly cleared plot. Fingers crossed once i get some veg and flowers in the ground then i’m sure some of the weeds will be subdued naturally.

About an hour into the weeding the heavens opened and i had to retreat to the shed. After half an hour of constant rain i just went outside, Hoe in hand, hacking away at the weeds like a madman before finally giving up and going home like a drowned rat.

By the afternoon the rains had passed and it actually felt quite pleasant & warm, so back to the plot to plant some Gooseberry bushes that i got from Wilkinsons for a couple of pounds each. I haven’t ate a Gooseberry, or Goose Gog as we called them, since i was a kid and am intrigued to find out what they taste like. I can vaguely remember the taste being bitter sweet.

The plots are so huge on either side i want to divide them up into sections without resorting to fencing. From what i have read Gooseberries are easy to grow and don’t require a lot of attention. Shaun next door has a nice row of them and they look quite bushy with plenty of growth despite the cold and late start to spring.

I bought 6 bushes, 3 of the green variety and 3 of the red. I dug about 8 inches deep, placed some manure in the bottom of the hole, soaked the Gooseberry roots in water then placed in the hole refilling with a mixture of Humax compost and soil. Applied a good watering can of water then firmed the soil around the plant with the welly. To save me messing around later i surrounded the plants with some bark to provide a mulch.

Courgettes & Sweetcorn
The second attempt at sowing Courgettes went a bit smoother than the first time with them coming out of the propagator the minute the seeds germinated and although they look healthy, they are still too tall and spindly for my liking. Well just have to wait and see.

At the same time as sowing the Courgettes i also sowed some sweetcorn and these germinated even quicker than the Courgettes but look much more in proportion and appear nice and healthy. I sowed 12 and plan to sow another 12 in two weeks time followed by another 12 two weeks after that. This way if i loose one batch i have more in reserve.

I dug an area at the bottom of Plot 2 over winter and applied plenty of Manure. It’s a nice sunny sheltered area protected by some trees and should be ideal for Sweetcorn, watch this space.