Cold and raining!
Pat & Rufus kindly came along to say hallo, and Ed & Louise bravely came to work.
We cleaned rubbish out of the beds and planted Jerusalem Artichokes (donated by a friend). The cardboard mulch is to protect the soil and stop weeds growing.
E&L took potatoes home to 'chit' on their windowsill. These are 1st early organic 'Orla' potatoes.
Then we wrote it all up in the garden diary...
Today's jargon:
Chitting potatoes: Placing seed potatoes in a cool, light place to encourage strong sturdy shoots to grow before they are planted in the ground. For early varieties chitting is essential.
Dibber: A pointed wooden stick for making holes in the ground so that seeds, seedlings or small bulbs can be planted.
Stem Tuber: Part of underground stem that is enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy for the next growing season.
Mulch: A protective cover placed over the soil, mainly to modify the effects of the local climate. A wide variety of natural & synthetic materials can be used.
