This morning, 18 Jan, I removed the laterals from the tomatoes and wound the plants into the spiral of the metal stakes.  These spiral stakes will hold the plants off the ground very nicely, I’m really pleased with them.  The plants can now grow up through the centre of the spiral – no tying of plants to stakes.

Mum cut back her comfrey and sent me a wool bale full.  I laid it around the potatoes and tomatoes and on the garden where the brassicas had been.

Next I mounded rotting peastraw around the potato plants – this will hopefully increase the number of potatoes harvested as well as reducing the number of potatoes which turn green when they are exposed to sunlight.

The last job for the day was to pull out the self-seeded Phacelia tanacetifolia and put it in the compost heap.  This is a remnant of green-manure sown 3-4years ago. The bumble bees love it!