Good job you can't smell this

I've been creating my own plant feed on the plot this year, I was given a root of a comfrey plant from a gardening friend and its grown well this year. A few weeks ago I put some leaves into a bucket with some water and left them to rot down. I've started using it this week and phew what a whiff I had to apologise to my plot neighbours. But the black stuff is a great feed once diluted (roughly to a pale straw colour according to Bob Flowerdews Organic bible). Its high in potassium as well as nitrogen so good for tomatoes.

According to Bob you can also use the same technique using nettles which its claimed also makes plants resistant to pests and disease especially if sprayed on as a foliage feed. I've got lots of Borage on my plot at the moment (I love the blue flowers) this produces a feed that is higher in nitrogen which is good for hungriest plants like brassicas and squash. I might give this a try too. I'm not going to follow all of Bob's suggestions for liquid feeds though as he also suggests using diluted personal liquid waste, ummmm think I'll give that a miss.

I managed to persuade Martin to help me on the plot normally giving him the heavy jobs but this time he was chief potato digger. These are the first earlies 'Pentland Javelin' not a huge crop but they all look healthy.

He's far too cool for my allotment. Though what his mates will think of his pink gloves......