Week 16 - Bed PC6 Planting

This bed was prepared by removing the top layer of sod, digging out a trench of soil to a spade's depth, loosening up the hard pan a bit and removing some of the larger stones and replacing the soil. This is more work than some of the earlier beds in this plot, but we wanted to make sure that the root vegetables could have more room to grow. A fine seedbed was prepared a wide range of seeds were scattered across the whole bed:

• Barbietola di Chioggia Beetroot - a mild-flavoured italian, pink skin variety with white flesh and pink rings
• Storuman Beetroot - fast growing globe beetroot, which can be used as both summer and main-crop
• Rhubarb Chard - rich ruby-red leaf stalks and dark green/purple foliage
• Swiss Chard - dark green leaves with broad white ribs
• Perpetual Spinach -
  
• Matador Spinach -
  
• Sugar Loaf Chicory -
  
• French Breakfast Radish 3 -
  
• Oriental Salad Mix - a seed packed containing a mix of greens including Pak Choi, Salad Rocket, Mizuna, Red Mustard and Russian Red Kale

The seedbed was very lightly raked to cover the seeds, and then lightly pressed with the back of a garden rake to ensure that the seeds are in contact with the soil.