Allotments 4 All

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Yesterday I was looking at a garden that had been top dressed for the winter with coal. I think the idea was that the blackness would help with raising the temperature of the soil. Any thoughts on what the long term effects would be? A good idea?
Thanks.

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Day off today from the sweat and toil of the allotment plot. Went to the north island and posed under the famous round table of Arthurian legend.

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I fished the tubers out of the attic about a month ago, when they were just starting to shoot. Put them on top of the bed in the greenhouse, regularly watering them to encourage them to get going before I plant them out. It's always worked before... This year all that  has happened is that the shoots have gone from white to green, no further growth at all.

Has the sun cooked them?

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I'm trying this variety for the first time this year but the last wee while I've been eyeing it suspiciously. The plants are very compact with prominent sideshoots. They kind of have a determinate look about them. Double checked and they are supposed to be vines but also noted in a few places selling the seed that mentioned its "numerous sideshoots" produced lots of fruit.

Am I approaching growing cherries the wrong way? I was heading in the direction of what I'd do for a standard vine salad tomato like Alicante, i.e. a single vine and pruning the sideshoots but am I needing to engineer some sort of cage thingy instead?