Thanks for the advice @Allotment Boy and @barry island yes the shop on site does rent strimmers...will see how it goes tomorrow with some digging to redefine the edges of the plot. Hand pulled a few earlier and didn't seem too bad. Strimming or weed killer are always options, but at least when I cleared around the two fruits and the two small trees to water, the ground didn't seem too compacted which gives me hope.
Hello everybody , yesterday meeting wasn’t to long , so managed to get to allotment , bit like garden amazed at how things have grown in the 2 weeks holiday Dug up some new potatoes 🥔 , pulled some spring onions & o/h picked a large tub of strawberries 🍓 Plenty of jobs to do Lots of watering
Water, water, water 💦💦 keeping everything going is the main task for me at the moment. Have got half of the tomatoes onto strings now with the remainder to complete today before they flop down. Am finding that aubergine need loads of water or maybe they want shade 🤔. Harvesting chard, spinach, broad beans, potatoes, small beetroot and some carrots. It's not allotment but it's fab to walk out and pick stuff fresh for the plate.
I dug my first bed yesterday after hand pulling two bin bags of bindweed...inauspicious start, but hoping to put down my bed plan down during the weekend and to start a couple of no dig beds, or frankly as many as my hoarded cardboard will allow. My very late aubergines and peppers seem to be romping at long last so hopefully they can make it there in a couple of weeks. I've already had comments about taking the time to hand pull weeds, but thankfully I very rarely let outside comments get under my skin. It was well meaning, but just let me find my own way, dear experienced allotmenteers.
And I did find some planted potatoes under all the weeds...poor things, gave them some water, having the hope they may give a crop later.
Also planning a little shaded area on the side of my Anderson Shelter to have a little space for rest and to put a bench for anyone dropping by for a chat. Was thinking of fixing a shade sail that I can put up when I'm there. A pergola with a grape vine like some neighbours have done would also be great in the future.
Brilliant to have a plan of action and even better to see it come together. Today looks like being the last of the hot weather for a while so I'm glad to have made the effort and got everything out of the greenhouse at home and into the allotment plot just in time for the forecast rain. Now to get a couple of growbags and plant up the tomatoes and melons in the greenhouse at home.
Thanks for the advice @Allotment Boy and @barry island yes the shop on site does rent strimmers...will see how it goes tomorrow with some digging to redefine the edges of the plot. Hand pulled a few earlier and didn't seem too bad. Strimming or weed killer are always options, but at least when I cleared around the two fruits and the two small trees to water, the ground didn't seem too compacted which gives me hope.
Like the shelter shed looks, that looks a good plot, great you can rent strimmers - not on our site would of been good if we could, little tip for weeding if ground is really dry sometimes it may help if you water a bit of ground leave for a bit that softens the ground helps with weed coming out better - good you got some fruit trees can you tell what they are? and that you are keeping them
our new neighbours got the plot this year the first time they did anything cleared all the rubbish toys and all to the corner of plot lucky council took away the rubbish - they dont do that a lot, the two people cleared some of plot we went home later when we went back in the evening we looked over and noticed they had sawed off the good fruit trees some fruit plants as well all in the bottom area, the fruit had only been there about 2 years and were all good- so terrible what a waste
The grape vine idea with seating under a plot holder has done on our site been there a few years and the had grapes last year, I got a grape vine was ok when planted after a few weeks did not do well and gave up on me last year not sure why
Thanks all for the well wishes after the covid jab, was not great for a good few days, started feeling less pain and all the rest yesterday
At plot did some weeding today cleared a little area around my sweet williams as have new seedings growing in cell tray in the garden, also watering and have harvested a lot of strawberries - made strawberry cake yesterday with a few strawberries
I am looking at getting a new strimmer as mine does not last long now and you cant get spare batteries for it - so thinking about a different one
@Wilderbeast your veg area still an allotment even in your garden
I will be keeping the two little trees, one is a deep maroon coloured apple and the other is a pear as far I can tell, will see when the fruit gets a bit bigger. I'll also dig and move when dormant the really strangely planted redcurrants, even if I'm not their biggest fan I hate to waste plants. Will move them at the back of the plot and plant some autumn fruiting raspberries.
I have been thinking about layouts and not sure I'd like my space to have a boring central path. I'm working on the assumption of beds being 1.5m wide so they're easy to reach across for planting and weeding and with having long beds across the 10m width of the plot. In my mind it allows for a bit more flexibility to increase and reduce allocated space to specific crops by moving the small path across when needed.
Here's a schematic of what I'm thinking. Feel free to be honest from your experience if it seems a silly idea. Just thought since there's a grass path both sides it made sense as a way of navigating my beds instead of a central path.
Would it make sense to make the width 2m? Will use some string to see if I'm happy with the paths I've left between beds and decide on it then.
@amancalledgeorge , hello I measured my paths so I could get a wheel barrow down them . My allotment is basically split in 2 , top half small beds and some raised beds bottom half longer bigger beds . All the beds can be worked on with out standing on them Last year I realised the Autumn Rasberry beds where in the wrong place so I moved them . Glad it’s going well for you
Went to plot this evening with o/h and planted 16 outdoor tomatoes 🍅 and stacked up broad beans , hoping to go again on Saturday
I think that I'll never use a wheelbarrow near the beds. It's only a small space and can only see it being used for bringing compost and wood chip from the other end of the site or the car. So happy to only have enough space to fit comfortably on the floor to weed and plant them. I'm just thankful for the rain which should hopefully make the digging of more beds easier. Will use some sticks and thread to mock up the plan in situ...I have a Polka raspberry that has been temporarily in a pot for a couple of years as had nowhere to place it after I rescued it from the reduced area of B&Q. So would be great to get some bare roots in the autumn and make a proper go at it.
I have fruits showing on all the tomatoes so I fed them all yesterday along with the aubergine, I find the aubergines require lots more water than the tomatoes.
Neighbours thinned his sprouts and gave me some really strong thinnings (I swore I wouldn't grow them EVER), I gave them 4 basil plants in exchange which went down very well.
The peas are podding up nicely now and we keep pulling the broad beans
I continue to harvest the chard which seems unstoppable certainly have far too many plants, I am picking and blanching the crop every 5 days.
Onions are really swelling up well and the rain we've had can only help them.
Making plans for filling gaps that begin to appear shortly, row of carrot to go in behind the land cress, kale to sow in plugs hopefully to follow on from the peas or broad beans
Posts
Dug up some new potatoes 🥔 , pulled some spring onions & o/h picked a large tub of strawberries 🍓
Plenty of jobs to do
Lots of watering
Today cutting lawns at home
And I did find some planted potatoes under all the weeds...poor things, gave them some water, having the hope they may give a crop later.
Also planning a little shaded area on the side of my Anderson Shelter to have a little space for rest and to put a bench for anyone dropping by for a chat. Was thinking of fixing a shade sail that I can put up when I'm there. A pergola with a grape vine like some neighbours have done would also be great in the future.
I have been thinking about layouts and not sure I'd like my space to have a boring central path. I'm working on the assumption of beds being 1.5m wide so they're easy to reach across for planting and weeding and with having long beds across the 10m width of the plot. In my mind it allows for a bit more flexibility to increase and reduce allocated space to specific crops by moving the small path across when needed.
Here's a schematic of what I'm thinking. Feel free to be honest from your experience if it seems a silly idea. Just thought since there's a grass path both sides it made sense as a way of navigating my beds instead of a central path.
Would it make sense to make the width 2m? Will use some string to see if I'm happy with the paths I've left between beds and decide on it then.
Last year I realised the Autumn Rasberry beds where in the wrong place so I moved them . Glad it’s going well for you
Went to plot this evening with o/h and planted 16 outdoor tomatoes 🍅 and stacked up broad beans , hoping to go again on Saturday
Neighbours thinned his sprouts and gave me some really strong thinnings (I swore I wouldn't grow them EVER), I gave them 4 basil plants in exchange which went down very well.
The peas are podding up nicely now and we keep pulling the broad beans
I continue to harvest the chard which seems unstoppable certainly have far too many plants, I am picking and blanching the crop every 5 days.
Onions are really swelling up well and the rain we've had can only help them.
Making plans for filling gaps that begin to appear shortly, row of carrot to go in behind the land cress, kale to sow in plugs hopefully to follow on from the peas or broad beans