Planted out Kale curly green type and more lettuce, started cleaning the allotment greenhouse for the tomatoes to go in tomorrow hopefully, met the new next plot neighbour who has actually started to plant stuff Hooray! I have had the plot for ten years this year and have had five neighbours on the next door plot only one of which has grown anything in earnest we'll see how these get on. I'm a bit behind really need to get the runner and Borlotti bean seed sown, pumpkins, courgettes, cucumbers and sweetcorn to go in tout suite.
@barry island , I known what you mean ,one plot across the the road from me is badly neglected and full of rubbish , he was given notice but disputed it , ended up in the hands of the owners ( a local farmer ) solicitor but he must leave 1st June The Allotment Ass will need a skip or 2
How do people cover there Brassicas , we have environmental mesh over blue hops , problems with canes break or plastic coated metal have bent in strong wind
I constructed a tunnel similar to but lower than yours and covered it with scaffold netting which didn't allow so much air circulation or daylight as enviromesh would do, It kept most moth/butterflies off apart from the diamondback moths which laid their eggs through the mesh onto the leaves which were touching it, luckily I noticed them before they did any damage. The biggest trouble I found was that watering was difficult plus the humid conditions led to an infestation of aphids and sooty mould, I gave up on the tunnel after a couple of seasons.
I'm going to need something like that @Allotment Boy , but half the height, for my raised bed of carrots and beetroot to stop the local cat from using it as a litter tray! Hasn't happened before until this year, and now it's a pest.
The only snag with it is, the cross beams are screwed to the uprights with thin plasterboard screws. (Cordless Drill/driver, the gardeners friend) Now after several years of putting up and taking apart, the holes in the timber are getting worn out. If I was doing it again I might buy a metal cage, but I'm not sure it's worth it now. At least I can walk in without having to bend double.
I saw a chap on youtube had an old aluminium greenhouse frame covered in netting in which he grew brassicas, the idea looked brilliant but the size of it only allowed for a few plants.
Quick visit to plots yesterday, mostly watering, but finally got the nets on the cherry, they are not ripe yet but the birds have already taken loads. Harvested, lettuce, more broad beans, strawberries and some raspberries.
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The Allotment Ass will need a skip or 2
I take it apart and move it to a new spot every year, bit of a faff but it's only once a year
Harvested, lettuce, more broad beans, strawberries and some raspberries.