Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: beaker141 on February 14, 2011, 21:09
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With the many jobs that need doing in March/April, do many of you go to the allotment before work, say 06:30 for a couple of hours.
I know I'd struggle but Im thinking it might help me keep on top of things down there and make sure everything gets dug, planted, weeded, etc?
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My other half went to our lottie last week to measure and mark out beds at 7am as dark here before then. Surprisingly he was alone ::)
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I dont go before work now, but 10 years ago I used to start work at 6am-6pm, so would on a regular basis be on the plot at 4am for an hour or so in the summer months, then straight back on from work. Happy to say that I only work part time now so them days are behind me thankfully... :D
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Last year i was up there a couple of times at 8ish for an hour or so during summer hols but i can do it this time of year, i need sun shine to motivate me into getting out of bed that early :tongue2:
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Do not have an allotment but when I worked I used to spend 15/20 minutes watering plants in the green house before I went to work - that meant I was in the greenhouse at about 6.30am. Now like SkipRat those days are behind me and I do not have get up at 5.45 anymore.
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you aint on your own! I go to the plot before work,especially during the summer months,for watering and a bit of weeding. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to be picked up by the boss right outside the allotment.
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once or twice before work yes and a lovely peaceful time it is in the early morning
Last year just before work on many days I picked many punnets of raspberrries and strawberries and loads of asparagus to take into work for people to buy off me. And mroe than the odd courgette.
This was after I realised I had more than enough for the household and plenty to give away to appreciative friends.
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One of my best ever Lottie days was last year in June, the temp was about 26 or 27 and I went down to the Lottie at 5:30 on a Saturday morning and stayed for 3 hours .
It was bliss no one around just the birds and warm weather.
Got lots done and had a lovely morning, finished off with a bacon buttie at home and mug of Coffee.
When I got home Mrs FB asked why I bothered getting up so early and ruining a sleep in ::)
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I'm an early bird and prefer to go in a morning than evening. Only about a half hour's work every day after taking the dog for her 6.00am walk, but with specific tasks to do, I seem to get a lot more done in a week than if I'd spent 2-3 hours on one day. Main jobs - the odd weeding, watering, planting out and harvesting, leaving the noisy and heavy jobs for the weekend.
The downside are the biting bugs that seem more active then >:(
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Daughter's school is next to lottie so often pop in to open greenhouse and can't resist a quick potter...
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theres a few on our site that are there at the crack of dawn or verry late at night ive been down a few times at arround 6am and its been quite busy there but now that i only work from 10 till 2 i can go after dorpping kids off at school fro half hour or so and again half hour before picking them up lucky for me i have to walk past the site to get to the school :)
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I am on a bike by 7 going to work so would need to get up extra early to get anything done. I can usually do a bit after work now it is getting a bit lighter.
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Blimey what time do you lot go to bed, sundown?!! I think I might feel a bit like a corpse getting up at 5.45am, but come to think of it I like the idea of breakfast on the plot 8)
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I like to go down the allotment before work, as by the time I finish work it is usually dark, especially at this time of the year.
Personally I like to get up quite in the morning, I don't see the point in wasting daylight hours laying in bed.
Currently it is only light for about 10 hours during the day starting at about 7.15, so I prefer to be up and about by then to make the most of it.
Even in the summer, it's light by 5am and dark by 10pm, I prefer to be up early and using that daylight rather than sitting at home late in the evening in the dark with the lights on watching the usual drivel on the telly.
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I've never gone before work, but I do somethimes pop down at lunchtime. In the summer when warm and dry it is a great time to hoe. When watering is needed I tend to go in the evening.
I do like to go early at the weekends though. It's nice when there are few others about, most people on my plot seem to prefer the afternoons.
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My son does swimming training three early mornings a week (5 am - 7 am :wacko:) so I try to get down on a couple of those. Very peaceful, but can't do the noisy jobs like rotovating!! ::)
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As long as it is light enough, around 6 - 6:30 is a great time of the day to get some watering done especially of thirsty things like hanging basket tomatoes. Its also a good time of day to go slug hunting. :)
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2 days a week i'll pop down about 06:30 ish for an hour to water greenhouse or weed in the summer. Don't make it down in the winter as it's too cold :ohmy:
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Thanks guys - I think I'll try giving it a go, although I just know the alarm would sound and I'd think, not today !
Great point from Runwell-Steve about wasting hours with rubbish on tv when its dark.
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at the minuite im getting up at 5.30 to be at work for 7.00 so i wont be visiting till the lighter nights after work and weekends of course , but when im off and i take the nipper to school i do like to go straight to the plotand get some quality time to myself
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In the days I was working I was on rotating shifts, which was quite handy.
If I started at 3.00 p.m., I had the morning, if I started at 7.00 a.m. I had the evening, if I started at 7.00 p.m. I had the middle of the day.
Night shift was a real oddity as I never could sleep well in the daytime. In bed about 7.30 a.m., up at 11.00 a.m. & down the plot, tea about 5.00 p.m. and then the second half of me kip!
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All this talk of allotmenteering before work is making me envious,there's only a few weeks in the year when I get to leave home for work in daylight.
Weekends are a different matter though,I can't sleep any longer than weekdays so I'm champing at the bit as soon as its light.
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Its not that I don't get up early but I have the dog to walk and chooks to see to in the morning. By afternoon though, especially as the days get longer, all I can think of is going home. Just the thought of getting onto the allotment sees me through the afternoon and - oooh - what a stress reliever at the end of a busy day, to sow or hoe or even if its raining just to walk onto the garden and see the work that has been achieved. Give me the evenings any day.
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Not a chance in hell of me ever going before work. Im up at 6 for work as it is. Sleep at that time is far more important than wrking at that hr.
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im the same im up at 6:30 to be at work for 7:30, mind you i try to go in the evenings when its still light.
the weekends are a different story though i drop my girlfriend off for the bus to work at 7 so im normally on the plot at 7:10, its a great time of the day to get stuff done as theres noone to distract you/chat to/other peoples work to admire etc...
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i often go before work, but i don't start work till 4pm so i don't suppose that counts does it! :lol:
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if i went beofre work i would get all involved and have to call in sick so i could spend more time down there! :tongue2:
I like to go down after work if i can so i can think about the treat at the end of the day! Mind you with only working Weds, thurs, and fri i also have a 4 day weekend i can (try to)use to full advantage.
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Great discussion.
I don't have a lotty my veg plot is in the garden. Sometimes I can't sleep right through to the alarm, so I think I might potter in garden if I'm getting up extra early once the light is good enough.
The only problem is losing track of time and suddenly realising i should have been at work an hour ago !! :lol:
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I may have to start going to the plot before work for watering etc in the warmer months as I managed to kill off all my tomato plants last year by cooking them in the greenhouse, which was a real waste of all the sowing and potting on time .... but practically speaking, everytime I go to the plot, I get filthy. I don't know if I could resist kneeling down in the mud and hand weeding and then being all muddy for work ??? :(