[Springlands]

Did some winter digging on patches 5 and 7 - patches 1-4 are still too wet to even contemplate starting to dig. Will work on patch 6 tomorrow if the weather is good. 

[jmc1949]

Went to the plot for the first time in 2012. It's still quite wet in places after the heavy rains we have had and the soil is heavy clay.   

So I have lightly forked over and weeded 2 of my raised beds (5 more to do).  Then I measured how much weed suppressant fabric I will need for the paths. Thats the next job, I'm going to do.

Jenny

[gavinjconway]

My hubby went and paid up for the coming year. £18 well spent. Surely we can't still  be newbies , we're into our second year now. 

Good price... we pay £34 + a bit for association and insurance..

[brightgirls]

Went up with a new piece of perspex to replace the broken window in my shed - only to find the roof had been completed blown off my poor forlorn shed.  Don't think the broken window is my main issue now....

Found the roof 3 allotments further up and dragged it back.

Not a good day 

[Katejs]

Well not today, but in the 11 days since we got the plot:-

- Played 'Find the Strawberry Plant' by hand weeding a 20m² patch.
- Hand weeded the grass rasperry patch & tried to dig out some of the bindweed roots.
-Weeded around the leeks & swedes
- Dug up 2 rows of manky carrots & a row of half useable beetroot.
- Dug over the entire plot (other than the strawberry patch/rspberry canes & a couple of rows of brussels & leeks).
- Removed a dozen 30ft monster brambles from the apple tree.
- Levelled 2m² of the high pile of soil at the back of the plot.
- Scrounged some pallets & made a compost bin.
- Cleared about 5 fertilizer bags of rubbish out from the shed.
- Scythed & sheared the 2ft high grass on one of the side paths.

Not looking too shabby now. 

Main jobs remaining are to clear around the other side and back of the shed (lots of canes & metal poles etc, a rusty barrel of some kind, lots more brambles & bindweed), and level the rest of the 4ft high soil pile as we'll need to put the new shed there.

By the time we've done that it might be time to actually plant something (back to work on Wed, so it'll all slow down a bit now!)

[glasgowgal]

Hard luck Brightgirls,
There has been a fair bit of storm damage at our site too. 
Our ancient shed held firm.

Today,
I put in some fresia bulbs,
cleared a binbag of previous plot holder's stuff out of the shed,
dug over a bit of another bed
and sat in the sun!

GlasgowGuy continued to 'barrow stuff to the skip - nearly all the carpets gone now
and built a new compost area. Previous 'compost' is overgrown with weeds and brambles and will need sorting at a later date.

Met yet more friendly allotment neighbours and realized that it might be hard to get much work done while others are around.

GG

[flitwickone]

hoed around the strawberry plants and weeded the manure that is lying on top of th allotment as i dont want to rotavate the seeds in when the drier weather is here

also one of my black compost bins is missing and its not anywhere on the allotments very strange

also ive been told that 2 feet of the path is actually meant tro be my allotment so will reclaim it at the weekend 

[gavinjconway]

Brightgirls - sorry to see your news above.. hope you can sort it soon.

[Paul Plots]

Brightgirls - sorry to see your news above.. hope you can sort it soon.

That's rotten news Brightgirls.    But on the brighter side at least you've found the roofing material.

It happened to a plot neighbour of mine last year - a few minutes and an extra pair of hands helped put it right.

Look lost and forlorn.......ask for some help from a neighbour.. after all we plotters should always spare a bit of time to help each other out. 

Here's hoping it's soon back where it should be. The main structure looks grand. 

[Cake Lady]

Look lost and forlorn.......ask for some help from a neighbour.. after all we plotters should always spare a bit of time to help each other out. 

I think it's great when we all muck in together!  I went down my plot yesterday with no adult tools so weeded a whole bed with my new childrens spades!  I was also going to get some manure whilst the pile was still there (the site gets some delivered but it goes quick), and was so lucky that the guy who runs the allotments took pity on me and filled three barrows full with his proper shovel!!  I'd have been there for ages with the one i was using! 

I'd have popped back home to get them, however i'd walked down and wanted to make the most of the time while I had one child asleep!

[compostqueen]

My first day back on the plot this year. Sad to hear and see shed roofs ripped and blown off. Someone on our site had theirs held with huge straps   Mine had leaked in through the side and all the floor was wet    At least the roof didn't leak 

Plot looking tatty so did a bit of clearing of dead and decaying stuff, had a small bonfire (sssh) and picked veg for tea. The minicoles looked a bit yukky but underneath the top layer of manky foliage they were perfect    Picked a huge celery, fat leeks, spring onions too 

Too wet to do anything with the soil, not that I dig it, but I need to clear all the weeds ready for the off.  That's for another day

Sat with a cup of hot choc and took it all in. Sigh 

[DD.]

At long last!

Got the garlic (44 cloves of "Music") planted and 150 winter onions in. (75ish "Shakespeare and 75ish "Electric"

I know they're late, but they're 2 months earlier than last year and I still had a good crop!

[Katejs]

Broke my trowel   

Pleased to hear about the garlic DD.  I'm planning to put some in on Friday, but the other plot holders I've talked to all did the sucking breath through teeth thing & said it was too late.  Are the onions seeds or sets?

[DD.]

Nonsense about the garlic! As I said I didn't plant them until March last year and got huge bulbs. At the risk of repeat posting, here's one of them:



The onions are sets,  they should have gone in during October, but due to being unwell I missed the boat, however not as badly as last year and they should catch up.

[grendel]

stick the garlic in the fridge for a bit, it needs a frost to get it shooting.
Grendel