[Snoop]

Hard day today done some digging 8ft by 8ft, the mud was very very hard, fork would only just go in it, coming up in big blocks, added manure & compost mixed with woodchip, very hard to break down into small pieces,

Got told today by anther allotmentie that the last person who had my plot never dug it has he had a bad back he just put manure on top of the seeds he wanted to use 

Also told today I cant light my fire  because the corner house over the road complains she cant open her windows, it was 630pm when I was going to light the fire.

Been told to put a pallet in the corner and put the long bundles of grass on that then put anther pallet on top and leave it there. what a joke.

Sounds like the digging is hard-going. I'm intrigued by the woodchip. I've been told that sawdust and the like can take an age to break down. What kind of woodchip are you using?

[colin120]

Its just very small shavings mixed with compost and rotted down thorn leaves, added it as the mud is just clumping together when dry the mud is to hard when wet its like clay  it helps to break it up

[Aled]

5 more days before i dig up my first potatoes!
Lovely
Aled

[chillimummy]

Sewed more turnip and beetroot as rows are bit sparce!
Dug up third of red onions and mostly good size, few small but lovely.
Watered courgettes and pumpkins which are really slow to get going. One courgette been badly eaten and never had this before. Last year had healthy productive plants.
Bit of weeding and picked few strawberries.

[Snoop]

Its just very small shavings mixed with compost and rotted down thorn leaves, added it as the mud is just clumping together when dry the mud is to hard when wet its like clay  it helps to break it up

As I understand it, wood shavings actually absorb nitrogen from the soil as part of the process of breaking down, so if you're hoping to plant in these areas this year, make sure you add more, especially for leafy plants like brassicas.

My progress today: not much, just watering and one intercontinental ballistic missile of a green courgette not spotted yesterday.

[Elm street]

Spent an hour on the plot this morning, last daytime during the week as will be back to work on Thursday 
Removed an old lawn mower that has been on the plot since we took over in April, I want to try to turn it into a hand powered shredder!!

[Annen]

Picked beans and got soaked, everything is sopping

[marcofez]

Filled up the water butts with hose pipe. While waiting for these to fill, sowed a few salad seeds, kohl rabi, fennel.

[AnneB]

Watered polytunnel and tied up the tomatoes.   Weeded, picked fruit and other harvesting.

[colin120]

Didn't get to the allotment until this evening, did a little more digging, then the fresh hot steaming horse manure got delivered so spent 3hrs taking lots to my plot.

now waiting for my chicory & spring cabbage also lettuce seeds to be posted to me.

[surbie100]

Did plot inspections inbetween showers - apart from the usual few who need warnings it was fantastic to see some of the new plots that have been completely turned round. Need to investigate when and how to spray marestail (by a professional) as we're finally looking into how to deal with a plot that is over-run with the stuff.

Planted out my cucumbers and some of the potted oca which does look a bit miserable and marvelled at the strawberry runners. Bought more compost on the way back from hospital for a weekend of pegging runners into pots sometime soon. Sowed kale.

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

Squished lots and lots and lots of asparagus beetles. 

[Snoop]

Hurried watering session. Overslept and had to get it done before the bees arrived for water from the barrels. Once they've descended, there's no chance. This year, there are about 60 beehives close to us. That's a heck of a lot of bees. They even bee-tle about in the pots in which I'm growing seeds to get the water and minerals out of the compost. Mind you, the pollination of the melons has been spectacular this year, so I'm not complaining. Yet. It'll be a miracle if we get much sweetcorn, as they steal all the pollen from the male flowers before the females open. Only wish the squash plants could get their acts together - it's all male or all female flowers and ne'er the twain do meet. Looks like we'll be low on squash this year, bees or no bees.

[surbie100]

Hurried watering session. Overslept and had to get it done before the bees arrived for water from the barrels. Once they've descended, there's no chance.

Only wish the squash plants could get their acts together - it's all male or all female flowers and ne'er the twain do meet. Looks like we'll be low on squash this year, bees or no bees.

One of our water tanks is the bees favourite and it's difficult to get at it some days. I've spent ages rescuing swimmers with a long piece of woodchip!

Picked courgettes which had been hiding and are now a bit big (courgette surprise tonight!), and noticed a flower on one of the potimarrons was open so rushed to find a male flower to pollinate it. I've had a bad record with male/female flower timing too and have already had to remove 4 rotting female flowers from the Crown Prince and the Tonda Padana.   No male flowers on the seed circle courgettes at the moment either, but at least 2 courgettes have set from that and are already each over a foot long. 

Found 3 ripe tomatoes in the culticave and ate them as watering snacks. very windy here today, so am hoping that the tomatoes in large pots will be ok.

[AnneB]

Weeded lots.  Picked lots more soft fruit.   Gave beans and peas a seaweed feed.  Harvested broad beans, turnips, lettuce and peas?  My turn to clean the allotment toilet, thankfully not too bad this time.