[Dan78]

Had a day off today Had a doctors appointment in the morning with the other half.. got to listen to my new babies heart beat Really happy Our son (2 and a half) was quite impressed to hear something too.. kept repeating 'baby' lol

Went to the plot around 12 to meet a work mate who wanted to look round. Had a nice picnic in the sun and a nice chat then lots of watering Was a lovely day and think i have caught the sun a little more than planned.. apparently the back of my neck is pink!

Oh and also found a grass snake at the allotment.. sadly i had run it over in the car about 15 minutes earlier    

[Paul Plots]

There's just one more disadvantage to having cars on allotments.  other than disturbing the peace and quiet..

[deannatrois]

What a crazy, crazy week.  My days seem to limited only by lack of sunlight.  I have been working on the allotment in streetlight three times this week so far I think.

We got the allotment last week, cleared it by Monday, so it was rotivated and ploughed, major panic over the depth of the soil (still unresolved), then found the soil was acidic and knew my ex farmer allotment neighbour had loads of brassica's spare he wanted me to plant urgently. He is lovely but doesn't understand that us ordinary amateurish mortals have their limitations lol.

So, today was a mass planting day of Brocolli, cabbages and cauliflower.  I have to say that I nearly died in the heat (started at 8am - 3pm, took a break for four hours and back out by 7 to start watering (watered my neighbours many plots as well).  I finished by streetlight needless to say and finally came in to eat at 10pm lol.  I almost had to crawl back to the house he he! Crazy.

But we now have rows of potatoes, two rows of peas, a row of runner beans, some onions (know its a bit late but as I had the set ready to go, thought it was worth a try) and umpteen rows of brassica's.  Only a third of my 41x90ft left lol.

Am I exhausted.., do I get covered in dirt yes, but am I having the time of my life .., YES

I keep reminding myself (as I am doing endless research on the net) that I didn't even know what brassica's were last week.., now I seem to be breathing and dreaming the variious forms of veg/soil conditions/planting times etc etc lol.

[Paul Plots]

Deannatrois sounds as if you have been busy  All you need to do now is water, weed and sit back and enjoy          "Sit back" - I never get time for this bit! 

Thought this might be useful to you:

"..............if any plant does not like an acid soil it is the brassica." Advice page here. 

[deannatrois]

With my neighbouring allotment holder at the helm, I doubt i will have time either lol.  But I don't mind, learning lots and doing something I enjoy.

[Paul Plots]

With my neighbouring allotment holder at the helm, I doubt i will have time either lol.  But I don't mind, learning lots and doing something I enjoy.

Did you add any lime to the soil to reduce the acidity when you planted the brassicas?

Just a thought - I am pretty sure they do better in a soil which is not acidic.

[deannatrois]

No I have received this advice but didn't have time to get the lime. Club root isn't a problem on the site so I will add lime next week. Funds are a bit short unfortunately.

[Geordie Gal]

What lovely weather. I spent the whole day at the plot yesterday weeding, watering, chatting and sorting out the greenhouses - (we inherited 2 with the plot) I'm worried that I might have too many toms as there are nearly 20 plant in one of the the greenhouses.  Am I just asking for disease? The ventilation is quite good - if you count an open door!
 
I also planted the first salad crops and realised that I had been a bit heavy handed with the sowing as I had to do a mass thinning of turnip and radish seedlings. Got really excited as first lot of peas have started to flower.  Off to buy more seeds and I'll be a bit more careful when sowing time.

Can't wait to get up to plot again today.   

[boosh]

Removed some large stones, planted out the last of my french beans,cut the comfrey down and mulched the toms, feed the blackcurrent plants and the rhubarb with comfrey tea, then the rain came 

[vet]

went to the plot early to avoid the heat. Finally got my sweetcorn in then put in some cucumbers. Had sown too many so decided to give a couple to a neigbouring plot holder and put the rest on the swop table. They didn't even get to the table as was putting them out they were taken by a couple who had come to the wrong alloment site but took advantage of our swops table

[Dave Mack]

Pulled a dead leaf off my rhubarb  not much to do here at the moment ... because i've been working flat out all week on my beds .

[scenic]

been on hols for a week,  thankfully been some rain so everyting has got through,

fabullous weed growth   and red bordeaux spinach bolted .  any tips how to unbolt it?

[mjpalin]

Continued the 2nd dig of the first bed on our new plot this morning, stopped for a vital trip to the hairdressers and then returned this evening to put up the bean frame and planted the first seeds on the plot!

[kari]

Fantastic thread, full of inspiration & ideas for a newbie.

Today was my first day,  collected keys for greenhouse & shed, then with my 8yr old son did lots of weeding & digging, first raised bed ready, we planted out some tomato plants, cucumbers & radish & set seeds for radish & lettuce.

Came back home for a couple of hours as it was soooo hot, & put feet in the paddling pool, after tea I swapped son for 11yr old daughter (big mistake, she spent two hours fussing local farm cat & pulled up one weed lol) dug & weeded another bed & planted two giant pumpkin plants & 2 butternut squash, oh & netted the strawberries

Then dad arrived & we went through every old bed seeing what crops we could salvage & what to dig up, came home with lots of rhubarb, leeks, 2 onions & 3 strawberries brilliant first day!! But so much to do tomorrow & I have a feeling i'm gonna ache......

[Wombat18]

Not masses, bit of weeding, bit of watering.  Spent the evening making rhubarb jam which turned out to be particularly time consuming and messy.  Actually quite hoping for rain tomorrow so I can have a day off.