The Allotment is back

[al_yrpal]

I had an allotment a few years ago and had to let it go because I was neglecting it. The amount of charity work I did at that time made it hard to fit everything in. Then I got thrown off my bike and injured my shoulder but two years later its become useable again. I went to see our Parish Clerk six weeks ago and was offered this 1/2 plot for fifteen quid a year. https://www.flickr.com/gp/alyrpal/9PBpG7 It has a rickety shed someone left there and a fairly dilapidated wire mesh fence to keep the deer, rabbits and pheasants out. I mumbled that it was a bit overgrown and he immediately picked up the phone and ordered his allotment contractor to rotovate it and tidy up the undergrowth. I thought that was very good. Many people have big gardens around here so allotments arent in such high demand and tbere are several unused plots.
Actually its quite a nice plot, very accessible with really good earth and right by a water point. When I had my allotment on the same site before it was a wildlife haven, stony, poor soil and almost on top of a rabbit warren.. Since then they have erected a 10 ft deer fence and displaced the rabbits. Its right out in the countryside with fields one side and woodland on the other.
Now six weeks on I am slowly getting it under control and the hoeing and digging is doing my shoulder good (with lots of cracking noises). Rotovating was a mixed blessing, it chopped up the couch grass which I am having to slowly hoe out. https://www.flickr.com/gp/alyrpal/6X78G3 Spuds, broad beans, beetroot, parsnips are up, runner beans and french beans are doing their thing and onion sets look good. I forced several Champagne Rhubarb plants that were there and we have been enjoying Rhubarb and Custard and even had a Rhubarb and Lentil curry yesterday evening.
But, its still really cold and windy here and I get the impression that stuff is being held back and failing to germinate, but perhaps its the cheap seed I bought? http://www.vegetableseeds.net

Any other vegetable gardeners here - hows it going where you are?

Al

[Paulatic]

I'm a lot further North than you so there will be no real comparison. My seeds, carrots and parsnips, are just germinating. Onions which went in in March are looking good peas are thriving too.
So far this year is being kinder to the garden than last year.
If you have couch grass then you've got your work cut out Al. It does thrive on being rotovated

[mercalia]

... I went to see our Parish Clerk six weeks ago and was offered this 1/2 plot for fifteen quid a year. https://www.flickr.com/gp/alyrpal/9PBpG7 It has a rickety shed someone left there and a fairly dilapidated wire mesh fence to keep the deer, rabbits and pheasants out.....

why on earth do you want to keep out the deer, rabbits & pheasants I would have thought the more the better I have a friend up north who goes with her dad out shooting rabbits for the freezer & comes back having decimated the local population. a few deer and pheasants would be welcome let them come to you a better use for an allotment than all that digging and sweating?

[al_yrpal]

On the old allotment I did have a few Pheasants and pigeons. I thought "if they can get in they are fair game". But the deer have now been kept out by the fence although a couple of Muntjacs have apparently got in.
The couch grass is gradually diminishing. I have one of these which hoiks it out and shears it off under the ground. http://www.worldofwolf.co.uk/products/s ... --lbm.html Its mounted on a long handle. I am on my third pass over the ground. I wanted to avoid using a weedkiller that stayed in the soil.

Al

[DaveP]

I have one of these which hoiks it out and shears it off under the ground. http://www.worldofwolf.co.uk/products/s ... --lbm.html

Thumbs Up! I have the bigger version, without the blade. Still a key element in my battle with the willow herb clan. And that's just in the garden...
Tomatoes and beans are going out this week end. That'll be one job less in the mornings

[53x13]

I've been offered half a plot on an allotment from July. Quite a lot of the current residents have put up small solar panels and batteries to power lighting and kettles ect. One guy even has a pretty posh looking small wind turbine! Apparently no planning or special permissions were required. Is it the same in your allotment?

[al_yrpal]

My allotment is about 1/2 a mile outside the village where I live. Its in the countryside and even though its inside a 10 ft deer fence its insecure, there are no nearby houses. I have a little shed where I keep hand tools which I lock, but there have been thefts in the past. I havent seen any of the sorts of things you describe, but they sound really great. I do know all my allotment neighbours though and we are all good pals helping one another out.
Is your allotment in a town or city? I think allotments are great to relax on particularly for those with no outside space at home or who want to escape the family for a bit.

Al

[53x13]

My allotment is about 1/2 a mile outside the village where I live. Its in the countryside and even though its inside a 10 ft deer fence its insecure, there are no nearby houses. I have a little shed where I keep hand tools which I lock, but there have been thefts in the past. I havent seen any of the sorts of things you describe, but they sound really great. I do know all my allotment neighbours though and we are all good pals helping one another out.
Is your allotment in a town or city? I think allotments are great to relax on particularly for those with no outside space at home or who want to escape the family for a bit.

Al

It's a city based allotment. Quite a few trendy types but most of the folk are just wanting to grow a bit of their own and get away from the family for a few hours

[Bill Reynolds]

They never went away! I had allotments in the 1960's and 1970's when they were just ordinary and not the latest trendy thing to do. You must be aware of one sticking point though. If you put lots of digging and effort plus loads of horse muck and soil additives into your plot and then after a while the interest goes away and you decide to pack it in.......the next tenent of your plot gets all of the benifit!! The last time i had a plot around 1970 the old chap next to me who had a wonderful plot and won all the annual show prizes died. A complete novice took over with everything ready to go. Meanwhile me next door had a plot full of squich grass and clay!..........

[al_yrpal]

This is the third time I have had an allotment on this site. The first one went in the early 80s when everything got stripped overnight by a huge flock of pigeons. The second ended when I just got too busy, so third time lucky. Things are promising despite a late start. We are munching away on some of the produce already and tbe freezer is filling up nicely. No trendos on our site although plenty cycling past on new shiny bikes. Huge increase in weekend cyclists this year.

Al

[Flinders]

We had couch all over our previously neglected allotment. We had to rotovate when we got it as the ground was so uneven, and that definitely doesn't help when it comes to the couch.
We dug out 40 sacks of couch roots the first season as we double dug it all. It's a tough job, but eventually you do get on top of it if you keep digging it out when it comes up again (it will). The thistles were nearly as bad- rather than runner roots they go down to Australia. I cleared on whole 30' long section one afternoon, and when I got to the end of it some had actually come up behind me. I'm not exaggerating, they actually had. But again, if you persist, you get rid of them.

We pay 4x what you do for a smaller plot, with no water, but it is privately owned so it's take it or leave it, and we wanted something close enough we could walk to it. Needing the car to get to it would have somewhat undermined our reasons for having it, and we're both busy so needed a place we could get to quickly.

As for rabbits, we're on the edge of town, and the rabbits are a menace. We have to fence off onions when they are small (we've seen them eating the tips out of the sets and therfore killing them permanently) and we have to fence our brassicas all the time. Fencing makes cultivation awkward. We even found a rabbit nest when we dug up our spuds last year- they ran out of it as we dug into the row. They are a serious pest.

[Flinders]

This is the third time I have had an allotment on this site. The first one went in the early 80s when everything got stripped overnight by a huge flock of pigeons. The second ended when I just got too busy, so third time lucky. Things are promising despite a late start. We are munching away on some of the produce already and tbe freezer is filling up nicely. No trendos on our site although plenty cycling past on new shiny bikes. Huge increase in weekend cyclists this year.

Al

Pigeons- try enviromesh - or fleece when plants are young.
The mesh keeps all sorts of pests off, and is both brilliant and hardwearing, if expensive.

[Flinders]

I have one of these which hoiks it out and shears it off under the ground. http://www.worldofwolf.co.uk/products/s ... --lbm.html

Thumbs Up! I have the bigger version, without the blade. Still a key element in my battle with the willow herb clan. And that's just in the garden...
Tomatoes and beans are going out this week end. That'll be one job less in the mornings

The wolf wiggly weeders are brilliant................
http://www.wolfgarten-tools.co.uk/multi ... eeder-10cm

there is also a larger size, good if you have an allotment where you have wider rows.

And this one:
http://www.wolfgarten-tools.co.uk/multi ... iller-15cm

is great for getting a fine tilth for stuff like onions.

[DaveP]

Not so sure about the wiggly weeder - what can that do that you can't do with a clean and sharpened hoe?
But the soil miller - often looked at that and wondered if it was more than just a trendy toy. Glad to have your thoughts.

[mercalia]

I have been wondering about an "allotment" but grass it over and camp there? well would get me out of the 4 walls into the fresh air? what are the rules about allotments any one?