What have you done on the plot today?

[Si]

Just got nack from today's second visit.  Put down some cardboard and chippings for the area that's going to have the tomato and chili growbags (no, I don't know why I'm placing grow bags on the soil either!).

Dug over another bed and put in the beetroot that came free with todays "Grow Yor Own" mag.

Slapped some more lettuce in...doesn't seem very keen in growing this year.

Weeded to muck heap -  courgettes and squishes are starting to come through on it

Complained about neighbouring plot: blokes been to it about twice this year and it's a jungle -very annoying because all the weed seed will blow over mone and because there is a waiting list of people wanting plots and this guy is just wasting his.

[juliet]

*feels guilt about own jungle*

We do go down weekly (at least), though - it's just that what with me being ill & then pouring rain for several days, it's been left to its own devices for, ooh, about 10 days.  Which is more than enough at this time of year

[marna]

*feels guilt about own jungle*

We do go down weekly (at least), though - it's just that what with me being ill & then pouring rain for several days, it's been left to its own devices for, ooh, about 10 days.  Which is more than enough at this time of year

Dandelion Patrol this weekend? We should <s>con people into doing our weeding for us</s> invite people down to sample the raspberries and admire the greenery.

[juliet]

Dandelion Patrol definitely required.  Also Grass Patrol, Bindweed Patrol, and Everything Bloody Else Patrol. 

Also those massive spinaches/chards/whatever they were have finally fallen over & need disposed of.

Also the raspberries have got a bit *carried away* and possibly need some cutting back.  (We should really check which are summer & which are autumn & which of these need to have this year's growth left to fruit next year.)

I did plant the squashes, though!

[hairyhippy]

I watched HFW making dandelion and burdock root beer last night. Now there's a thought, thought I.

Myself, I have mainly been digging and strimming and supporting saggy peas.

[Si]

Beanz in last night and made a complaint about neighbouring plot: totally over grown with couch grass that's ready to seed and blow everywhere.  Bloke that has it only comes about once every two months.  Complete waste of space now that we have a waiting list of people who would make something of the plot.

[FatBloke]

Today, I have mainly been breaking this...




...into small pieces with a 7lb sledgehammer, barrowing it round to the front of the house and up onto a 3 tonne flatbed truck, driving it to a secret location, unloading it by hand (except for the first load  ) and returning for more, times 4!!!! 

Between 6 and 8 yards of solid concrete!! 

I'm knackered. 

And I bloody hate gardening!   

[David Martin]

Went down last night and trimmed the hedge. The plot is a full 20 pole or what have you (about 20m on each side). 1.5 sides are privet hedge. I think I have killed my hedge trimmer. It was starting to die - maybe the petrol is a bit old and I should throw some more oil in.

..d

[Wowbagger]

My parsnips have germinated pretty well.

[FatBloke]

My parsnips have germinated pretty well.

Well, a big HUZZAH!!! for your parsnips!!!   

[Wowbagger]

My parsnips have germinated pretty well.

Well, a big HUZZAH!!! for your parsnips!!!   

Not too loud, you'll frighten the poor little dears.

[Wowbagger]

Hoed the place where my main crop carrots failed to germinate and put some French Beans in instead.

[Pancho]

Guess what? Mowing etc.

And for a change, major undergrowth clearance and I finished applying sodium chlorate to the drives and paths.

[Jon P]

Hoed the place where my main crop carrots failed to germinate and put some French Beans in instead.

Mine didn't come up either - sown some more in cells now and got one of those mini-greenhouses.  I planted 2 rows of broad beans, none came up so sowed 4 more in pots and planted out, now 2 of the originals are coming up so got 6.  Also got lettuce, beetroot, swede and cabbage, some of them look sickly.  Radish, scallions, rocket and watercress in containers.  And at least 1 courgette nearly ready to plant out.

The onion sets are doing fine, just wondering whether to lay bark mulch round them or keep hoeing.

[Si]

Yesterday on the plot I did..........nothing.  Went to play bikes instead.....am having withdrawal symptoms already, need to go plant something.

I seem to have changed from a cyclist that dabbled with veg to an alotmenteer who dabbles with bikes 



anyhoo, having asked around, seems that others are having carrot germination problems...must be a bad year for them.

[juliet]

Still no sodding carrots on our plot - the ones I planted in an old milk carton on the balcony are doing great, though.

Will think of something else to put in where the carrots were on the allotment... 

We went down on Saturday & WEEDED LIKE MAD.  Also chopped back the Raspberry Cane Jungle & used the stems as a mulch over where the butternut squash will (hopefully) later appear.

[steveB]

I think the carrot germination is down to the cold spring, all the allotmenteers have had the same problem with the exeption of yours truly and a bloke a few plots up.

The two of us sowed carrots in a four sided shelter and covered them with fleece until germination, he put his in an old bath and I made a four sided box out of recycled timber which we have delivered free to the plots.



The mange tout is just poking through too.

[Wowbagger]

A pal of mine, a very good gardener, reckons he doesn't bother to sow main crop carrots until June. He says that the germination rates are lots better and he gets a lot less trouble with carrot fly.

He gave me a couple of courgette plants this morning and some nice tomato plants. They will be going in after tea.

[Palinurus]

A pal of mine, a very good gardener, reckons he doesn't bother to sow main crop carrots until June. He says that the germination rates are lots better and he gets a lot less trouble with carrot fly.

Might give that a go. Ta.

[Si]

A pal of mine, a very good gardener, reckons he doesn't bother to sow main crop carrots until June. He says that the germination rates are lots better and he gets a lot less trouble with carrot fly.

That's what I've just been told by one of the old boys on the lottie.  And he used to ride fixed so he must be right.

[juliet]

Ooh, I might have another go, then.

[nitpickles]

Weeded like mad over the weekend. Beans and peas are doing well - especially now that I've managed to find the hole in the rabbit fence.

I think I've got about 10 germinated carrots. I'll have another go.

All the pears have gone black and shrivelled - a shame because last year's crop was immense. And there aren't very many apples either. The plum numbers are down but the blossoms were hit by frost so I was expecting that. Not a good fruit year (unlike last year!).

[Wowbagger]

Planted out the courgettes and tomatos plants that Mel gave me yesterday.

Watered things which look as though they might like it. Got my revenge on some nasty mosquitoes.

[Notsototalnewbie]

There's tiny blueberries on my blueberry plant! For the first time ever, it is just coming into its third year.

I s'pose I should net them, can't expect the birds to know that they're welcome to the lardy nutty stuff hanging on the fence, but not my precious blueberries. The plant in a big pot though so not sure of the best way.

The herbs (garlic chives, curly parsley and moroccan mint) that I bought at the festival a couple of weeks ago and bumped across London shoved in my rack pack have recovered from such treatment and are looking surprisingly well.

And my garlic has gotten very high indeed.

[steveB]

Picked strawberries, mange tout, carrots.  Hacked down all the broad been foliage (to be stored for green manure) and chatted for hours.