Vinny's Allotment Plot

That's looks interesting

Flying visit to plot today mainly to drop off some wood ash and kitchen waste for the dalek. Spread the wood ash along the soft fruit bushes down the separation fence, the raspberries, and a bed I intend to plant the Spring Cabbage in. While I was there I eventually got my Gladiator parsnips sown in situ.

Planted a pinch of seed in each station.

Ended up bringing my brassica seeds I sowed yesterday home as the weather is due to get colder. I will keep them in the house until they germinate.

Pickies below of brassica bed with woodash, newly acquired damp proof plastic for paths, newly sown parsnip area.

Managed to get some Spring cabbage transplanted at the plot. I have only three survivors of the ball headed F1 cabbage but loads of Durham Early transplanted into a bed. The plan is that every second one I will use for spring greens and allow the others to heart up.

After roughly levelling the path that runs parallel to the dividing fence I laid down the plastic damp course to the width. I only have a stone holding it down at each end temporarily so will probably find it in next doors plot if the wind gets up overnight.

I also ran the hoe along the sides of the Japanese onion sets which are very poor this year for some reason.

A few piccies below to show progress.

Had to take my brassicas back to the plot today as they have germinated so put them in greenhouse. So that's cauli's and calabrese set away, spring cabbage planted out and a few PSB ready to plant out next time I am at plot. I planted out half a dozen PSB in the autumn bot only one has survived. Luckily the MFB the seedlings were growing in  still have enough to re-plant.

While I was there I dismembered last years climbing bean wigwam and stored it. I won't be growing Climbing French beans this year but will be growing Tendergreen Frenchies.

Planted out some of my own shallots I had kept, and what I think was Elephant garlic? I'll just have to wait and see what pops up.

Added some fertiliser to beds to hopefully start stuff growing. Tickled soil around red onions planted out in autumn and did a bit of weeding and stone removal.

Planted two pot fulls with 15 corms in each of a flowering bulb related to gladioli that I bought at Aldi.(Forgotten name) these will hopefully flower on the greenhouse bench.

Once again I was the only one on site.....................amateurs!

Once again I was the only one on site.....................amateurs!

This is why I lost my allotment - I was too lazy to go there!

TBH, I'd rather grow at home where I don't have to stress about stuff getting nicked, or have to put up with old hands giving me a hard time for not growing things "the right way". I'm basically an anti-social so-and-so, but not thick-skinned enough to tough it out

Hats off, though, to those of you who have taken to allotments and made them work for you - I do slightly envy you the extra space, but only a little!

Once again I was the only one on site.....................amateurs!

This is why I lost my allotment - I was too lazy to go there!

TBH, I'd rather grow at home where I don't have to stress about stuff getting nicked, or have to put up with old hands giving me a hard time for not growing things "the right way". I'm basically an anti-social so-and-so, but not thick-skinned enough to tough it out

Hats off, though, to those of you who have taken to allotments and made them work for you - I do slightly envy you the extra space, but only a little!

I am often the only one on site. Its nice to be alone and just potter on without interruptions. Worst part is when another punter comes to plot, lights a bonfire then buggers off leaving me to come home smelling like a kipper.
I am not anti-social though and if others are on site I will happily have a natter. As the weather warms up punters will trickle back and they are a decent bunch of keen gardeners, they just don't like the cold weather.

I think it is the same on most sites Vinny, we have a hardcore of attendees year round (about 6). When you consider there are 120 plots thats a very low number.

I am sure some people just like to say "I have an allotment" but fail to realise they need to work it.

I'm such a wimp, I hardly touched my garden all winter. Though to be fair we had no central heating for nearly a month, so getting cold outdoors was even less attractive than usual!

I guess it would have gladdened some hearts to see us yesterday...we live about a 10-15 minute walk (depending on the little one) from our allotment. We lugged over a wheelbarrow full of half-composted material to start prepping a place for pumpkins on the plot. We had a few conversations with interested parties along the way.

Back at the lot for a short time today with no preconceived plan as to what to do. Took my six clumps of soup celery plants off the kitchen windowsill to harden off a bit in the greenhouse. Sowed a six module tray with a a pinch of PSB in each. Six PSB will give me enough for my needs.

After raking I planted roughly 30 Centurion F1 onion sets out.

Pulled up the remains of cabbage, sprouts and calabrese and consigned them to compost heap. Had to take the spade and chop up the stems to get some of them into the dalek.

Moved three of the old wooden sided beds into a likely position on the left side of the plot and covered the weeds within with cardboard and paper-mache egg boxes.

Still haven't decided what will go where. Job next time I am there is to dig up the remaining strawberry bed, tidy the plants up, splitting if need be and plant in another bed.