Official allotment thread.

[raymondo]

Same, but mine are foxes. I use diy cloches of different shapes and sizes. If you get a sheet of reinforced steel that is bendable or chicken wire at b&q or some such and bend it into a tunnel shape, should keep the worst off...or you can buy cloches of different shapes and sizes...might help. People in our allotment cut the bottom off 2 litres water bottles too and use them as little single cloches...works, but doesn't look the nicest if you are going for Chelsea standards...

Yellow card for mentioning Chelsea

 

[A mex eyecan]

View attachment 180096View attachment 180097
After a year out, weve finally managed to get up to our plot after rain has eased.
Anyone else started on theirs yet

looking very smart.

 

[mikeyjh]

I run our community allotmenent/garden - We're in to our second year now so probably our first full planting season, it's not the neatest but we make do It's intended to blend with the woodland that we've also taken over and a wildlife pond we had built and provide a great habitat for that wildlife. And to grow food, obv.

 

[A mex eyecan]

what a lovely setting to spend some time.

 

[AmexRuislip]

I run our community allotmenent/garden - We're in to our second year now so probably our first full planting season, it's not the neatest but we make do It's intended to blend with the woodland that we've also taken over and a wildlife pond we had built and provide a great habitat for that wildlife. And to grow food, obv.View attachment 180147View attachment 180148View attachment 180149

Looks stunning.

 

[vegster]

Woodchipped the paths and seating area.
Been on a slug offence due to the rain. Collected nigh on 200 that have been placed in the slug farm. A few of them have a parasite, nematodes, and this spreads amongst newcomers. Currently they are dieing within 3 days. The resulting stinking solution is then watered down and 90% poured on veg beds and 10% kept for the next farm.
Also have 4" high asparagus, flowering broad beans but leaves a bit chocolate spotty, 8 rows pots in. Good tom seedlings. Just need some better weather to kick off.

Slugs have been absolutely terrible this year... I have a polytunnel for early crops and everything apart from Shallots has been got at by slugs... been beer trapping for about 3 weeks now and yet still they come. the bastards have even started eating the leaves of my Onion sets. I planted a few Mizuna and lettuce for early salads and they were wiped out ! Chatting at the allotment shop yesterday there were horror story's of Broad Beans wiped out and even Asparagus tips are being eaten ! A lady said her friend collected 2,500 slugs one night on her plot, she counted every one... probably better to go by weight with that many.

So, reluctantly, I'm back on slug pellets for a short while. I'm not the only one either as there is little point in growing anything otherwise sadly.

 

[mikeyjh]

what a lovely setting to spend some time.

It really is, it's just below a trunk road but somehow you don't notice it and it's so relaxing.

Looks stunning.

Thank you - I can only take credit for the wood work, the gardening I delegate and the landscape is down to him upstairs. And the climate of North Wales obv.

 

[knocky1]

Slugs have been absolutely terrible this year... I have a polytunnel for early crops and everything apart from Shallots has been got at by slugs... been beer trapping for about 3 weeks now and yet still they come. the bastards have even started eating the leaves of my Onion sets. I planted a few Mizuna and lettuce for early salads and they were wiped out ! Chatting at the allotment shop yesterday there were horror story's of Broad Beans wiped out and even Asparagus tips are being eaten ! A lady said her friend collected 2,500 slugs one night on her plot, she counted every one... probably better to go by weight with that many.

So, reluctantly, I'm back on slug pellets for a short while. I'm not the only one either as there is little point in growing anything otherwise sadly.

I think I'll do a few night reccies soon to see how many of the slimy ***** are still around.

 

[tedebear]

I run our community allotmenent/garden - We're in to our second year now so probably our first full planting season, it's not the neatest but we make do It's intended to blend with the woodland that we've also taken over and a wildlife pond we had built and provide a great habitat for that wildlife. And to grow food, obv.View attachment 180147View attachment 180148View attachment 180149

Thats amazing, I'd love an arbour like that on our site. Sadly we get a council gate with a whopping great padlock that gets tempramental in winter!

 

[knocky1]

Wasn't only me enjoying the sunshine yesterday.

 

[raymondo]

Mrs R and R Junior have been busy digging and planting, and I've now been called in to move a gate and redo the fence.
One of the best views in Wiltshire for a tenner a year .

 

[mikeyjh]

Thats amazing, I'd love an arbour like that on our site. Sadly we get a council gate with a whopping great padlock that gets tempramental in winter!

Haha - We live quite remotely, our community (parish over here) has a population of 600 or so spread over 45 square miles do tend not to concern ourselves too much with the idea that stuff may get nicked - On the contrary we want people to come and take fruit and veg etc. Shame you have to have a lock but I guess needs must.

Famous last words of course!

 

[raymondo]

I run our community allotmenent/garden - We're in to our second year now so probably our first full planting season, it's not the neatest but we make do It's intended to blend with the woodland that we've also taken over and a wildlife pond we had built and provide a great habitat for that wildlife. And to grow food, obv.View attachment 180147View attachment 180148View attachment 180149

Very professional job

 

[knocky1]

Bloody asparagus Beagle.

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

Just checked our position on the WEALD waitlist and we're in position 526, down from 600+ around a year ago.

 

[dstanman]

Just checked our position on the WEALD waitlist and we're in position 526, down from 600+ around a year ago.

Know the council have been doing inspections across all allotments and warning letters sent to those not cultivating their plots, so may see further reductions across the lists

 

[AmexRuislip]

Just checked our position on the WEALD waitlist and we're in position 526, down from 600+ around a year ago.

Know the council have been doing inspections across all allotments and warning letters sent to those not cultivating their plots, so may see further reductions across the lists

On our plot we know of at least 7 unused plots that have not been touched for over 2 years, yet the local council keep saying there's a waiting list.
If you have a particular site you fancy, might be worth chatting to the people on that site and get any evidence of unused plots, then go to the council with this info.
Some councils aren't proactive and cannot be assed to do anything.

 

[Winker]

I like to try out new varieties of things, these are a variety of cucumber called 'Poona Kheera'.
They start out a pale lime green colour before gradually turning orange, still taste like cucumber though:

 

[Winker]

Come on then, which gardening guru is going to identify these beasties growing in my greenhouse:

 

[vegster]

I like to try out new varieties of things, these are a variety of cucumber called 'Poona Kheera'.
They start out a pale lime green colour before gradually turning orange, still taste like cucumber though:

View attachment 186782

View attachment 186783

I have a Gherkin growing in my polytunnel...if you leave the fruit on too long they start to turn orange too...