Anyone with an allotment?

Brambles are a bit of a pain to dig out once you've cut them down. But once you've done the donkey work they don't grow back anything like bindweed and are eaiser to keep a check on. That Screwfix mattock you reccomended in the gardening thread will be your friend.

After spending a while thinking about how I was going to put the roof on and coming to the conclusion I didn’t have any wood fit for the job. I was about ready to go and buy some.

That’s when Robin walked into my life. He’s two plots down and had taken an interest in what I was doing. He offered me some lengths of steel he’d acquired from a tennis court being dismantled.

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^ win.

More leeks in today. More radishes, beetroot, beans, onions, raspberries & blackberries out today.

Puncture & exploding pump barrel made for a very wet walk home in heavy rain.

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Nicola potatoes make excellent potato salad.

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Yeah! We did Nicolas for our second earlies, so tasty. Had a bit of a mare with our maincrop got devastated by critters.

Your rocket looks amazing too!

Puncture & exploding pump barrel

Blimey, what are the odds?

Those 'Ratte' look interesting, what are they good for, salad?

Yes - excellent salad potato - very firm and don't disintegrate when cooked.
Great taste.

Are those 'Apache' in the egg boxes ?
I tried some that I'd bought from a supermarket and grew them in a compost filled bucket -

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Given the age of the pump and the fact it would typically only be used in the event of a puncture, they were shortening...

Pffft (see what I did there?), I was just trying to make you feel good about it. :)

2 thirds of the roof now on. Lined with breathable membrane.

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Just awesome

Yes, Apache. Good flavour, really nice roast with the skin on. Slightly disintegrated when boiling for mash but was fine in the end. Yours look a lot more cream coloured than purple on the skin compared to ours. May give the Ratte a look next season.

Just purchased a Hyundai 52cc garden multi-tool so I can slice my way through the brambles. By the time I’d pay to hire a brushcutter and long arm hedgecutter for a day or two I may as well just buy something.
Hopefully once the site is clear I won’t need to use it as regularly and for sub-£200 I’m not expecting miracles after years of Stihl but sure it’ll do the job.
Clearance begins in earnest this week fingers crossed.

I know I’m not allowed a bonfire at all but is it common to use a small brazier these days? I know site rules differ and will check with the council but just wondering what the general consensus is.

Acquired so far:
-Tonne bags
-Loppers
-Petrol multi tool(strim/brush/hedge/saw) + required gubbins
-Rake
-Already got secateurs and tree pruning stuff

Need:
-Spade & Fork
-Mattock
-Wheelbarrow

I’ve been offered some nice patio slabs for nowt. Might make good compost/work area and eventual shed base but they’re not going anywhere so will hold off on those for now.

Shed base sure but don't put your compost heap on slabs, you want the worms to get in from below.

Cool, good to know thanks.

Let’s get those cucumbers off the dirt shall we? Cue cuclimbers. Works a treat.

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Hypnotic Beetroot

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In other news I’ve put the membrane on the roof and battened it down. I’m hoping to find or possibly buy some super thick plastic to go over the top. Soil plants. Hopefully roof done.

Finish the cladding...done

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Fucking council dragging their feet. Sent my paperwork in at the start of the week after my viewing. Chased up yesterday with the promise of a response that afternoon and still nothing. Texted and attempted a call earlier but not response.
I just want the gate code so I can spend the bank holiday attacking brambles!!!

Can you just head down and ask someone else on their plot for the code? Explain you've paid up etc but not been given the code.
That's essentially what I did when I'd paid etc but no one ever officially told me the code.

Yeah I suspect that’ll be my next course of action.
I think the council office is open today so might ride down with more copies of the paperwork after lunch..
Bit annoying as the council officer was super on it previously responding to emails straight away etc. I know that council workers are under a ton of pressure at the moment but they literally just need to confirm they’ve received the paperwork and give the code.

I’m in and have made a start on the brambles and tree work. Being a numpty I couldn’t get my new brushcutter to start so had to go in with the secateurs.
Turns out I’ve got an almond tree which is pretty cool, it needs a good bit of work but it’ll be a nice tree when I’m done.

Found a good stack of glass for cold frames, some tools and a few rolls of membrane still in the wrapping which is a good score.

Hopefully I’ll get the brushcutter running tomorrow and can fuck the place over properly....

Anyone else with horseradish? Hot as mustard this year and lovely. Have more to dig up. Keeps for ages. Cleared my head!

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Allotment finds are the best. I recently acquired a really solid rake from an abandoned plot