Anyone with an allotment?

Our plots are now completely waterlogged. Tried to do some hoeing today, was like stirring readymix, can't walk on any of it without going up to our ankles :(

Picked up our seed potatoes today, gonna give this method a whirl - thanks!

Yeah, hard work digging right now. I realised I did a bad job of planting my new raspberry canes but I'll be waiting until it dries up a bit to attempt to do anything about it. Edit: that does sound particularly bad though actually.

Does anyone know a site or app that can help me planning planting spaces and/or schedule? I want to try and be a bit more organised this year rather than just randomly shoving stuff in the ground like I usually do.

The Expert Vegetable Notebook by Dr D. G. Hessayon should always be within arms' reach.

The 3-fold rotation: Brassicas, Others, Roots is explained.

Might go in for an unexpected rice crop...

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Off to the rice thread >>>>

Cheers, ordered

Off to the rice thread >>>>

Forum noobs. It's:

Rice thread:

Forum noobs. It's:

Rice thread:

Its not worth getting in a paddy about this Oliver :)

Anyone up for an allotment brainstorm project?

I’m going to build a hot composter. I’ve got a sheet of insulation board, plenty of pallet wood.

I can’t decide if I need to line it with a plastic container or just straight on to the board. Also there’s going to be a build up of liquid so will need to figure out how to remove that too

subscribed I'm into having a go at one of these, it'll be the perfect distraction from the more necessary work required by the allotment and flat

Mine never leaves my side, it's the best book I've got, an elderly plot holder kindly gave me it.

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The main issue I can see if air flow. So I’m thinking of having a pvc pipe running through the middle of the bin with wholes drilled in it.

Lots of trial and error

Your welcome.

Can you have a look at the off-the-peg hotbins and just copy what they do?

Hmm,
my 'Notebook' edition is dated 2009,
and,
is presumably an abridged version of yours.

Ah interesting, mines dated 2003

The main one I’ve seen is just a box with a release valve for the liquid. Because mine is made from insulation board it will probably “leak” the liquid out anyway.

I've not been able to work out how the big black polystyrene ones are ventilated, it all seems v much focused on being almost air-tight to hold onto the warmth. Are the pipes you mentioned going to be kind of like rungs, or straws arranged in a Kerplunk fashion? Do they need to vent to the outside or is creating airchambers within the thing enough?

Sorry for loads of questions, just sort of thinking aloud

Heres mine - had it since 1990

"I would say that the Expert Books have been the biggest innovation in gardening publications since the death of William Robinson in 1938" - Dr Brent Elliott (Librarian, Royal Horticultural Society)

I have the later Fruit Expert one as well somewhere ...

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Mine came today! That's the weekend sorted.

All my seedling have either failed to come up, or come up and then died spectacularly. That answers the question of whether seeds will germinate in erratic temperatures with almost no light. I'm up north and we've been oscillating from -3 to +7C from one day to the next.

I guess it was too early to start trying. Will wait until at least end of Feb for the next lot.

I did some digging. Where the basin is the water wheelie bin was, so that was moved first. Plan to rig up an overflow from bin to basin pond.

My comfrey tea brewer has been steadily dripping into the 2l bottle over the past couple of months too.

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Today I started to make a cold frame out of an old double glazing unit. Didn't finish or take photos, quite pleased with how it's turning out though.
Gave up sorting out the other cold frame as my glass clips need trimming down and I couldn't feel my fingers.

Cold story bro.