Anyone with an allotment?

I can smell them from here, nice.

Solid bank holiday Monday here spent getting the purple sprouting, sweetcorn and runner beans in the earth. Spuds are already poking through so got busy mounding the soil.
Had some choice words with a dog walker whose fat lab came bounding through the 🌽 and eating the chicken manure, I hope it shits all over their house. I also hope they don’t come back and fuck up my plot, I literally picked up their dog and gave him back to them.

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I had a couple of hours at the plot today.

Plot number 1 - managed to continue to tidy, planted some more tomatoes and coriander. Chillis, dahlias, peonies and potatoes seem to be doing well.

Plot number 2 - planted some more dahlias and some sweet corn. Having another bonfire next weekend and then should have a clear run to either rotovate the entire plot to level it and cover the whole thing in card board.

You picked up a fat lab? Good effort!

I was absolutely raging and it was wearing a harness. To be honest, I regret going full postal at them - I have a dog and he’s a twat too. But it’s not the first time I’ve seen this lab strolling over plots whilst the owners are on the public footpath.

nice

Very tasty, this variety:

https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/spring-onion-white-lisbon/classid.2000015248/

I'd be a bit miffed if dogs could run free on my plot. DIY Pallet fence ftw.

No pics but got a few jobs done this weekend. Bean and pea frames up and seeds in the ground. Gone much lower this year as ours never seem to get that tall.
Another couple of trenches of spuds in.
Weeding, strimming and some paths topped up with chip.

On that note what do most do about their paths? We’ve got chip but no membrane underneath so it’s a constant battle. Should I just sack it off and stim as the grass takes over? Can’t be arsed to take it off and put membrane down and we’ve pulled so much plastic out the plot I don’t want to add any. Not really a fan of grass paths but it does look easier.

Tom and pepper seedlings repotted as well at home. Got a few sheets of glass at the plot so might whip up a couple of cold frames this week at work so I don’t overwhelm our flat again with seedlings.

Cardboard then chip

Just got my plot. It's not too bad, some kale, onions in situ and very easy weeds. Going to get digging tomorrow.

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Nice, enjoy.

Whole planter of those Spring Onions gone in as I am enjoying them so much. Also a row of Spuds. Found some well past it Pink Fir at home that I'd forgotten about so saved a few from compost to go in as a bonus row too.

Harvested baby Radishes, Rhubarb, and first Asparagus of the year, forgot to photo those.

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Doesn’t look too unmanageable, that. Nice one.

I got another “tidy your plot up or get kicked off” email a couple of weeks ago. Went up with the strimmer twice and sorted a few bits, have dug over a few weedy parts and generally tidied. It’s not that bad imho but it borders some gardens where brambles and nettles come in and I’ve had plot next to me overgrown and vacant for two years which hasn’t helped. Got bindweed from there coming up in my best bed at the moment which is rather annoying.

Plenty of bike boxes and compost you can no dig 👍🏼

Started clearing today. Not allowed raised beds so digging it is. Found a gooseberry and some strawberries, bonus. Back tomorrow to properly dig it over and incorporate some home compost.

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Oh hi @OneLessCardigan
Are those ornamental alliums or edibles? Early flowers?!

Not allowed raised beds

Any particular reason why? Is the allotment committee suspicion of new fangled methods?

I'd like to know why as well ... not new ...

The concept of raised bed growing goes back to medieval times where the beds would typically be edged with wattle fences. Moving forward 500 years or so, the Parisian market gardeners of the 18th Century built up their plots using the plentiful horse manure of a pre-motor vehicle city and compost. Eventually they had depths of topsoil well in excess of a metre, sometimes two metres!

https://www.allotment-garden.org/gardening-information/raised-beds/

Had problems in the past with them rotting and then not being disposed of properly, ie dumped on the site somewhere

Hoefla - they are onion flowers.

Six feet of French horse shit.

This lot has been dumped by the gate for the last 3 weeks now. They just don't want anyone to bring in extra materials if they don't need to because of crap like this.

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Sowed a load of sweetcorn in small cells today. Different size to what I usually do but saves on space. Bit stressed by how late I’ve done everything this year. Just not had the time.

Peas, courgette and pumpkin in yesterday. No photos as trying to keep a toddler entertained at the same time, doesn't seem to be into planting things yet but happy to roll around in the mud.

Things starting to look messy, grass has got a jump on me. Also loads of bindweed still after having covered it for over a year. The stuff is invincible!

More bonfire apocalypse today. I’ll hopefully have this plot cleared today.

You’re not late. I always go too early and regret.
Was talking to one of the old boys at the plot yesterday and he’s hardly started anything yet.
Our site tends to get looted over the May bank holiday most years and everyone’s tomato plants swiped. No one’s put any in yet so possibly waiting for the scoundrels to come before anyone brings up their seedlings from home.
One guy yesterday was loading trays of his seedlings out the greenhouse into his van so they’re safe at home for a couple of weeks before they go out.

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That's tragic! What's wrong with people.