Anyone with an allotment?

Been given a grape vine by my colleague. It’s a couple of years old and about 18” tall.
Should I leave it in its pot until I’ve built something for it to grow up and over?
Not really got anything comparable growing at the mo, where do I start?
Do they self pollinate or do I need another?

Slugs going crazy for the menthi I chucked down as ground cover/ green manure. Not a problem as it keeps them away from the good stuff I guess. Will start rounding them up at some point but didn't fancy it tonight without any gloves.

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39 corn in amongst the menthi, I guess we'll see which the slugs prefer. Will top up the patch with a few more next week.

Took a photo but it pretty much looks like a load of weeds in the dark.

Anyone grown watermelons before?
Got a mini variety that should be ok outdoors if we get a good summer.
Presume I want to get them off the ground a little bit and maybe support the fruits or give them a straw cushion?
I know they want a bit of shade if it gets really sunny but beyond that assume it’s a bit like squash?

Acorn squashes, beetroot and ocas are in, just waiting for my chillies to bloody grow a bit.

There was a plot that was basically being used as a scrapheap, the person has given it up and it's been cleared by some others on the plot. Went in this morning to find I've been gifted a compost bin from it. Bonus.

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We’re cooking with gas!

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Toms, peppers and a few corn went in yesterday, along with our grape vine - had some poles left over from our trashed polytunnel that clipped together to make a hurdle for it to grow up, will do for the foreseeable until I build something permanent and fancy.

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Nice work everyone. I’m still waiting to hear back from the council on whether I get to keep my plot.

Council emailed - happy with the improvements and I can keep the plot. Time to put in a shift and keep it nice so I don't have another one of these bloody emails.

Nice one, a reprieve!

I wish our council were a bit more punitive with some of the scruffy plots. There’s a chunky little sycamore pollard on the plot opposite ours blocking light and the tenants only come 2-3 times a year to enjoy a glass of wine..

We had someone new take over in the council and they wanted to get on top of it. Most of the ones here are pretty decent to be fair, quite a few are in really top condition and get manured/green manured every year. Ours had a sizeable elder growing in it when I took over. Had a mate who's a tree surgeon come and cut it all back then we then had to spend a fair few hours digging it out with a mattock. So it does piss me off a little when the council whine at me. Wish they'd seen what I had to take over.

Wish they'd seen what I had to take over.

I'm glad I have pics of what it was we took on, incase ever challenged!

I emailed our council to ask if I can take over the other 1/2 plot attached to ours as it’s SOLID dandelions and clearly untouched for a couple of years.

‘Sorry, lots of people on the waiting list…’

Ffs

Went down to the plot to do some watering. Grumpatron next door was there. She'd previously asked me what I was going to do with the onions, turns out they are Welsh onions so can be divided up. As someone whose stomach has a tantrum if I eat too much onion I don't need all of them so as a peace offering I asked if she wanted some. Her response was "if I wanted some I would just help myself." Turns out she planted them but she doesn't want them and I should just dig them up if I don't want them. Can guarantee if I did that that'd be wrong too. Bah, I'm just going to say hello and that's it from now on.

Sounds like a real joy :)

You could try digging them up and transplant them into a pot so she can't see them, then when she complains, offer them to her.

Welsh onions are perennial aren't they? Always good to have some perennials on the plot, IMHO. I've got some 9 star broccoli/cauli to go in this year.

This is crazy.
I can’t imagine anyone who takes on an allotment to be so wound tight.
For the most part everyone keeps to themselves at ours although there’s definitely some people who are really good mates as well.
I’ve certainly not encountered/heard of any real dramas.

Out of interest what rules do others have regarding hanging out in the evening at their plot/bbqs etc?
It’s pretty low-key at ours and we’ve definitely been there with music til gone midnight on many occasions last summer.
We back onto houses with long gardens and have met all of them and they’re chill.
Some of the Mediterranean families have built basic outdoor kitchens and clay ovens and really make the most of it.

No one’s getting smashed and rampaging through the courgettes but was just wondering if others are subject to strict hours etc.

We can stay until whenever but no tunes. Slept over one night last year.

Radishes going great.

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Ooh I’ve not kipped over before. Fallen asleep in the hammock plenty of times

Not sure I’d be sleeping well at mine - random ex shop dummies dressed up and acting as scarecrows round various plots… any time near dusk when the place is deserted and you catch them out the corner of your eye…

Oh heck no, that sounds proper sinister. No scarecrows on our site luckily.

we're not allowed to sleep on site, though nobody would notice if I bivvyed up at my plot. our site manager's main vibe is just that he doesn't want any complaints from surrounding residents etc so its fires only when the wind is in a certain direction and don't be a twat.

our plot is worked fairly hard but definitely a tins and hanging out round the fire spot too. only really a problem for one of our immediate neighbours as they like to ignore how much their kids run onto our plot and touch everything. harder to ignore when there's a big fire.

Direct sowing climbng beans: Only 6 have germinated in pots and I need 14. Anyone tried direct sowing their beans?