Anyone with an allotment?

Currently struggling with leaf miner on my beets which is now spilling over into the perpetual spinach (should have realised they were essentially the same plant before sowing, but anyway).
Any advice on getting rid of the maggoty bastards?

You need to find a bike shop and get some cardboard. As much as you can and start layering up and put bricks or whatever on top

Another good source is you local friendly carpenter- stacks of 8x4 ply come with a cover sheet of really thick card. I got a couple today from my neighbour at work.
Most of my beds are roughly that size so works well.

I inherited a Hort with my house, it's a total mess as no one lived here full time for a while but at one point it will have been great.

There are however some lovely grapes growing.

Late October ill put some time into sorting the garden and hort.

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Sweet! what’s a Hort?

Squash - what do people think about how long to keep them on the vine? I’ve got 3-4which have basically been fully mature for a month or more. I’m wondering whether to harvest them and let the plant put its energy into maturing the newer ones?

Catalan for vedge garden.

There's a fig tree too, but due to overgrowth is currently inaccessible. I'm trying to cut a path too it as I watch over ripe figs explode daily, torture.

I think you harvest winter squash when the skin has hardened
But also - you can just eat them now if you want. Ours never get to winter.

Catalan for vedge garden.

Sounds great. We have a fig tree, but I’m not sure the figs are going to be edible this year.

Cheers. I might grab a couple.

My strawberries have acquired some fungal friends - anybody able to identify?

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^ not sure, sorry.

Got some more bits harvested today, shifted my butt & comfrey tea maker.

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When’s good to plant elephant garlic

Late Oct into Nov, or in the Spring is ok too iirc.

Also going to try some purslane

Finally got a double layer of membrane down ready for the shed.
Hopefully get shed base kit and gravel delivered for next weekend.

Might end up putting another strip of membrane along that front edge but ran out of pins.

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Do you all have bird problems with sweetcorn? i think ive been lucky in previous yrs but this yr the birds ate about half. im thinking to just grow double next yr as i cant be bothered with nets and space isnt a problem- what does everyone else do ?

Something defo ate what little sweetcorn cobs grew. I put it down to the fact that the plants were so small. Not sure if it was birds though.

Squirrels, mice, rats will have it too. Waste of time doing corn up here tbh.

Grabbed a few bits today.

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Also planted out about 22 lettuce seedlings a few weeks back and when I looked today probably 14- 15 have been munched out of existence. So the secret to my lettuce that did really well is very dry weather.

Dobies doing 89p seeds here

thanks Tonts Ive just ordered all my sweetcorn and tomatoes for next year

Do you seed save? Ive just harvested some pumpkins and put the seeds on my window sill to dry out, ive heard of saving tomatoes and sweetcorn - anything else ?

Any seeds that aren’t from an F1 hybrid plant are worth a try.