Anyone with an allotment?

I’d suggest some gauze/mesh on the ends with that because snails and slugs will be loving some pipe to hang out in.

My colleague has pointed out that given the available size bed I’d probably get the same benefit a cold sink by just putting a 12” deep channel filled with gravel down the middle.
He doesn’t reckon at my scale I’d get the walipini benefits.
Will start digging tomorrow and see how bad chopping through the clay is. I just love the idea of being a hobbit and sitting, listening to the rain hitting the tunnel :)

I just love the idea of being a hobbit and sitting, listening to the rain hitting the tunnel :)

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Starting clearing my wife’s new plot today. The previous occupants abandoned ship some time ago and it’s become a bit over grown. We’ve managed to remove some debris and cover with cardboard. It’s a cut flower plot. We’ve got raised beds ready to go. Also plan on having a surplus of manure in tonne bags annually ready to replenish and then cover in winter.

It even comes with a shed that’s seen better days but it more than useable.

I’d quite like to get some stuff in the ground ready for the new year but flowers isn’t my strong suit.

Any recommendations a for early cut flowers?

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it’s become a bit overgrown

Yeah, just a wee bit. :)

We got about 30% covered in cardboard which I robbed from my lbs this morning.

It's a good time of year to get spring bulbs in the ground if you want tulips, daffs etc.

Yes tulips is a good shout.

The grounds covered so I’d like to start filling the beds asap.

In other news garlic is in. I’d left the bulbs in the envelop they can in and some had gone a bit mouldy so lobbed them in the garden.

I’ve called time on the last of the greenhouse peppers (though the padron plants are flowering again)

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One ripe one as a treat in among the rubbish green ones

Finally making some progress. We’ve got about 50% covered in cardboard now.

There are two rows of black current bushes. Managed to remove the first row today, but it was hard going.

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^ impressive bed building

Did a lot of pruning of the very overgrown hedge down one side of my plot today. Think 20 foot high in parts. Amazing what you can achieve with a little folding pruning saw. I used this Japanese one, which is lethally sharp and goes through trunks as wide as your forearm in seconds.

Used some of the prunings to make this little dead hedge to demarcate the boundary between my plot and the wilderness beyond. Quite pleased with how it turned out

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The dead hedge composite heap intrigues me. Looks like a great concept

The alternative to dispose of the prunings would have been to build a wicker man sized bonfire, this will hopefully make me less unpopular with the neighbours

Probably needs another year's worth of prunings to fill out a bit thicker, by which time it will starting to rot down and in need of fresh material, so in theory it should allow me store coppiced prunings perpetually without growing too tall

Looks like a hazel. Could build yourself a nice fence around the plot. Keep the riff raf out.

Looks very like the end plot I have been clearing for my (unwell) neighbour.
The fence on the right hasn't been seen for decades - covered by brambles on top of brambles.
That pile has sunk down now by half.

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A bramble is an evolutionary marvel.

Tough as fuck
Spread far and wide, quickly
Hurt like fuck

Last couple of squashes picked, still got celeriac in. Need to get up properly and plant 3x onions and garlic.

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Squashes look fabulous

It's just coming up to 6 months since we got our plot. Very little actual produce grown due to the late start, badgers eating sweetcorn, slugs getting the best of the rest, but we did get fabulous tomatoes and rhubarb. Slight setback of my wife breaking her leg recently also.

But I'm feeling pretty good about the 'structural' progress, if that's the right word, and thinking that we should be very well setup for a full growing season next year. Thanks for all the advice on here on the way. Just need to order a tonne or two of compost now and rope some friends into an afternoon of shit shovelling.

Photos show mid-May to end-October progress

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https://youtu.be/mraMN1lILXY?feature=shared

This is ace. So satisfying. Next year will be so rewarding.

Feels like Gideon Coe should play this on his radio show, strange but brilliant.

I feel like there’s room for an “Allotment Forecast” telling you what to plant and when, weather and pests around the time.

Most of the way there with cleanup and card/manure now. Bastard caterpillars have munched my sprouts.
Bunch of garlic and onions went in, pulled up some spent chilli/pepper plants and cut back some of the ones for overwintering.

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Good bit of clearing and 6 rows of onion/garlic in

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