Down T’Allotment The Family Plot

We've Got A Lot To Do!

a sorry state

Back towards the end of March, after going down to check on the chickens with Paul, I was determined we were going to get to grips with our allotment. It was in a sorry state after some extremely adverse weather conditions over the last two years. First we had a year of drought which baked the ground solid then last year of torrential rain which turned it to slurry both of which rendered it unplantable so we have done very little. We, along with our fellow allotmenteers, were gutted at this double blow to our efforts.

getting started

Although it hasn’t gone quite to plan. In April I started clearing the mess from where an old chicken run had been when we took over the allotment 12 years ago. I wanted to try and get it done before it was overgrown with nettles and weeds which would give me an extra job to do.

I also got cracking on one of the main beds which had been covered with plastic sheeting over winter. The ground was quite soft and easily dug over.

On one of our days down there we were joined by Joey, who finished turning over the main bed whilst I started on the raised beds.

Then life took over once more; I had a very busy May; and my visits to the allotment were put on hold. I did, however, start at home by sowing some courgettes, squash and cucumbers in seed trays and pots which were left to germinate in the conservatory. And which, to my surprise, did very well. Unlike the pumpkins and sprouts. Mind you, they were old seeds found at the bottom of a box in the stable.
Since Paul goes down daily to sort out the chickens and collect the eggs he has managed to keep on top keeping it relatively tidy and carrying out a few repairs.

I finally got back down there last week, mainly because my courgettes and squash were beginning to suffer in the conservatory and desperately needed planting out. Thanks to the mini drought we had through May the bed we’d dug over is now made up of huge, rock hard chunks of bone dry soil which need breaking up and needs weeding again. There was no way I was going to plant anything in that bed.

A little dispirited I turned my attention to one of the other beds which has been covered all winter. This was also easily turned over. I decided to dig it in rows rather than have one big bed which worked well for placing my courgettes and squash. Before planting them we put some weed suppressant down and cut holes for the plants. Hopefully this will have a twofold benefit; prevent weed from engulfing the bed and stop any of the crop from sitting in mud and rotting.

Whilst I was sorting out my squash bed Paul was busy planting kale and cabbages in the raised beds and the cucumbers in the poly tunnel.

I also tidied up the grapevine as it was getting a little out of hand despite Paul having pruned it in April. Rampant little beast of a plant! Whilst tying up u few of the branches I spotted loads of tiny bunches of grapes. The fruit trees are also showing signs of life with a few apples, pears and cherries. Let’s hope WE get them this year rather than the bloomin’ pidgeons; which have already had the gooseberries

Fingers crossed we get a better year this year