How much time do you have for gardenning?

[ESBkevin]

Oh this is like the how long is a piece of string question.
There is no typical week! Carol and I work as a team, she loves to potter and do the detail stuff like pricking out or weeding around seed rows. Me I do the hefty stuff and weed with a hoe thus covering larger areas in a fraction of the time.
This year watering has not been needed since the spring drought other than new tender seeds, so time has been spent on other things. I probably spend and hour and a half on grass cutting/making compost in the garden or around the plot. Then probably another 45 mins harvesting or tending tomatoes etc.
Carol probably does 3-4 hours or more, but productivity is not the target as much as enjoying the garden. And then there is the kitchen time preparing and preserving the produce!
Later in the year more time is spent gathering organics like autumn leaves, making compost, spreading and preparing the beds or managing green manure.

[Baldy]

When working from home I probably average an hour a day at the plot during the working week and maybe two or three hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Its maybe *just about* enough to keep on top of the plot... well - I'm not exactly on top of things but I'm good enough not to get a letter from the committee. Probably another couple of hours per week on the garden at home - though I am on Mrs Balder's bad books re the state of that!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Not many days go by without me doing something in the garden. Watering in the greenhouses I class as chore but funnily enough weeding doesn't come into that category. Possibly because there is something to see for my efforts?? I try to get a couple of whole days in the pllot but in reality that means from 10 - 4pm plus the travelling time at each end.

The heat and wet/humid days really hauled the weeds up and I'm now trying very hard to get things back under control. I felt I was gardening in a fighting fire emergencies for a while so wasn't in control of what I wanted to be doing but things are kinds back on track now.

[Scarlet]

My bad back means that I can only manage about 2hrs a day on the allotment, and then only if it isn't cold/wet/windy. That's enough at this time of year, but I struggle to keep up in the spring - that's why the beds get covered for the winter, it cuts down on the spring workload.
Garden at home gets more of my time because I can pop out and do a bit at a time Have 3 greenhouses so can also work in there when the weather's not playing ball.

I've always spent more time on the garden than on housework, though

My back stops me from doing lots of stuff. I've covered some beds completely this year. I wouldn't cope with an allotment. Lugging heavy stuff and digging is a no no for me. I have to sit and weed with a small hand fork. But as I have two GH I can swap jobs often, break up the back breaking jobs.

[Aberdeenplotter]

This year, for the first time I used a tool which has languished in my garden shed for eons. My autospade. Stick it in the ground and then pull the top of the spade back and the soil gets broken up brilliantly without breaking my back. Several of my fellow plotters are trying to source one after seeing mine in operation.

just saying

[MillieBee]

About 30 mins to an hour three times a week, with maybe 3 or 4 hours at the weekend. If I spent longer than that it would turn into messing around and not achieving much.

[SarrissUK]

It's interesting isn't it... I find pricking out seedlings and any work sowing where I'm stood at my potting bench the worst for my back. Much more so than if I weed on all fours, or stood up with a hoe. I even have less of an achy back if I lug around big bags of horse manure. But stand me at a table not quite at the right height and I suffer for a day or two after!