Whats your 'longest day' that you've had on your plot?

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Guys,

Just wondered how many of you are as bonkers as we are, we spent a 10 hour and a 15 hour day on the plot last week (too much to do and not enough time!) on our days off, only going home on the 15 hour day cos at 1035pm it had gone too dark to see to do any more planting!

Just wondered whats the longest day you've spent on your plot?

[Alison]

At this time of year when it's light until late I try to do the longest days I can and like you, only go home when it's too dark to see. At weekends OH sometimes gets up dead early to go biking so I'm awake anyway and will go up the plot by 7 and stay as long as I can. Make the most of any decent weather I say and if I'm not in the house then I can't feel guilty about the state of the housework!

[Two_Sheds]

I can only work for about 3 hours before my back seizes up, so that's my limit these days. If I didn't have a back garden I would be siting my hammock on my plot though, like when I lived in a flat.

My favourite time of day is about 7pm when gardeners have gone home for tea and the birds come down.

[bobleponge]

I'm lucky in that my "plot" is my back garden, but I can quite easily spend all day out there, only coming in for coffee.
Never actually counted my longest day, but I wouldnt reckon it would be too far away from yours Mrs D.

[Currysniffa]

I'm on my plot for between 2 and 4 hours on weekdays because I do the school run in the morning and in the afternoon, I find that because I don't work I can get most of the jobs done it that time and a lot of the time at the weekend we just go up to water..

[Nicos]

Probably 10 hrs max!

Flipping heck Mrs D...that's 50 hrs between you ...almost like two working weeks!

( can you move yet???)

[Pumpkin Becki]

Like Currysniffa, its probably about 4 hours.

We haven't got a huge plot (its about 1/4 of a standard one), so it doesn't take very long to get it in order, and also, we haven't got any 'facilities' on-site (which is problematic if you get short). However, I have been known to do 4 hours at the lottie and then another 4 in the garden on returning home.

[Mrs Dobby]

Flipping heck Mrs D...that's 50 hrs between you ...almost like two working weeks!

( can you move yet???)

Lol, just about Nicos, yes!

That night we were both footsore, stiff n very tired, the following day was a tiring day, faced when already tired (I had to work a 12 hour shift, plus an hour travelling each way) and pretty stiff allover for us both!

We were dreading the following day, expecting to be so stiff that we wouldnt be able to move, but surprisingly, neither of us was any worse than the previous day!

Sunday I took back 3 hours I was owed n went to the plot and watered n planted the rest of the 160 sweetcorn that we werent able to get in on the Thursday night, Monday was a Bank Holiday, so another long day in work, followed by an hour on the plot watering, and today was hard work, I need a rest!

Tomorrow and Thursday we are off, so its full days on the plot, we've 6 small beds to clear n dig/rotovate, followed by a load more brassicas, some leeks and a few other plants o plant out, and a load more seeds to sow, plus the beehive inspections to do aswell!

I think we'll be going back to work on Friday for a rest! lol!

Ah well, only 3 weeks untill our summer hols, 2 weeks off - which we will probably spend the majority of on the plot! Roll on harvest time, after which we may actually get a day off! lol

[jackie j]

Most days during the week I can spend about 4 hours everyday at the lottie, weekends I tend to be there longer but not as many as that. During march I went to the lottie at 3pm to have a bonfire ( not allowed before 4pm ) and stayed till 7ish by which time it was pitch dark, no street light nearby either.

[chris]

I've done 7 -> 9 constantly digging in my garden (I had to dig down on a steeply sloped garden to level a greenhouse base, and raised bed).

That was last weekend.

Last night I did some more work after work - think I've been doing too much as I was almost sick, had to come in and lie down - pretty much went straight to bed after that

[miffy]

The longest I can do is about four hours up the plot as I have arthritis and I just can't walk if I did for any longer! My favourite time is really early in the morning, on a weekend I get up there for 7.30/8.00 and then I have the whole morning and the plot to myself until about 10.00, just me and the birds singing, bliss.

[Alison]

Was up there for about 13 hours yesterday but have now got the internals of the polytunnel fully sorted. Have put paths of membrane down to walk on and installed leaky hose with isolation taps to all the beds. Will be planting up the toms, cucs, melons, aubergines, peppers and chillies on Saturday by which time it should be better irrigated. I just love this time of year when you don't have to cut short days due to light and if OH is out then I can get home when I want

[Alison]

we haven't got any 'facilities' on-site (which is problematic if you get short).

You need to get a bucket

[Mrs Dobby]

This past week was 2x 12 hour days on the plot, but I have a feeling the next few weeks are going to be mammoth ones for me, Mr D fell at work yesterday (on a customers uneven steps) and has badly sprained / twisted / broken his ankle!

So, I'm working full time, travelling 2 hours a day, have the bees to inspect every week (about 5 hours work between the 4 of us, tho we usually do them all together n all have a good look), an invalid to look after, a large dog to walk 3 miles a day and 2 full size plots to look after, now all by myself!

Wish me luck, I think Im going to need it!!

[bobleponge]

Probably not the time to ask you if you're going to be doing your annual lotty spreadsheet then???

Only joking, hope Mr. D. gets himself better soon.

Customer's uneven steps?? Where there's blame .....