New Allotment

[Sheneval]

4 hours at the allotment today - weather fine - sowed seeds of peas, beetroot and carrots - put fleece cover on as we may get overnight frosts this coming week although more likely in the north rather than here. No further work on daughter's plot

[Sheneval]

Another few hours weeding daughter's plot today - hopefully son in law will get up tonight and tomorrow weather permitting

[Sheneval]

Returned to the allotment with son in law tonight - whilst he made some more inroads into digging over my daughter's plot, I planted the sweet peas I had been growing in the root trainers in my own plot

Son in law is threatening to return to allotment at 0600 tomorrow Think I'll leave it till the sun warms up

[Sheneval]

Son in law as good as his word - on allotment at 0530 this morning till 1430 this afternoon.

He dug trenches to deposit dug up greenery and loosened almost the whole of the remaining area to allow easy weeding.

I arrived at 0830 and edged the far side, weeded the sods he had dug up and raked over a good part of the plot but had to leave at 1300 for a 1330 appointment with the FHS librarian.

[veggiechicken]

How many plots are there in the family, Shen?

[Sheneval]

I have a half plot, daughter has a half plot and I am looking after a quarter plot for fellow plot holder who was going to give it up because she was going back to work. I agreed to this before I was allocated my own plot but will give it up at the end of the year. However, I would take over the vacant plot adjacent to mine if I could get it. After digging and weeding this one full of couch grass that would be a dawdle

[veggiechicken]

I thought your daughter/family had a plot before you did, but had been offered another one recently Just ignore me, I'm old and addled

[Sheneval]

You are being far too modest and self critical - mature and addled would be better terminology

Sorry - couldn't resist

[Sheneval]

Another good day at the allotment - beautiful sunshine - son in law dug another trench to accommodate the greenery. I had to leave for the library open day after a couple of hours.

We are almost there - one more trench - then the layout to be sorted - paths and beds to be laid out, beds to be dug over, and compost and manure to be incorporated.

The two adjacent plot holders are over the moon

[Sheneval]

My daughter and myself joined work party at the allotment for 2 hours this morning to move tables/seating from winter storage area to shelter and edge off communal play and seating area.

After this we spent two hours on her allotment when we pegged out and measured plot boundaries, continued with weeding and raking over bits of the plot and finally took 5 bags of stones and weeds to Council dump. Only a 3 or 4 hours weeding work required.

She will design paths, beds and storage/seating area to enable this work to start once the remaining weeding is completed

[Sheneval]

On Tuesday I put netting round cabbages I had planted on Monday and replaced the raised bed round the carrots which was falling apart.

Yesterday I edged the potato bed as the edging along the path was becoming indistinct.

Today I sowed some more peas and put in 60 Sturon onion sets covered with environmesh.

A check on my overwintering onions revealed a mole had been at work again under this bed - no damage to onions but will need to keep an eye on the situation.

[Sheneval]

5 hours at the allotment today along with my daughter and her family, spent weeding my daughter's plot - by time we finished it was too late to take the bags of weeds and stones to the Council tip so the boot of my car is full of bags for disposal tomorrow.

Next stage is to lay out the paths and beds

[Peppermint]

Sheneval, it is absolutely fantastic what you have achieved. I'm so looking forward to seeing your crops over the coming months What a lovely way to have some mother-daughter time

[Sheneval]

Thanks - but it's actually father-daughter time

[Sheneval]

A couple of hours at the allotment today with daughter and son in law - We measured plot and put in canes and string to create paths, beds and seating/storage area - also weed suppressant fabric and some woodchip. All weeds/stones from previous day's work disposed off in Council skip.