Penellype's Allotment

[Jimmy]

Don't over do it!
Jimmy

[Jungle Jane]

The allotment sounds great you must be so happy! There's so much more space now to grow anything you want its a dream,especially when you wait so long then suddenly you've got the key,amazing & brilliant new year!

[hortus]

I was much the same. The first day I got access to mine I was in there digging. If it's any consolation it's not that great digging with enthusiasm in full hot sun either!

Congratulations. I'm only 6 months ahead of you. I have beds but treacherous muddy paths. The one thing that strikes me is you have knowledge and I very little. I'm looking forward to following your journey as you pull it round and no doubt learn a thing or 3.

[Penellype]

Don't over do it!
Jimmy

Trying not to (the short daylight hours help with that!). Got backache now though.

[Penellype]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. No doubt you will all be sick to death of hearing about it fairly soon!

Happy New Year all

[Penellype]

Not the best weather but you must feel better for making a start it does look a good sized plot and fairly tidy as well.

Yes, I hardly slept last night in anticipation, and haven't felt so excited since I last bought a horse about 10 years ago!

I'm relieved that there is nothing too big to tackle - I've seen people post about plots that are full of rubble, buried carpet etc, or just totally overgrown, but this really isn't bad. The shed seems fairly new, and the tunnel is in good condition with no tears in the mesh or anything, although the door end needs sorting as there are a few gaps. Overall I am delighted - it is better than I thought it would be.

[veggiechicken]

[Snadger]

What I can,t understand is who would think about putting a mesh cover over a polytunnel frame becuase the soil was too wet!

I'm sure you will get it the way you want it eventually Penellype. Happy New Year and new plot.

[Penellype]

Jobs to tackle (in no particular order):
Build a compost bin to take the weeds (preferably chopped up) - use the pieces of mesh that are lying around to make temporary sides.
Dig up shallots and see if there is anything worth keeping (they will have been frozen)
Put weed suppressant down in tunnel. I have ordered some metal staples to peg it down with.
Bring down my spare metal dustbin, which has been occupying the far corner of my garage for the past 14 years "in case it might be useful" and use as a compost bin for perennial weed roots. This requires a fairly major rearrangement of the garage.
Measure open area to east of tunnel (estimated at 18ft x 12ft) and mark out positions of paths and beds. The idea is to convert this area into a series of 4 or 5 beds running east-west with paths in between, and maybe a north-south bed along the side of the tunnel if room.
Remove large weeds from above area and either dig or cover with weed suppressant, or both.
Take loppers and secateurs and tidy up hedges including removing a few large brambles.

I think that will do for now, although I'm bound to think of lots of other things to do very soon.

[Newt]

What a great plot! So much space, and once you're all done tidying you've got a lot you can play with there. Congrats!

[Penellype]

What I can,t understand is who would think about putting a mesh cover over a polytunnel frame becuase the soil was too wet!

I'm sure you will get it the way you want it eventually Penellype. Happy New Year and new plot.

I agree its a bit bizarre to try to keep water out with debris netting.

Its a home made frame, made from white alkathene pipe. There are several spare pieces of pipe propped up on the tool store in the corner

[Bren In Pots]

so the next job will be to clear an area outside for a compost bin, as I don't much care for those plastic things. The black one is half full of mostly rotted stuff and I can't lift the thing off the compost, so that's going to be a puzzle to solve. The green one is much less full and seems to contain mainly tea bags and eggshells.

Penellype just spotted this and I've found the easiest way to lift the bin away from the compost is by levering a spade all the way around the base to loosen it. Might have to go around the base a couple of times then you sort of rock the bin side to side then lift it of. It does work.

[Penellype]

Penellype just spotted this and I've found the easiest way to lift the bin away from the compost is by levering a spade all the way around the base to loosen it. Might have to go around the base a couple of times then you sort of rock the bin side to side then lift it of. It does work.

Thanks - I will give that a go.

[jackarmy]

I agree its a bit bizarre to try to keep water out with debris netting.

Its a home made frame, made from white alkathene pipe. There are several spare pieces of pipe propped up on the tool store in the corner

Brassica cage ?, looking forward to your tales Pen, congrats

[Penellype]

I thought it was a brassica cage and was somewhat surprised to see the cabbages outside and shallots in the tunnel. But the man at the office said the previous owner had built the tunnel to try to make it less wet. Weird.