Topic: Allotment

[GillE]

I've just been allocated an allotment .

There's a new estate being built nearby and it's now a requirement that a certain amount of land has to be set aside for community use.  Hence the new allotment.  I realise it's a bit late in the season but there's still time to grow pak choi, lettuce, swedes, beetroot and spring cabbages.  Plus I've got a load of leek seedlings (you get sooo many seeds in a packet) that are surplus to requirement, and it's not too late to transplant them.

It should be better exercise for me than sitting at a computer!  I just hope I can still find time to make sawdust.  The dogs should enjoy the walk to the allotment too.

[Simon]

What on earth (or even, in it), is a pak choi?  Sounds like you're going to have fun, Gill. 

[GillE]

Pak choi is a Chinese vegetable, a bit like a fast-growing Swiss chard but with much wider stalks.  They're great stir-fried with a bit of oyster sauce, soy sauce and a little sugar.

[Simon]

I don't think it would be my taste, but congrats on 3000 posts!  

[Rodders]

We drove past some allotments only this evening and I remarked how they were something of a rarity now building land is continuing to  soar in value.  Anyway, good luck with the Cha Sui crop, Gill, and well done on making it all the way to 3,000 without the aid of tranquillisers.

[sam]

sounds like good fun!

[Clive]

Congratulations on both the allotment and post count Gill!  

[Rik]

Happy 3,000, Gill. 

[GillE]

Oh, it's such fun working with the local council setting up a new allotment.  At the beginning of July I had the best part of a hundred leek seedlings crying out to be transplanted into a new home where they could prosper.  Two days ago the council finally got round to marking out the plots!  Could it have been something to do with the fact that the new allotment holders were scheduled to meet with the sponsoring councillor that very evening?

So yesterday was spent with a hoe weeding the plot.  At least, I think it's my plot.  It's hard to tell when all you've got to go by are a few small stakes which are lying around and some chalk marks which really don't like the rain.  Anyway, I think I've hoed the right part.  If not, possession is nine tenths of the law and I'll demand recompense, especially if I have to uproot the sixty leeks which went in today, about two months too late (grrrrrr).

The good news is there's a field of horses just down the road from the allotments with a sign outside saying 'Free Horse Manure'.  It'll take a while for it to rot down but I've started banking my first deposits.  Or rather, they're not my first deposits but... oh, you know what I mean .

[Simon]

Local councils are a law unto themselves, and ours isn't known for it's cooperation.  I hope things prosper for you, Gill.

[Clive]

Exciting stuff Gill!  It may be late for the leeks but you will be able to get lots of other stuff in to break up the soil. 

[GillE]

It's really much too late to plant anything, although if I can acquire some winter cabbage seedlings I might try those.  Once I've got the weeds sorted with a hoe, I might sow green manure to overwinter.  Apart from that, I think all I can do now is prepare for next season and try to accumulate as much horse manure as possible.

[Clive]

I'm sure you've already seen this but there is a useful allotment planting/harvesting  chart at:  LINK.  I used to plant early potatoes under cloches in August and cover them with straw to protect them from frost.  If all goes well, you will harvest them over the Christmas period and amaze all your friends.  Birmingham may be somewhat colder than south Wales so you may not get away with it. 

[sam]

that's a cool table.

[GillE]

Great link, Clive - I've saved that page as a pdf so I can print it out later.

Many thanks .