Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 6 - Weed 'em and Reap!

[bookbook]

Thanks WhoKnowsWhereThe Time GOes for the title of the new thread.
So, we head into summer, praying for sun, gentle rain and no slugs
Everyone welcome to join in and share joys and woes and advice, given freely!
Previous thread here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2582241-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-5-The-Diggers-Rest?pg=1

Our two finished term last week and although one (bless her) is starting her new school for the last two weeks of the U.K term, my oldest isn't at her new school until September. They do like helping in the garden although it's a bit like baking - it's easier and more enjoyable sometimes to do it by myself- gives me some time out. To be fair they are that bit older now and pretty self contained and as long as I bung some food colouring and pots their way or chalks or ask them to pick and arrange flowers they do just potter about. They love picking and eating things we've grown and that gives me huge pleasure and makes me wish I'd listened to my grandad more as he was a fantastic gardener and I didn't get into it until my 20s.

It's SO like baking, isn't it! It will take longer, it will be a lot messier and there might be a few spats

Yes, my DS does still like harvesting and eating, it's just the before bit that he's lost patience with. Maybe I will blame the weather for that too.

Are you looking forward to some rain?
How lovely that your DD is doing 2 weeks of school!

Is there something else he can get on with while you potter? How old is he? Can we think up 'things to keep kids busy at the allotment list' ? I'll start - water painting ( paint brush, water, side of shed) actual painting of rocks/ mini den building for toys/ chalk pictures/ making potions.

I am looking forward to air without dust haze, to temperatures below 45 degrees and to being allowed as a woman to be part of society, to seeing friends and my family , having the kids in a school that has oversight and accountability, my new job , and getting to the beach. Sad to be leaving DH here for another 6 months but very happy to be going home. A stint somewhere a bit tricky does make you appreciate the very lovely bits of uk even if the country is in a flap this morning! I find it difficult to explain to DH how much I miss gardening -( and I'm a beginner it's not like I even really know what I'm doing) he likes being outside but planting things has no interest for him. In some ways that's good- I get to make all the decisions.

Well we're certainly in a flap this morning but it will pass no doubt and things will calm down.

We had another deluge yesterday evening and the garden was awash with slugs and snails. I killed the ones on the petunias and had a look around the tomatoes but mostly left the others to it. Hopefully will get a chance later to see what happened at the plot and how many things have got eaten.

Our plots are next to the park. DD who quite enjoys it some of the time takes her bike and disappears off to the playground part of the park. Otherwise I bribe her by paying her to help me without whining. Last year we had to do a lot of watering at about this time and she enjoys that but this year there's been a lot less to do. She's 9 so can be trusted (more or less) not to walk over other people's plots.

Morning
good luck cathpot - exciting/exhausting. But a well - is it in the house or garden? And the joy of no dust haze! Sounds like your family are doing some nice things for you. I am hoping to be going this afternoon to that nice nursery, so will see if they still have veg plants. If they do, I would bet others do too. Will let you know.
DGS not 4 yet . just wants to trample over the plots to go and see the chickens :)
I have had a quick run out into the greenhouse, and the last seedlings outside. We had a thunderstorm last night, so some rain thank goodness. Everything survived me not doing anything yesterday
I have had a quick look at the cucamelons after reading WhoKnows has fruit. I don't ...yet. Can see tiny flowers , so must get them some canes, and get them planted out. Mind you , they do look happy.

One of my DCs likes the idea of gardening but when it comes to it she always wants to do things her way, which never works (because she won't take any advice from me) and so she gets disillusioned. She does enjoy eating the produce though. The other isn't in the least bit interested but comes up to the plot every now and then, his favourite pastime is finding snails and setting them off on races along my bench with leaves to lure them along. However as they are 10 and 12yo and the plot is very close to home I can leave them there and pop up there on my own now.

Yes- it was a surprise well! I was trying to haul up some half buried granite fence posts ( old farm house) from the far end of the garden and when I finally got one to move there was this huge well- not mentioned by the sellers or the surveyor. There was a pump - old fashioned handle type thing but we had presumed it was decorative as inamongst pots and little statue things left by last owners. DH was beyond excited and sent the go-pro down it to film the insides etc. Long story short he convinced me to get it all properly plumbed into the house as water bills are high in our area. There are about 5 different filters and we are just having the second water test to make sure we can drink it when we get home- manganese too high at the moment so they are changing out one filter for a bigger one. It does mean I can water things without worrying about the bill and pressure wash the greenhouse/ paths etc guilt free.

Afternoon!
sorry cathpot - didn't get to nursery as DH had arranged an appointment at lunch time
But did do a bit this morning at home - planted up the cucamelons in a big container with a wigwam - they are looking nice. Planted up the germinated plug carrots into a pot also for home. Sowed spinach also for home.
After appt went and watered at the plot, picked broad beans and rather a lot of strawberries, so making rhubarb and strawberry crumble for tea DH rigged up some support for the asparagus, which was getting very tall. Little squash still hanging on - has a new leaf :)
It is very warm this afternoon. Borage just staring to flower, a few more small cosmos. And the dwarf sunflowers have big buds on. But the oddity of slugs and snails. One sunflower munched to a stalk, next to one thats fine!
Came home and found the first ever ripe alpine strawberry. Picked it and sort of shared with DH - it was rather small :).

ooh , forgot to say - read yesterday about perennial cauliflower. Cant seem to see any seed for sale, but I thought I might have a go - any body done/seen them?

I'm doing them too book! I ordered mine from Victoriana nursery but they won't come til the autumn (this works well for me). I think we are too late for seed if we want plants next year.

www.victoriananursery.co.uk/

That perennial cauliflower looks very interesting.
Am turning more and more of the allotment over to perennials so it might fit well.

Evening!
thanks shove - I did find that - its pre order isn't it -and the only seller as far as I can see.. I was hoping for seed, but have read its a tricky germination.
This morning I have finally finished planting out leeks -< hurrah> and also put out my last 2 crown prince squashes - fingers crossed , I have encircled them with slug pellets...... I also did a lot of watering as its been very dry here. And of course , tonight we finally we are having some rain. Lots of thunder , but sadly not much in actual water terms so far.

And to counterbalance booky's post, I pulled up the last of my going to seed leeks. I'll soup them tomorrow. And I really need to plant put my new ones.

And we've had nothing but rain! So much rain fell yesterday that it was coming through windows and doors! It was honestly like a tropical downpour, with added hail. I've never seen anything like it in the UK. So now the back lawn is under water again, and all the paths and the nearby stream are flooded. I squished over tk the allotment, and that was very squishy too. To wet to do much, but I did plant out 1 more tomato and my cucumbers. Should have been done ages ago.

I'm feeling a bit blah about this year's growing. It's just too bloody wet. I've had 1 strawberry at home, but have chucked away so many that have rotted. And nothing is growing, apart from rhubarb, weeds and buddleia. My roses have been ruined by shredding, ditto the potato foliage, the young courgettes, some beans...

And it's now raining again.

oh Spotted - that sounds really depressing - But lets hope we do have some nice weather to come , and it gets going. Its just been such a slow start this year., but still fed up of the slugs , the poor germination of my peas , the slugs, , the weather , the slugs - did I mention slugs??? I am apparently the only one not suffering with too much rain. But I have a second frog at home :) And the peonies at the plot have just started to open properly , somewhat later than the ones at home, (though I lost a few to a man wielding a strimmer !) So here is that to cheer you up :)

I am home! And so tired I am slightly delirious but have had a good poke about outside in the sun while the kids hared about like loons rootling around for strawberries and cutting random flowers for vases. Lost lots of strawberries to birds so need to make a plan- have planted them in a place that is very awkward to net as raspberries are behind them and it limits access. Rhubarb is beyond disappointing so will be moving. Raspberries have popped up everywhere as predicted by wise people in this forum. Anyway basically it's all good, my raised bed area has gone bananas and hardly anything in there is stuff I've planted it's all self seeded rocket and nasturtiums so we've had a big salad tonight. Now I'm tucked up in bed having unpacked nothing with a gardens world magazine and a happy feeling.

Haven't been up to the allotment today. Dreading it to be honest. Last weekend had to replant pumpkins as the slugs and deer had had them all. It failed this afternoon for half an hour - hailstones the size of marbles that didn't melt for 2 hours. The garden pond has flood its banks... slugs everywhere I look. Funny year....

Evening! I'm a newbie on this thread. Got my first allotment in February..... Covered in rubble and mares tail. So DH has built 2 raised beds and we are ignoring the rest for now!!! Once the Autumn arrives we will have made a plan for the rest. Currently most of it is covered in carpet or weed matting but we need to make a plan.....

Would vinegar work on curtailing the weeds? (And the mares tail?). Would a no dig approach work? Or do we need to dig and dig and dig? My research suggests, whether we do no dig it dig, that it will take 2 years to get rid of mares tail.....

I've also just had DC2 so trying to take it to easy.....
Popped in on Thursday to check it was not flooded tho.... See pics 1st 2 from
Thursday. 3rd from a month or so ago!

New too. Got my allotment end of of 2015. It was sooo overgrown I still struggle with all the grass seed. Had a very good crop last year. A bit behind this year as I have a 5 week old. Will need to do some replanting for gaps. But things are looking good. Crazy weeds this year though

as of friday my gardening plans have slightly changed.
as I don't know yet where work relocates to and when, I'm thinking if potting up every plant I might want to take with me.
very uncertain times.
but for now I can report massive growth on the sunflowers from the seeds we took of the almost 3m high one.
one tomato plant was squashed by cats/foxes who jump over the fence.
slugs and snails are surprisingly not too bad, but all plants are over the seedling stage and are nice and strong.

Hello sorry I asked if I could join you all, you made me very welcome then I disappeared didn't I! Very rude I'm sorry.

I'm sorry things are so uncertain for you bluepitchfork. It must be incredibly stressful not to know where your future is headed.

Afternoon!
oh BluePitchFork :( - there is a Chinese curse I believe - 'may you live in interesting times' - seems appropriate at the moment....
Welcome Mindful and wigels - lots to do, but ask away .
And welcome back mog - life gets in the way for everyone.
cathpot - welcome home - a bit less hot, and easier to deal with - the pictures are lovely. Have you got a big strawberry bed? If not could you net with something like a lift off cloche adapted for net - the ones that look like a big cake cover ( or if the bed is very small, maybe an actual cake cover?)
Mindful - I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but mares tail is one of those persistent weeds which you learn to keep under comtrol - is it Cedar that has it - terrible memory. There is loads of advice on starting getting it under control. The one thing I would suggest is to get rid of any carpet. Its horrid stuff , and there are much better ways. General consensus is cardboard and mulch, which will rot down and help with the soil infrastructure. And dig if you can/want.- after all you have just had a baby - take it steady!
wigels - a 5 week old? you lot are hardcore !
Well, I had a good go this morning, finally mainly hoeing/weeding and harvesting. Picked some of the new summer cabbage- I have cut it, as I read if you do that , you get a second flush of growth to use as greens. We shall see.Broad beans pickd as well.
The squashes are fine - not so far any nibbles so hope they can really get motoring. I have about 4 courgttes set, but quite small so far. Picked yet more strawberries, but the family are coming for tea tonight, so they will go :)
Brassica cage doing okay, but the slugs have stripped 1 kale to bare ribs , along with about 3 little savoys. So this afternoon, I have repotted up the little ones I have at home ( the runts!) to encourage them to put on a bit of a growth spurt to replace the sad bare ones...
I had to repot up my peppers at home too to their big pots. Lots of flowers , but no sign yet of any set - none on aubergines either . But cucumbers looking good, and now just waiting for tomatoes to ripen.

One thing you can do to get rid of mares tail is plant mint not really serious. It does work but it is not a good idea! Unless you really really like mint and nothing but mint.

Actually MT ime is not that good at our competing other plants. So I'd weed, cardboard, mulch, plant through and then just keep the ground filled and remove MT as necessary and the MT will still be there but it won't thrive.

I skived the allotment tiday and went cycling.

My second wave squashes, courgettes and cucumbers are in pots outside the house toughening up. I spray wd40 round the pots to stop the snails climbing them but the last two have had the overhanging leaves nibbled to the edge of the pot. It's as if a very, very tiny rabbit has stood as tall as it can and nibbled what it can reach. Most odd. (We have no rabbits not even pigmy ones). Perhaps the snails are climbing as far as the oil line on the adjacent plot and reaching over. I wish they'd leave it alone.

Did a couple of hours weeding this afternoon before the rain came. Dh has finished edging the two beds that have potatoes and onions in (well I hope they have). It's so overgrown again though. Waiting till August then can afford black sheeting then going to strim it all and cover. Some trees to cut back too.
Can I please ask if I need to mulch my potatoes? If so what with?

He comes with most of the time Book. Expressed today and left him with his big brother and DH. I was still earthing up my potatoes 2 days before he arrived. I had so many plans for getting the allotment in very good shape before he arrived after I finished work, but he decided to join us 2.5 weeks early.

Slugs and weeds have a competition at the moment. Managed to plant my beetroots out and weed a big size of brassicas this morning. I didn't manage to net them this year will def concentrate on them next year. Got 1 beautiful cauliflower last year. The biggest I have ever seen. We love red cabbage, just going to plug the holes with them.