2026 Allotmenteers - have we lost the plot?!

[Seaitoverthere]

A thread for those of us with new allotments to discuss progress and swap ideas. All welcome , established plot holders and wannabe plot holders too!

@blackheartsgirl
@hockityponktas

I’m sharing an allotment with someone and I’m struggling doing the work in this heat. How do you all manage?

Late evening visits, can get an hour or two in after dinner now it’s lighter.
I’m off work this week and planning on going super early tomorrow morning, I’m normally awake by 5 so I reckon I’ll get down there for 7am and get 2/3 hours in before it’s too hot!

I want a frog. I’m not working in this heat. Went down to water once and then as cooler this morning have cut grass. Lots of flowers coming out and happy to see what I think is borage.

The pictures are beautiful!

I watered my tomatoes last night, already have a green tomato or two growing. Picking outdoor strawberries, mangetout, loads of different greens etc. Had to pull up and eat my pak choi and a lot of spinach though as it bolted. The bolted kale flowers are delicious though so have kept them

Cannot keep on top if the weeds though. Even with cardboard and woodchip, they’re sprouting up everywhere!

The pictures are all lovely! We have had 3 small crops of strawberries now, 6-8 each time. I keep sniffing them as I carry them back home. There are jostaberries, pineberries, red currants, pink currants, and gooseberries all peeking out and I was a bit worried about the pumpkins but they are all popping up now. This is my favourite time of year where each time you visit there is something new.

I strimmed at 8am yesterday but I had to stop as it was too hot quite quickly for children and dogs so now it’s half finished!

These strawberries look delicious! I’m hoping for more soon.

I’m really loving the amount of flowers on my plot. Someone gave me ox eye daisies but there were some already, achillea will be out soon, found red campion and what I think is borage, there’s a couple of foxgloves so hopefully more next year and I’ve introduced Californian poppies. Sweet peas are in and gradually growing.

No sign of my oca yet but hopefully soon. Beans sown recently are starting to appear and I have a decent harvest of peas and lettuce again yesterday. Inherited a thornless blackberry which has loads of fruit on it. So many weeds, I’m just doing my best And accept it will never be weed free this time of year.

Next week I’ll put the squash and sweetcorn in.

There's just not enough cooler hours in the day right now!

I put some courgettes, beetroot and onions in the ground yesterday evening. They'd really overgrown the pots they were in. Watered well yesterday and the same today and then some cooler weather forecast so fingers crossed they'll be ok.

The daisies, foxgloves, poppies and sage are really blooming now and lots of bees buzzing about. Planning on strimming the grass round the fruit trees this evening and a spot of weeding and just generally clearing up some junk. I might also direct sew some peas and french beans, determined to stay on top of the succession sowing this year.

The comfrey I have in the garden at home has collapsed in the heat so that's going to be turned into comfrey tea.

Has anyone grown asparagus peas before? Something new I'm trying this year.

I'm going to view an allotment plot tomorrow. My first one. I've been on the wait list for...... 9 years! 🥴

Advice for viewing a plot and top tips for getting started?

@SowWhatNow I’d look at the aspects you can’t change first. Eg is it a sunny plot, does it drain well (the ones at the far side of our site get waterlogged), how close is it to the water butt etc. Does it have mature fruit trees. Ask the site manager who’ll most likely do your viewing what they would recommend also - I was a complete beginner and he steered me towards a good plot. It was weedy, but now I’ve been working it I can see it gets perfect sun day round, and had a fence already to keep out rabbits etc. I’d kind of been looking at a newly rotavated weed free plot, but that didn’t get much sun, gets boggy, and didn’t have the fruit trees

Are there multiple vacant plots to choose from or just one? If there’s just one then ask about the dos and donts and rules for that site when was the plot last tended etc. Try to get a feel for is it sunny/shady, what water or storage is there and if there is anything planted there already. When I got mine it was fairly overgrown but I could see there were some fruit bushes and rhubarb there already.

If there’s a choice, think carefully before agreeing! I looked longingly for a while at the other vacant plots after choosing ours quickly😂
what’s already there, how much clearing/tip runs will you need to do, is there a greenhouse/shed already, is any of it a quick fix to get a few bits planted or is a longer term project to get ready, how far is the water butt etc etc

I saw 2 plots and said yes please! Im waiting to hear which one I'm allowed, sitr manager will confirm- either way I'll have one of them. I'm hoping for Plot B but I'm also excited about plot A if B isn't possible.

Plot A:
Just tucked inside the main entrance, a few plots along from the car park (limited) and allotment shop. Right next to a tap. Half size plot, the previous tenant can't manage a full plot so is giving up half. I will need to install a path and provide access for the tenant who is giving up half as their half is at the back. It is overgrown with long grass and not much else. Doesnt appear to have anythinggrowing hidden under thr overgrowth. Clay soil. Has a fallen down empty shed at the front edge of the plot but plans afoot to remove it if I accept. Full sun. Big project to get into use.

Plot B:
In the middle of the quadrant. Slightly further from a tap (a full plot away so still not far). Half size plot. Overgrown with long grass but has established beds. Rhubarb, gooseberries, currants, fennel currently growing. Previous tenant took on the plot about 18m ago but hasn't stepped foot on it since and council have reclaimed the tenancy. Full sun, clay soil. Has a sturdy, solid metal framed polycarbonate greenhouse and path, the plot is split down the middle lengthways (i.e. half to the left of the path, half to the right). Also has a run down shed at the back, support available to remove. It has a hose in it. Opportunities for quick fixes and get stuff in the ground quickly.

The plot we have now was originally part of a larger plot, the lady who had the other part of our plot that has moved on, and I was hoping we might get offered it but they were showing people round on Sunday so it seems like it's not the case :-(

Ah I’m sorry @tizwozlizthats a shame

Is anyone else’s plots very weedy? Mine does have couch grass that’s keeps sprouting up, especially on the edges and paths despite smothering in cardboard and woodchip. Apparently letters are going out about plots in a poor state having to be improved, hopefully I don’t get one. I don’t have a strimmer so have been hand cutting it, but also don’t have a lot of time to weed.

on the plus side, we’ve been getting so many mangetouts and I had my first ever raw freshly picked peas, and they’re so good!

It is mainly a greenhouse with some fruit and flower beds, but really quite small so it would be a nice compliment to our plot but I wasn't sure that someone would want it on its own.

We have lots of bindweed, mares tail and dandelions, so it's a never ending job keeping on top of it

Couch grass and dock leaves are the bane of my life!

Couch grass, marestail, brambles and nettles.

That sounds really lovely! Hopefully they don’t take it and you can re-register your interest

Interesting how it goes in phases with weeds. A couple of years ago it was creeping thistle. Now there’s hardly any, but a kind of very tough buttercup is now v prevalent. Some folk think the seeds come in with the horse manure the council drops off. Also have the usual bindweed, couch grass, dandelions , plantain, sticky willy, euphorbia and chickweed.

all of the above except, so far, mares tail, we also get sow thistle and hog weed (not giant hog weed, thank goodness!) we've put a barrier down the edge of the path seperating us from our weed -loving neighbour, its plastic cladding, much as i hate plastic!, about 50cm deep. I'm hoping any couchgrass and bindweed roots run out of steam reaching down that far, to travel on to our side. Doesnt stop seeds being blown in to our plot, and his nettles, ragweed and groundsell are seeding before my very eyes - aargh!

Haven’t been properly for over a week so ended up there for a fair few hours. Took out all the lettuce as had bolted and was happy to find yin yang bean plants in between which are now in with sweetcorn.

Pulled all the garlic and more scapes from shallots. Took out the huge bolted chard and put in a globe artichoke and a cucumber and put in a pumpkin and squash.Also picked some strawberries, peas and broad beans.

Am really pleased with all the flowers. Ox eye daisies, borage, red campion, Californian poppies, an oriental poppy. white achillea, fever few and sweet peas are starting. Pond is now clear and dwarf water Lilly sending up leaves.

Well at least we aren’t having to water 🚿 it’s been a lot of rain here where I am.

Ive had hardly any time to get down there, just going to pick masses of peas, mangetout and pull up bolted spinach and kale plants to eat. Have to say it’s not noticeably bitter to me cooked, so we’re eating them. The kale shoots are delicious

I am trying to plant things and weed in between showers. I am actually quite pleased about the rain as I don’t have to water, but we will need sun to ripen the tomatoes. Some of my more sensitive plants are not looking great, my cucumbers are struggling and the butternut squash I put out are looking floppy (I should have hardened them for longer). I planted a load of seeds direct yesterday before the rain came, more carrot, some climbing beans and spring onions. I am struggling with cabbages and cauliflower, they seem to be rotting away at the root but no sign of pests.

What can be sown once the garlic comes up later in the month? I was thinking of sowing beetroot and seeing what happens, but is there something else that would work?

A lot of my things have suffered in the hot weather, and while I was away. The merry little greengage tree now has me worried, the tomato seedlings and raspberries don't seem to have recovered, but the chillies and blackcurrants are growing enthusiastically. the entire herb selection has died off, with the exception of chives and mint. My physalis went from "I'm about to die" to, "I look fabulous!" within a rain shower and it being cool overnight. As I'd bought a replacement for it, ready for its demise, I now have two!