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

Ooh- recipe for blackcurrant curd please? Have a surplus of eggs and blackcurrants!

We also had rain last night which saved a trip over to water, but it's only half filled the water butt at home.

I think I have some cucamelons, the OH sowed some old seed and then we gave up on it but I had two seedlings appear that I thought at first were patty pan squash but going by the leaf size I suspect are cucamelons. I've stuck them in a raised bed at home with a trellis to grow up so I'll see what happens. My previous attempts with them were not a success

https://rivercottage.net/recipes/blackcurrant-curd/

I used some of the blackcurrant curd to make blackcurrant Bakewell tart.

My cucamelons are growing over the frame of my poly tunnel. I also have yard long beans growing in there so they may get tangled together.

I have my first courgette if the year. Soon I'll be drowning in the things :-D

The glut has begun :-)

Haha @tizwozliz me too, I’m making a batch of courgette fritters for the freezer later today🤣

I’ve got one plant but at home and not allotment and it is producing modest size courgettes. Friend planted 6 and only got one producing so far.

Been down this morning as wanted to get grass cut before it gets too hot. Sweetcorn is not getting taller, spinach bolted ages ago and kale started.

Found a cucumber and had first of autumn raspberries. The leeks have survived better than anticipated. Pumpkin has had it but squash on arch is starting to climb and the direct sown dwarf beans , swede and butternut squash are doing well. What was a tiny sage division off my main plant doing well.

Pruned cherry tree which had gone mad and has no cherries. What I thought was a crab apple the jury is out on. Pond has lots of blanket weed. Got a free sun umbrella and sat on the free chairs at the free table in between bursts of grass strimming.

So, I’ve finally been able to spend some time at my allotment (small beginner one!). I’d planted some pumpkin plants - thought it was 5 but 2 of them look like peppers - and heck the pumpkins have just got very long. What’s the best thing to do with them? I’ve looked online and I am completely confused! Can I grow them upwards or should I be removing some leaves?! Thank you in advance.

Let the pumpkins do their thing, they take up a lot of space.

Thank you @Seaitoverthere

advice on cucumbers please!
We’ve so far just been leaving them to do their own thing in the greenhouse but we’ve noticed our neighbour strips a lot of the leaves/shoots off?
what to do?!

Judging by look of mine I am in no position to comment on cucumbers 😂

I had my first cucumber this week. I'd been keeping an eye on the tiny ones and was mildly irritated that they didn't seem to be growing. Then I discovered this one, right at the bottom (hence the bend where it hit the soil) that I had missed entirely. I had done nothing beyond feed and water.

Hi I've not posted for a while but got a good crop of onions and potatoes from the allotment yesterday. My sweetcorn looks good but my courgettes are not looking too happy, I think we need to add a lot of manure over the winter to improve the soil.

I made the blackcurrant curd you posted @Moonlightfrog it is delicious!

Much cooler here so spent a lot of the day outdoors . Courgettes, chard and lettuce all doing well and looks like we will have a glut of apples.

First day at allotment properly today for ages, also much cooler here. My sweetcorn are awful, about a foot tall 😂

Dinner this evening was kale and trombochino fried with shallot and garlic, potatoes, broad beans, feta and pomegranate. Most of it from allotment so was happy with that.

Autumn raspberries are lovely. Think I may replace the summer ones. Mystery tree not crab apple but an apple. Hardly any fruit but had one of the 3 as had fallen and was lovely.

Not looking forward to standing up tomorrow..

Lovely, it’s so satisfying serving up a home grown meal!
we have had lots of courgette, French beans and beetroot so far! A few spuds, spring cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers too.

Cucumbers really doing well now. Lots of courgettes and the first beetroot too - a new variety for me, more cylindrical than spherical. Also had our first asparagus peas.

Lots of potatoes still in the ground but we're pulling them up on an as and when needed basis