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 think that is true about carrot fly and height. I always get shit carrots though. Parsnips are usually fine but haven’t come up this year.

Went to allotment today and got kale and spinach in just before it hailed heavily. My potatoes got frosted.

My sprouting broccoli are sprouting very poor spears, and they are bolting- not sure whether to pull them all out and start again.
I've decided my final bed is going to be 1/3 courgettes (two plants is enough to feed us all summer) 1/3 nasturtiums and calendula, and 1/3rd a second sowing of broad beans ( love these and so versatile)
The puny carrots look as though they are on strike, the puny leeks are settling in, the pak choi and spring greens are doing well.
I doubt the blueberry bushes will yield much this year, but the strawberries will make up for them.

Cut the broccoli spears off and they should produce more. I usually plant it later in the year for an early harvest the following year, they prefer colder temperatures. Though I have sewed some a bit earlier this year as broccoli is the veg we eat the most of.

My carrots are still puny too! I’m sure this up and down weather is stalling everything!

The tops of our potatoes gor frosted too, I’m hoping as it’s only the top few leaves they should be ok?

We still haven't planted much out. We are away for half term so planning on doing it after then, as May can still be cold here. I didn't make it to the allotment this weekend but my dh went and has made a start on sorting the raspberry patch which is full of weeds. He has also planted out some sweet corn that has been grown locally and hardened off so I am hoping it will survive

@hockityponktas , I think they will, fingers crossed !

Regretting sowing some things out yesterday, I'm currently sat on my car on the driveway waiting for the hail to stop!

I have planted out one tomato plant (Roma plum) and a courgette plant. Testing to see if they survive before putting everything else out. Luckily I have lots of spare tomatoes and a spare courgette. I also planted my 2nd lot of runner beans after losing the last lot to frost, I have sewn more runner seeds and they are starting to come up.

I think I will plant my corn out tomorrow along with direct sewing French beans amongst them.

Started hardening things off today but not for long as not great out there. Picked lettuce and peas which is first proper harvest from this plot.

@tizwozliz exactly happened with me after planting out kale last week, was in car for sometime!

I’ve given in and just planted out my 30 odd tomato plants. They were getting stunted and I wanted my windowsills back. It took ages! My soil in that bed is still clay, despite doing no dig prep ages ago. So had to put a handful of fertiliser and compost into a bigger hole for each to help 🤞

That sounds like hard work @january1244 !

A way to go yet but strawberries on their way . Does anyone know what the other plant is? My app says Valerian, is that right? Thanks.

Ooh not sure @Seaitoverthere someone wise will come along!

is everyone holding fire on planting out this weekend? It’s been too cold and now google tells me it’s not a good idea to plant out in the heat🤷🏻‍♀️

whats everyone else going to do?

I’m slightly in denial about the heat…. Really want my squash and sweetcorn out now. Started hardening off yesterday so will give a week by which time worst of the heat will be over. Meanwhile they can stay here round back of greenhouse where it is a bit cooler I guess.

I’m off to a plant sale this morning.

We are going away for the week so I have left everything in the conservatory and a neighbour will be watering them, I hope they don't all die in the heat!

Have planted out sweetcorn, a couple of tomatoes and 4 aubergines. Now wondering if that was silly.

I have put everything out, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. What will be will be 🤣. I will be watering well for the next few days and preying.

Fingers crossed then. I’m off to visit Beth Chattos garden in Essex tomorrow if can get up early enough to make the train. Fittingly it’s a drought adapted garden!

I think anything already out will be fine as long as it’s watered well.
I was looking forward to getting everything else planted out this weekend but I’m worried it will be too much of a shock for it all to be moved now while it’s so hot!

5 hours at the plot today, how come whenever I go, with my optimistic list of things to do, I limp away feeling like Ive done too much.. but not enough! 😅

Me too @Sproutling! I was down there a good 4 hours yesterday. Got loads done and was exhausted but still a long list to do! I’m finding having a list on notes on my phone with a tick off is helping to motivate me when I feel like there’s too much to do. I need the validation of ticking things off to see how much I’ve done.

The site was empty of people yesterday apart from a few quick visits early watering. Absolute bliss, so quiet apart from the birds.

I planted out the courgettes, french beans and tomatoes. They were struggling in the pots and I figured getting root bound isn’t going to help them. It was only around 25 degrees so I just watered them in really well and am hoping for the best! Hopefully they will have acclimatized before the really hot weather after today.

@hockityponktas I put all of my tomatoes out this week and then went away for a few days 😬 popped down today and they’ve survived. Hopefully it’ll all be alright. Like you they were so root bound. Planning to get my aubergine out later

Walked over with the dogs first thing to water. Depending on the heat later I might go and plant some squash out and do some weeding. I'm not sure how it can be any better for them to still be in pots than in the ground. Crazy to think that a week ago I was worrying it was too cold to put them out! We did some weeding and watering on Saturday but got too hot quite quickly!

Potatoes are coming on nicely now, sweetcorn and leeks which went out and then got battered by hail seem to be ok. Strawberries already starting to ripen. At least two frogs in the pond. Jerusalem artichoke spreading like crazy. Lots of apples, pears and berries developing. One single plum!

Love the pic of the frog! I also planted sweetcorn 2 days ago, as well as aubergines. This morning added borlotti beans. They all had outgrown their pots.