Early September

I've only managed to get down for a few hours each of the last two weekends. I've done some badly needed weeding, finished off clearing bed 3, continued chopping down brambles and started digging them out at the top of the plot.

I've picked a few courgettes and some more runner beans. The rocket is coming on and so are the beetroot, no sign of much else though. Going to make a big effort to get down on Saturday, but I've got family visiting.

Weekend work

I managed to get about 5 hours at the allotment on Saturday, and managed to clear bed 3 of carpet and brambles. I gave it a quick dig to break it up a bit. I'll give it a proper dig next week.

I also cleared more brambles from the top of the allotment using the scythe which makes things a lot easier.

Although I've found several interesting things buried in them so far, a large bit of corrugated iron being one, a dead tree being another.

Also picked the last large marrow, and two courgettes, a large handful of french beans, and half a bucket of runner beans (not many left now), and some potatoes (which tasted lovely).

The rocket we sewed a couple of weeks ago has poked through, though no sign of the cabbages yet.

I also got back on Sunday to set up another compost heap.

So plans for next week: dig bed 3, clear bed 4, cut more brambles.

Also, need to do some weeding, I've been concentraing on the digging, but do need to make sure that the weeds aren't taking over the existing beds.

A late visit

I took my two eldest daughters, Beth and Heather, down to the allotment tonight, to pick some carrots. We took up the last batch of carrots, the last of the spring onions, a batch of potatoes and a few runner beans, and the last of the beetroot.

The runner beans look to be on the way out.

Also spoke to our neighbouring plot owners, Brian and Liz, (we have half of the plot each). They had brought some friends to help and were having a good bonfire clearing out the huge mound of branches etc at the top of the plot.

A busy weekend

With the bank holiday weekend, I managed to spend some time on the allotment every day.

Saturday
Finished digging the second bed, and cover it with manure. I also got to try my new scythe, it's going to take a while to get skilled with it, but it's much more pleasant to use than a petrol strimmer. It allowed me to clear the long grass and nettles at the front of the allotment, and clear the overgrown brambles from what will be bed 3.

Sunday
I cleared some more brambles and undergrowth. I started digging out the third bed, but found it had been covered in carpet several years ago, and this was now a level or so down with brambles growing through it, managed to clear out some of it. I picked some more runner beans. We have a rather pitiful stand of french beans, which are just starting to produce. I also cut back the potato stalks, and dug up one plant. Not a great crop, and some of them had been attacked possibly by wireworm, I'm going to need to find photos in a book to confirm this. Still, not too bad and quite tasty.

Monday
Just a quick hour and a half, I managed to get most of the carpet rolled up, I'll leave it a couple of days to dry out, which should make it easier to get the rest out. Dug some more of bed 3 out, using my new azada, which I got from Get Digging. It's pretty good, the ground is really compacted and full of brambles and it's managing to get through. Hopefully, I'll finish off bed 3 this week. Picked some more runner beans, and carrots. I've got about half a row of carrots left.

A few photos:

Beds 1 and 2 dug over and covered with manure. Bed 3 digging started and the carpet found.

The pile of stuff that was on the allotment when I arrived, slowly clearing it.

The carpet, and the cause of some serious back pain.