got me an allotment!!

[jansman]

Get yourself a long handled ‘Irish’ spade.Save your back! English spades are too short, and I sometimes think they were invented to make work hard on purpose. A long handled mattock is a good tool on an allotment too. My Polish neighbours used one, and they know a thing or two about saving energy.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Popped in tonight it was reduced to £16

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsy48zKEdnc#

Not tried it standing out in the thunder isn't appealing

Gutted as was off for some manure tonight the weather has stopped play!!

[Yorkshire Andy]

Well it's much easier with this!

Done twice as much in half the time

[jansman]

Told ya!

[Yorkshire Andy]

If you need a spare spade they are £16 in Lidl the floor to handle top is about 5 ft but it's also handle is curved meaning the turning bit almost does it under its own weight

Been a aluminium shaft it's very light and zero flex in just been and got a matching rake

[Post]

Hi mate,

Top tip is cover the whole of the plot in black plastic in Autumn through Winter and it will kill everything off underneath, otherwise you’ll turn your back and it’ll be like the day of the triffids with the weeds. Don’t use the weed surpresent fabric material, youll know the sort, because it doesn’t work as weeds grow through it, it’s got to be plastic or visquine. Doing this will save you a lot of time if you’re not planning on planting anything this year.

Don’t use horse manure, horses eat all kids of weeds and poop them out including seeds and then your allotment gets more weeds, use chicken manure instead.

If you’re planting carrots go for the carrot fly resistant variety, root fly decimated mine the other year so opted for this variety last year.

Don’t plant gooseberries or raspberries otherwise they spread, plant in containers.

Good luck, there’s nothing tastier than veg you’ve grown yourself, it just bursts with flavour.

[Yorkshire Andy]

I'm planting a cover crop of winter bean that I will chop off and dig in, in the spring using the greenery to outcompete weeds and allow the nitrogen fixing property's to help enrich the soil with the root fibre

[jansman]

If you need a spare spade they are £16 in Lidl the floor to handle top is about 5 ft but it's also handle is curved meaning the turning bit almost does it under its own weight

Been a aluminium shaft it's very light and zero flex in just been and got a matching rake

Clever design that!

[Yorkshire Andy]

If you need a spare spade they are £16 in Lidl the floor to handle top is about 5 ft but it's also handle is curved meaning the turning bit almost does it under its own weight

Been a aluminium shaft it's very light and zero flex in just been and got a matching rake

Clever design that!

You just need to get used to having the shaft leaning past upright slightly away from you when pushing it in to keep the blade vertical

[Yorkshire Andy]

And the rake is to the right. I used to work in a tool shop and it's probably as strong due to the clever bracing as a tarmac take but as light as a bog standard cheap garden rake. But the curved handle just feels right