Advice for a hopeless gardener

[jennyjj01]

Got me thinking silly and irreverent, even macabre thoughts. If a keen allotmenteer is buried, should their family grow veggies on the grave in homage? I wonder what the council would do. Sorry.

Veg grown ? Without doubt

They probably have silly rules about bonfires, keeping chickens, building sheds etc

[ForgeCorvus]

Got me thinking silly and irreverent, even macabre thoughts. If a keen allotmenteer is buried, should their family grow veggies on the grave in homage? I wonder what the council would do. Sorry.

Veg grown ? Without doubt

They probably have silly rules about bonfires, keeping chickens, building sheds etc

Grandfather was a keen gardener, If he'd read this article https://www.gardeningchannel.com/using- ... den-guide/ he might of had other plans for his eternity

[jennyjj01]

Had just a couple more hours at the lottie today and had a gentle disagreement with my neighbour, so canvassing opinions here.....

My quarter plot is made up of 6 rectangles about car parking space size. Three of them have timber surrounds made of planks, but they are half rotten. Between the subplots are paths of weedy 18" carpet tiles.*

Controversially, I'm inclined to lift the carpet square paths and grow in them leaving just a few minimal narrow paths. More controversially still, I'm inclined to tear out the plank edging, because a few times I snagged my leg on sticking out screws where it's rotted.

Reasoning for lifting and narrowing the paths is to gain some easily weeded soil and get at marestail that's creeping under it. My neighbour thought I was being a bit of a vandal to remove the plank edging and paths. His plot is loads of little edged beds.

What's the point/obsession with edging beds which are barely raised at all. They look super neat, but so what?

I could replace it with light duty edging from pallet wood, just to give demarcation?

Am I a heathen to want to not have my plot all boxed up with boundaries?

Bringing more carpet on site is forbidden, but I'm using what's lifted as weed suppressant, which is handy re-use.

Talking of weeds....... As I'm pulling them out, I'm setting aside marestail and couch but composting the rest. Am I tempting fate in risking contaminating my heap? Am I ok to compost nasties like dandelion ( without seed heads )

Anyhow. Pleased with this week's progress in spite of the weather.

[GillyBee]

The venerable Charles Dowding calls wooden edging a haven for slugs and does not use it. His paths are woodchip over cardboard which slowly rots into compost and is replaced as needed.
So you could point out to your neighbour that you are removing the wooden slug havens on the advice of a respected gardening author.And you are removing the carpet tiles before they can add any more microplastics to the plot as you have no idea what they are made of........
And I suspect woodchip and cardboard will be cheaper than new edging when it eventually rots.

Having said that I am in the process of replacing the old sleepers for my little garden veg raised bed as it has now rotted. T'other half likes having this well above ground level so it looks like I will be replacing them - slugs & cost regardless.

[jennyjj01]

Thanks for the support. C D makes a case for minimal paths and no wood edge
https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/kp-les ... 0materials.

[ForgeCorvus]

My Grandfather (a man who was still running three allotments in his 70's) had no permanent paths at all in any of his plots, but that site had been laid out with four feet of common-ground between plots and eight foot headlands (large enough to back a 'muck cart' down them). These were original MoF 'Dig for Victory' 'lotties and when they were created you could get reprimanded for having too much non-productive land on your plot.

If your neighbour wants to go to all that effort to make a pretty plot complete with slug havens, trip hazards and no flexibility, they're welcome...... But your plot is not their plot and unless the site has a HOA that you're not aware of then they can go whistle

[jennyjj01]

My Grandfather (a man who was still running three allotments in his 70's) had no permanent paths at all in any of his plots, but that site had been laid out with four feet of common-ground between plots and eight foot headlands (large enough to back a 'muck cart' down them). These were original MoF 'Dig for Victory' 'lotties and when they were created you could get reprimanded for having too much non-productive land on your plot.

If your neighbour wants to go to all that effort to make a pretty plot complete with slug havens, trip hazards and no flexibility, they're welcome...... But your plot is not their plot and unless the site has a HOA that you're not aware of then they can go whistle

Thanks again for support.

There's a gardens association and a committee with some draconian powers and rules. The 'rules' say "The Tenant is responsible for maintaining in an accessible and good condition any pathway or hedge included in their Allotment ...". But my interpretation is that these are my paths on my plot and I will manage them as I (darned well) see fit. I'll maintain my side of the perimeter paths and the main common walkway that disects my plot.
I expect that any time soon, I'll be 'on a warning' for something, especially missing cultivation targets or permitting weeds to be there.

The wooden edgings will be removed as they become dangerous, which many are with their stray nails and screws.

[ForgeCorvus]

Obey the letter of the rules and nobody can complain.
Feel free to interpret those rules as you see fit though....... You're a Prepper, contrary by definition

[jennyjj01]

Obey the letter of the rules and nobody can complain.
Feel free to interpret those rules as you see fit though....... You're a Prepper, contrary by definition

Oh they can complain, and do. Fortunately the site manager is easy going, so far. Mine is far from the most neglected
I do find it tough to meet cultivation targets, because I don't obsessively keep on top of it. Mea Culpa.

So back to the questions..... Compost dandelion roots and foliage? ( obviously not seed heads )
Compost chopped down raspberry canes, or will they take too long to decompose? Or can i do something else with them? They seem pretty weak.

An area where I grew mustard (into winter) and then covered with card.... Turn it over and risk turning some weeds in, or dig it out with the rest of the weeds? There is some marestail there to dig out, anyway.

Usually when digging and turning over, i try to pluck out anything green. Is that actually a waste of time for some annual weeds which might decay anyway when dug in?

[jennyjj01]

Damn Damn Damn DAMNIT.

I think I have got blight in the few spuds on my allotment!

I sowed about 25 spuds of various types and left about 5 'volunteers' that had showed up with maybe 3" of green.
Some of my sowings have just broken through and look OK. But of the volunteers, over half of them have blackened and wilted leaves already. Looks like blight to my untrained eye.

Is this likely to be blight, considering the wet weather we are having?

Should I tear up any that look to be inflicted, in the hope of saving the new babies, some of which haven't popped through yet?

I'd rather cull 5 or so innocent but possibly afflicted if it will save the rest of the plot.

In other news... Marestail has popped through but looks to have declined on this time last year.