The Big One!

Here is a "whopper" of a Tomato we picked from our allotment polytunnel!
It weighed in at 700grams and was one from a few seeds we bought back from our Romanian break last year, a place where all fruit & veg grow very well indeed...being a much better climate than here in the UK.   So next year I'll be sowing more of these. 

Our Allotments Update - May 27th , 2017

View Of Two Of Our Plots, Side By Side.

Strawberry Patch

Broad Beans

Tomatos

Chillies & Peppers

Young Pumpkins

Here are a few photos of our allotment plots as they currently look.
Everything now planted, so just loads of weeding & watering now!
Despite being Secretary/Treasurer of our allotment site..still finding enough time to cope with our three plots!!

THE UP's AND DOWN's OF BEING AN ALLOTMENT SECRETARY/TREASURER

Welcome to my first post of 2017...Yes it's been a while folks!
As you might know I have three allotment plots and each year we have an AGM (Annual General Meeting) among the plotholders and commitee members. Well this year we needed a new allotment secretary/treasurer, as our previous one gave up, due to promotion in his job...plus could not manage his plot.   So we turned up at the meeting...all 5 of us!
Which is pretty poor considering there are 23 plots!
So Including the Chairman "Tom" there was myself and three others.....two of which were on the commitee anyway.  So after discussing various topics, it turned to the "Vote" for the new Secretary/Treasurer.  It was a case of "Tom" asking all present in a clockwise matter, who wanted it!!  I was  last to be asked...after all those present refused it for various and selfish reasons...."Oh i'm no good at computers", or "Not got enough time" , "Oh i'm 76 and don't need commitment",  "Ive been here 14 years and don't need responsibility now", "Not likely..I have enough to do"...were the responses heard!   So after I made my excuses too...which seemed reasonable enough...like i've got two businesses to run and over 20 rescue pets to look after and I do not need the hassle......I was voted in!!!!!!!  Proving you should not turn up at an AGM.
Anyway....since then four months have now passed and I'm still in the job, despite resigning two weeks ago over a dispute over using weedkiller!  I was not happy that a plotholder soaked an unused plot in weedkiller without asking me first...knowing weedkillers are already banned from our plots. He was not happy....and he also put some next to my organic plots.
So feeling my authority was undermined, I quit!......only to be persuaded back by "Tom" the chairman.   Mainly 'cos no-one else would take the job!!
This week I had to "evict" a plotholder due to  him not doing anything on his plot for 12 months...it is smothered in weeds, totally a mess.   So I felt it time to get someone else on there.
So gradually I'm hoping the plots will start to look tidier. Some guys need a "prod" now & then to get them motivated. Some do not turn up for ages, which means the weeds soon return.
Its far easier to keep regular visits, than neglect a plot too long and start to lose interest.
So it seems to be a thankless job in a lot of ways being a Secretary.....knowing you must be firm at times, probably upsetting a few folk along the way, but at least you have some say over things.
Ideally  you would have 23 totally commited plot holders attending their allotments every week...but it never works like that....sadly.  Even ones that sign up totally "excited" at the prospect of growing their own produce...start eagerly enough, going mad digging and planting out..soon start leaving it a week or two weeks....finding out they need to get there more often to weed their plots. If they are still there after 12 months, then you feel they might be staying afterall.
But it's very rare to get many to remain more than 12 months lately...younger folk seem less interested, which is a shame as you need young people to keep the allotments going.
In around 10 years I feel many allotment associations will vanish through a lack of interest.
This will end up seeing Allotment sites turned into housing estates, which would be a disaster.
So will future generations be keen gardeners? You would think so, if they cared about where their food comes from and a need for organic produce, unnafected by chemicals.  But Iam yet to be convinced.  All I see is a younger generation eyes glued to mobile phone screens and tablets.
It would be a travesty if gardening were to be a forgotten interest in years to come,
All new houses have tiny gardens as folk have little free time to spend at home due to busy lives.
I have had allotments on & off since the age of 18.......i'm now 55.
It's great exercise and a worthwhile hobby.  But one younger people seem little interested in.
So will I remain as Secretary?
Well that is up to the other plotholders at next years AGM....at which I must turn up.
I cannot see anyone else wanting the job.....but if anyone did, they are very welcome to do it.
It's a poisoned chalice really, as you cannot please everyone, but try to keep plots tidy and the paperwork in order.  I will add any future "episodes" on here too!  

A PRODUCTIVE GARDENING SEASON

Tomatos and Peppers

Worcester Pomagne Apples

Marmande Tomato

Victoria Plums and Worcester Pomagne Apples

Turks Turban Squash

Allotment View

Jalapeno Chillies

Sweet Peppers

Pumpkins, Squashes and Gourds

Beans Galore

Me Picking Damsons from shed roof

Damsons

Apples

Figs

Peppers

Cucumber plant

Well after a cold and wet spring here in the UK, we managed a great summer really which produced loads of fruits and vegetables on our allotment plots and at home on our trees. When you consider the quite short growing season we have, everything did very well really. Even the Potatoes, which often suffer from slug damage..I dug them up in August during the dry spell, which was a good idea, before the rains set in. We got around 5 sacks of Potatoes in total.

Now almost into October and we're still getting plenty of Tomatoes and Peppers. The Pumpkins and Squashes have now been harvested and are under cover to mature outdoors a bit, before being brought inside. Currently pruning fruit trees and preparing the allotments for next year, with plenty of tidying and digging to do yet.

ALLOTMENTS UPDATE- July 2016

Tomatoes

Sweet Corn

Runner Beans

Strawberries

Raspberries

Beetroot

Broad Beans

Potatoes

Artichokes

View Of Two Plots

Peas

Pumpkins

Another year and more "Veggies" and "Fruits" to enjoy from the current gardening season.

Despite a strange set of weather systems this year and cloudy pretty much every week...we are still growing things pretty well. The Fruits are very nice this year and loads too!

Root Veg seems slower, but time yet I guess. The Pumpkins are quite behind though, so not expecting as many as last year...which would be a pity.  But the mornings and evenings have been chilly at times, which would explain the smaller plants at this time of year.

The outdoor Tomatoes are also lacking in flowers, so again perhaps not to be very prolific this season. We need more warmth and sunshine!!

STORING BEETROOT

Golden Beetroot

Beetroot In Baskets with compost

We have now stored our crop of Beetroot for the Winter , using plastic baskets, lined with paper, then with layers of compost and Beets, until the baskets are full. They can then be stored in damp free sheds for future use. They keep very well indeed and stay firm using this method.

Also we shall be having a nice crop of Sprouts too and winter greens from our plots.

Allotment Harvesting Time

Tomatoes & Peppers

Damsons

Large Pumpkin

Squashes & Pumpkins

New Strawberry Bed

Long Peppers

It's that time of year now for gathering up the crops to store away.
Thankfully we have a good storing shed on the allotment.
Right now it is full of Potatoes, Squashes, Onions and Pumpkins, all ready to use when we want them. Been another good year and despite the "Not Great" Summer we had, things have grown quite nicely. Already made a new Strawberry bed for next year, with runners saved from the existing plants, so they should be established well for next Summer.  Still lots to pick there and the soil to dig over and prepare before the weather becomes too cold and wet.