Topic: growing veg again

[ACE]

About ten years ago things got so busy with the flower nursery and having to be away from home all spring and half the summer building gardens at shows I gave the allotment back. My own garden is so full of shrubs and a bit of an orchard we do not have room for the nice home grown veg.
 I was looking at ripping some out for a vegetable plot, because I have the time now to look after them and thought I wonder if I can get another allotment. Rang up the village society and asked to be put on the waiting list. Two hours later I was offered a choice of a couple of plots. So Saturday morning I shall be meeting the sec. to sort one out. They both need a good clear out but I don't mind starting from scratch one is 15m long and the other 20 both 7m wide. Just the right size for me, I don't need a big one anymore.

It is a nice spot just outside the village, but a couple of houses overlooking them and stables just around the corner, £1 a week with water. That's what I call a result.

[goodlife]

Wow...good news and so quickly too! Though I think the 'grow your own' boom is slowing down over here...we have few spare plots available and nobody on waiting list! Last year there were quite few people after them.
Those are still quite good size plots and will give you plenty to do..what is it first?..making the plot dog 'proof' so you can take doggies with you for company?

[ACE]

..what is it first?..making the plot dog 'proof' so you can take doggies with you for company?

Making it rabbit proof is more than likely, surrounded by open fields, so they are bound to be there.

[goodlife]

no no...lure them in...think of bunny burgers

[cornykev]

How much do u pay a year for the plot Ace.     

[ACE]

How much do u pay a year for the plot Ace.     

£40 for the plot and £15 for the water, tools etc.. £25 deposit refunded when if you vacate and leave the plot in good order. It is not council owned. Something the village society set up on their own. But just over a pound a week is not going to break the bank. They put all the plot numbers in a hat every year and who ever gets drawn has a free year.

[cornykev]

You'll probably find a way to fix it Ace, and for the 3rd year running the free plot is .........ACE.     

[Digeroo]

Brill that was quick.

We have several spare plots, I do think the allotment boom is over.   Though they were rather over grown so I think it puts people off.  Being sorted by a squad of pigs.

Do you have deer on the IOW, they can be a nuisance?   At least you will not have the muntjac best keep it that way.

One other problem of being open to countryside is the human rats who steal veg, hopefully the houses overlooking might help.

[ACE]

There are a few deer over here, I have never seen any, but people have seen tracks more to the south of the island, not in my area. Thieves will not be a problem, we don't do that here, the place is to small to get away with anything without somebody knowing. Just the other day somebody mentioned that we had changed our toilet paper colour. Nosey lot of feckers!

[alkanet]

you're probably verging on the sub-tropical

[ACE]

you're probably verging on the sub-tropical

Verging on insanity is more like it. But the weather can be different to the north island. Not necessarily hotter, but the summer season seems a bit longer. I shall leave here in a couple of weeks time still dressed for summer, then drive up to the north and arrive in the middle of winter, all in one day

Spring will start around St. Valentines day  and winter starts usually just after bonfire night. Then depending where you are you might not even see a frost. Years ago when my son was 4 I got him a sledge for Xmas he could not use it until he was 13.

[Paulines7]

Pleased to hear about your allotment Ace and glad you didn't have to go on a long waiting list.   

[goodlife]

LOL..reading the posts it went swiftly from toilet rolls to sub-tropical.. you would not need any paper then, plenty of greenery for all year round supply 

No thieves, vandals, deer, 'free year' draw, running water, longer growing season... only need to sit down, play some music and watch the crops grow...it is good for some!

[ACE]

Only a titchy one but it will do. Lovely views all around so it looks like a nice spot to spend a few hours now and again.

[caroline7758]

Looks plenty big enough to me! Will Mrs Ace be helping you?

[ACE]

Will Mrs Ace be helping you?

Hope not

[Froglegs]

Shed and a fire pit first.
 

[alkanet]

also, the Sun always shines on the IoW

[ACE]

Boney or what! Very hard stoney ground. So it looks like a few tons of manure and another few tons of compost (soil improver)from the tip. Chipped a couple of metres across with the mattock to clear the top weeds then dug over with the Asian hoe. A spade won't touch it yet. A few pounds lost in weight which is one of the benefits of clearing by hand. Temperature got into the twenties so early mornings for a while, enjoyed it though.

[ACE]

Almost forgot, a few windy days and the beach is full of seaweed. Free as well, add a trailer or two of that and I shall have some nice crops next year.