Topic: Trenches Pot Holes and Bees nest!

[Mandie and Dean]

Hi one and all,

Well today it became official, we got our very first allotment!  We have taken it on with our best friends at a local site - and we got our keys this morning.

Its quite a big plot 25m by 11m... (well we think its big!), and it is was covered in couch grass that we spent today strimming down - and have now begun digging it out.

We read this site and took a lot of hints from the brilliant posts before we got started, so we are not expecting too much of ourselves and will cover a lot of it over with some manure and sheet until next year, but we will make a patch for onions and garlic, beans and possible some fruit bushes for this year.

I have a couple of questions I hoped you might be able to help me with though (only been here 5 mins and I'm already being cheeky!)

As we started strimming, a lot of frogs started to scarper.  I think I read that frogs are good as they eat "baddies" that would otherwise munch our veggies.  So we thought we would leave a natural bit at the back of the patch to try and keep them - is that a good / bad / or indifferent thing to do?  And what else can I throw in this area to attract natural "goodies".

Also, as the clearing carried on - we found that the whole patch has a huge amount of trenches everywhere - and they don't seem to have much sense to them.  Should we try and flatten our patch or are they likely to be there for a reason?

And finally - we found a bee hive right in the middle of the allotment, we can see the honeycomb and it looks delicious!  But it obviously cant stay - can we just dig this out or do we need to get professionals in to smoke them out??

I took a load of pictures and as soon as I work out how to the site works I will get them uploaded so everyone can laugh, oops i mean gasp with delight at our progress.....!

Thank you in advance for your help!!

Mandie (and Dean, Karen and Seth!)

[manicscousers]

welcome to the site, mandie and dave..wow, that's lots of challenges to start with, sounds like you've got a plan, that's a good start
the trenches could be there for drainage or irrigation..our plot gets waterlogged  so maybe we need trenches
poundland and places like that have their fruit bushes in now, blackcurrants, raspberry canes and blueberries, all 1.00 each
could you make a small pond for your froggy mates ?
maybe someone else can help with the bee questions, I've no idea
have a brill time, happy digging  ;D

[silverbirch]

Hello, welcome along.  I've been on the site for a couple of months and they are a great bunch.  Well, some of them....one of them....probably.

The key thing to remember is little and often.  Too many new people think it is like "Ground Force" and just takes a weekend.  Covering is a good idea, because the area you've cleared will sprout a magnificent crop of annual weeds if you don't.  Eventually, though, you are going to have to dig out the couch grass as it is a perennial growing from underground stems.  They are also quite brittle, and each piece will produce a new plant.  Get the bit for your fruit bushes properly cleared first - maybe even think of leaving that area for a year and just concentrate on the weeding.

Frogs are definitely goodies, so shoo them out of the way first!!  However, to keep the goodies they need food in the way of baddies, and the wild area won't have a sign saying "No slugs allowed".

I reckon your trenches were probably for potatoes, so it may be worth digging around to see if you have a free crop.  The good people set up a new series each year, so there is no problem with flattening them out.  It's also a good idea to get at least some crops in as you said, it gives you something apart from weeds to look at.

As for the bee hive, I'm not sure they would be honey bees.  Contact your local beekeeping association for advice, or build a bonfire over the top.

Having said all that, the best advice will come from the plot holders around you, as they will know what does and doesn't work locally.  The problem with that is you will get 5 people giving 7 "only things to do".

Best advice of all - enjoy it!!

Do put the pictures up, won't you?

[kitten]

Hey mandie & welcome to the site  ;D (and Dean, Karen & Seth!  ;) )

Can't help with the bee's nest question, although I suspect you might need to call the council or a professional of some sort for advice on what to do.

Anyway, just wanted to say hello and don't worry about asking questions, that's what all the lovely peeps here are good at  ;) (as well as growing amazing veggies!).

Best of luck and can't wait to see those piccies  ;)

[Mandie and Dean]

Thanks so much for the posts, and the great advice. 

We did find one or two potatoes in and amongst the mess - so that must be what the trenches were for.  They are everywhere - maybe the last owner had a rotation going in or something.  Anyway - once we dig out this nasty couch grass we will probably see where they go and why a little better!

Great idea about the small pond - I think I will talk to the troops about that in the morning.  If I invent a special sign that keeps the slugs in our "nature reserve" and out of our veggies, I promise to share it with you all!

Really don't know what to do about this bee nest, and if I cant make crunchy nut cornflakes out of it - I want it gone!!  Thanks for the advice - I will see what the local authority types have to say.

I managed to upload the pictures I took today - Seth worked like a mad man getting the tall grass cut back!  I felt quite bad as I was tied up with my daughter, Lily, who is only 6 months and needed my attention (THANK YOU LILY).....but I made them nice cuppa teas and bought biscuits so I wasn't totally rubbish.  I will update the photos with our progress tommorrow for anyone that's interested!

Thanks again!

[kitten]

Ahhh, i think your trenches are probably between rows of potatoes mandie (you earth the plants up into ridges so they don't go green while they're growing).  I suspect if you dig along the ridges (rather than in the trench) you may find some spuds  ;D x

[Lauren S]

Hi Mandie and dean, welcome.
Congratulations on your new Lottie \o/  ;D
Sounds like you have thought things out well ahead of time.
 If you want to post pics on here (we love seeing before and after shots).
Can I suggest you sign up to photobucket it's Free. (My Fave Word)  ;D
 Save your pics from your camera to your PC, in a suitably named folder (i.e Lottie Pics etc) and then upload your pics IN photobucket.
When you want to insert them into either an A4A reply or new post, go to your uploaded pics (in photobucket) and underneath each pics you will see several formats (4). Hi-light the bottom option IMG...Copy and Paste right into your reply/new post.

I hope you can make sense of this  ::)

Lauren  ;D

http://photobucket.com/

[Mandie and Dean]

Brilliant!  Thank you for that... I will definately use the site:- below is a test!

Cheers
Mandie

IMG]http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff216/Mandie_and_Dean/Dayoneinourallotment.jpg[/IMG]

[silverbirch]

Got there eventually.  I think that is what is know horticulturally as "a bit of a challenge"!!

[Toadspawn]

Are they bumble bees or honey bees? Bumble bees are large round and hairy whereas honey bees are much smaller. Bumble bees often make nests in grass tussocks or in holes in the ground. The colony usually numbers about 200.  I guess you have bumble bees. You do not need to worry about them because all the worker females and the male drones will die as winter approaches. The newly mated queens will find a suitable space to hibernate for winter. Honey bees prefer to nest in hollow trees, under tiles in the roof space, hollow walls etc or specially constructed hives. A colony can number 50,000. If by any chance they are honey bees ask the local beekeepers association for help in removing them.

Please do not destroy them, bees of all types are declining in numbers and they are vital for pollination of many agricultural and garden crops. 

[Robert_Brenchley]

It would be very unusual to say the least to have European honey bees nesting in the ground. Almost certainly, you'll have either bumbles or wasps. Either will disappear as soon as winter arrives.