Funny you should say this, but I was just thinking whilst weeding last night. If I leave the allotment alone for a week, or two weeks whilst on holiday when I get back everything is brilliant. I tend to water when it is dry, but my Italian friend doesn't water, just leaves it to nature. Loads of weeds of course but it doesn't seem to affect the established plants. I think sometimes things grow better when overgrown as the birds, squirrels whatever do not find the hidden produce. I must have thrown a few parsnip seeds about and they have decided where they want to grow, not in the neat lines I thought (none have come up, so obviously don't like it there). Some of the uncultivated sites have great stuff growing if ones investigates under the undergrowth, weeds etc. Gooseberries, redcurrants seem to survive very well but mine unless netted all got eaten by birds. Perhaps weeds are good and keep insects off the plants, well that is a good excuse not too weed to often. I suppose what I am trying to say is the plants will decide for themselves which soil or position they wish to grow in and we should let them get on with it. Frozen loads of runner beans last night, probably because we had heavy rain, watering is just not the same.
