Topic: What to do about my seedlings?

[Hepsibah]

Hello everyone, hope you're all keeping well in these uncertain times.

I got a new allotment in January which hasn't been cultivated for two years so is fairly covered with docks, thistles and brambles but mostly longish grass which has collapsed and thatched the ground reasonably well. The plan was for a no dig approach as I have a small barn with a couple of stables worth of deep bedded sheep muck to clear along with thirty bales of unused, rotting hay.

I started well enough, three smallish raised beds cleared, mucked and two planted with salad leaf seeds, two beds of first early potatoes in and well mulched under black plastic, a bed of onion sets in and a 3x6m polytunnel erected.

I have a whole bunch of seedlings doing nicely here: tomato, celeriac, sprouting broccoli, globe artichoke, squashes etc but my lottie is not within walking distance so I'm confined to the house and garden.  I have an outbuilding which is fairly light with french doors and electricity but the garden has lots of free ranging chickens in it so I may find hardening off a bit of a challenge.

How should I go about keeping these seedlings going until I can drive to the allotment again?

[ACE]

If you have chickens how about putting a small movable coop with a couple of birds on the plot. They will clear the ground gradually and the bonus is if you need to drive there you are allowed to tend livestock. Just take a photo of them to show if you are stopped.

[ancellsfarmer]

Without knowing more about your situation, I would suggest perhaps building cold frames(s) and try and pot on the plants to give yourself time.
Restrain the chucks with fruit netting or polybags nailed between posts .Do the chucks live in the outbuilding, or might they? , perhaps with a small run.
Can you find anybody who might transport your plants in a wheelbarrow for their daily exercise?
The problem is that we know not how long before things relax. It may be that you will need to plant at home.
Stay safe.

[Vinlander]

Get a bike and call it exercise?

Cheers.

[Beersmith]

My local authority has been changing its policy as things have progressed.

Initially it  closed all allotments. But then took a more sensible approach and changed policy.  Allotment visits are permitted provided plot holders keep well apart. There is a strict recommendation to use hand sanitizer before and after passing through gates.  All allotment shops are closed.  This strikes me as a good balance. Healthy exercise and fresh air for many of us retirees, with minimal risk of spreading the virus.

But there is no total ban on driving to the allotment. So why not check out the advice in your locality?  Driving a long distance to take exercise is being strongly discouraged, but a ten or fifteen minute trip to a supermarket or pharmacy seems acceptable. 

A short drive if your allotment is fairly local would seem to be within recommendations. Worth checking.

[Obelixx]

Assuming allotments are not closed in your area I should think it fine to drive there, especially with seeds, plantlets etc tho far too early to be planting out tomatoes and other tender plants.   

Distances here are such that my weekly round trip to the supermarket for essentials is 65km, thanks to a road being closed after flooding in early March.  Haven't been stopped yet.  I go on my own and carry my "dérogation" to say who I am and why i'm out and make sure I drive carefully so i don't get into or cause accidents and thus waste valuable emergency resources.

[MervF]

My local authority has been changing its policy as things have progressed.

Initially it  closed all allotments. But then took a more sensible approach and changed policy.  Allotment visits are permitted provided plot holders keep well apart. There is a strict recommendation to use hand sanitizer before and after passing through gates.  All allotment shops are closed.  This strikes me as a good balance. Healthy exercise and fresh air for many of us retirees, with minimal risk of spreading the virus.

But there is no total ban on driving to the allotment. So why not check out the advice in your locality?  Driving a long distance to take exercise is being strongly discouraged, but a ten or fifteen minute trip to a supermarket or pharmacy seems acceptable. 

A short drive if your allotment is fairly local would seem to be within recommendations. Worth checking.

Cheers.
[/quote]

I found this on the National Allotment Society website the other day:-

Driving to the plot, we are aware that in recent days there has been conflicting statements from police forces about driving to your plot. A briefing has now been issued from the College of Policing and the National Police Chief’s Council that advises forces to :-
Use your judgement and common sense; for example, people will want to exercise locally and may need to travel to do so, we don’t want the public sanctioned for travelling a reasonable distance to exercise. ………………….. We should reserve enforcement only for individuals who have not responded to Engage, Explain, and Encourage, where public health is at risk.
If you need to drive a reasonable distance to get to your plot then this guidance would suggest that it is permissible to do so. However, please walk to the plot if at all possible
Any plot-holder who is self isolating because a household member is ill with corona-virus should not be visiting the site.
Members should take the following precautionary measures :
•   Keep hand sanitiser in your shed and wash your hands regularly
•   Use hand sanitiser before opening and after closing any gate locks
•   Wash hands when you get home
•   DO NOT gather together for a chat even if you are 2 metres apart CLICK HERE for guidance
•   Observe “Social Distancing” with each other 2-3 metres
•   If you take your children to the plot, ensure that they stay within its confines and do not run around on communal paths and spaces.
•   Do not share tools
•   Minimise the contact with each other for example no handshakes
•   Do not wash your hands in water troughs
•   We recommend that all communal facilities are closed

I have printed out a copy of that and will carry it with me when I go to the plot later this week.   My plot is just over 2miles from home and too far to walk for me with a bit of osteoarthritis in my knee.

[Tiny Clanger]

In Warwickshire, we have been told that a "5 minute drive " is OK