Allotments 4 All

I popped to the allotment to access the situation before moving the remaining plants tomorrow, and every single one of my sweetcorn have a seed bit at the top. I cant find much info on this, but the plants are less than 2 foot tall and have no sign of any ears yet. Does them having gone to seed mean they will not produce any now? I know they ar every intollerent of being moved anyway, so if it looks like they are ruined now anyway then I wont bother.

That's normal inky.  If you look closely at the places where the leaves join the stem, you'll see where the cobs are starting to form.  Tassels will appear from the ends of the developing cob and they need the flower at the top to pollinate them.  I'm pretty sure that if you move them though at this stage, you'll lose them.

No hope of moving them this late. They're fussy about their roots as it is.

They are supposed to go to seed. That is the bit you eat

They tend to be hungry, thirsty critters so you might like to give them a feed with a good drink

no its not the tassles they are growing but out the top of the top of the plant they have grown what looks like an ear of corn with little seeds all over it. I just didnt remember them doing it last time I grew corn  ???

Looks like they will have to go to waste if I cant move them now.  :( I did check last night and I can still buy them as seedings till the end of the month so I may weel just have to try again. Shame as I got them grwing from seed myself.

Quoteout the top of the top of the plant they have grown what looks like an ear of corn with little seeds all over it. I just didnt remember them doing it last time I grew corn

I think your memory must be playing tricks on you.  This is the male flower.  It is a vital part of the process.

as already said. Thats the male part of the plant. Perfectly normal. Dont worry and definately dont move ! Lol.

If this is what you mean then all is OK .

Without them yopu will not have any cobs

Looking good Tee Gee, yum, yum, how long before they are ready, mine are not quite as advanced as yours.

Sorry Borlotti thats an archive picture my corn is not quite like that yet.

I don't have a seperate picture but here was the state of play (including my corn) in my garden & allotment at the end of June!

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Slide%20Shows/June%2009/june%2009.html

ah yeah silly me  :-[

Well I went to the allotment for whats probably the last time today and have salvaged what I can. I have taken just 6 of the sweetcorn, just to give it a go. seems a shame to let it all go to waste. Have also upped and moved all the onions and garlic which will also probably die. 9 of them had reached edible size so I havent bothered trying to replant them and we ate a couple just now in sausage sandwiches, yum! Also salvaged and moved some beetroot, french beans and brussels. So will see over the next week or two if any of it makes it.

The fruit bushes I moved the other week are having mixed results. The redcurrent has dropped its leaves and the berries have withered, luckily I picked a load before this happened. The Apple tree leaves are also turning yellow and dropping. The bluberries, rhubarb and cherry tree seem inaffected, the strawberries are fine, and the raspberries seem to be recovering well and fruiting nicely.

I hope things survive.  It must be difficult having to moving things and perhaps watching things you have nurtured not pulling though.

i dont mean to be rude but do you have a confidence problem with your allotment? its only halfway through the season and your moving this and that, no wonder things are not pulling through, be patient with things. and again sorry if i appear to be rude, its just the way i read your post?

take a chair or sit in a shed or whatever and relax with your favorite beverage.

And speaking of Archives..............!!

Quote from: lightyears on July 05, 2009, 17:37:25
i dont mean to be rude but do you have a confidence problem with your allotment? its only halfway through the season and your moving this and that, no wonder things are not pulling through, be patient with things. and again sorry if i appear to be rude, its just the way i read your post?

take a chair or sit in a shed or whatever and relax with your favorite beverage.

Not so much that, we had got the site clear, put in raised beds and had things going along nicely, however right from the start we were lied to by the council. Our plot came about through them trying to cope with demand by turning over a patch of wasteland at the end of an existing allotment site. We were told the area would be cleared and water provisions provided before we got the key. So Ipaid up, got my key, went to the site, and thry had done nothing. When I queried it thry said I had been misinformed. So we just tried to make the best of a bad situation.

We cleared it all, and set to work had it shaping up well considering what we were up against, and both having full time jobs and 2 preschool children. I was very hard to take the kids like how we planned as it was not a safe site. all of the plots bar the one in front of us never even started trying to cultivate theirs and all the surrounding paths started to become overgrown, so our only way to get to the site was walking over the one other vaugely well kept plot in front of us. The council still have put in no provisions for water at our end, and have done nothing to maintain pathways, now the site in front of ours has given up, so we have no hope. Today I got ripped to shreds trying to get to out plot as all sites are surrounded by grasses, nettles and brambles up to chest height.

So as I dont want to give up on veg growing, and had spent a small fortune on fruit trees and plants and raised bed kits. We have relandscaped our backgarden and so I still have my 'allotment' on a smaller scale.

What a shame was it not possible to carry the water from elsewhere on the site.  Some of ours are a long way from the water, but the best method seems to be one of those bags for use when caravanning and a wheelbarrow.

Quote from: Digeroo on July 06, 2009, 09:09:39
What a shame was it not possible to carry the water from elsewhere on the site.  Some of ours are a long way from the water, but the best method seems to be one of those bags for use when caravanning and a wheelbarrow.

Well thats what we were gonna do just ferry water from the nearest tap, but you cant get a wheelbarrow onto the site, and its very hard trying to carry stuff to and from now as you need your arms to balance trying to make you way through. I have a couple more bits to pick up from the plot, so I will take some pics, you can see how far we got with it and then how its got to now.

I'm absolutely amazed that, with the current demand for allotments and the long waiting lists, the Council has allowed this site to become derelict.  Have you contacted your local councillors and the press?   

After all your hard work it must be really upsetting to be in this situation. 

Are you sure you have kicked enough chins?  (metaphorically of course)

Don't take no for an answer.  Get a quote for the plumbing and send it to the council.

What does you agreement say?  If you have paid for access to the plot and water you should get it.  Send a PM to Unwashed he seems to have a great grasp of legal niceties.