Allotments 4 All

I went to the Lotty today planted some onions ,garlic, watered things pick what was ready to take home,before I left I decided go have a walk about the site I don't do that very often ,there a hundred plots most are in not bad condition, but what I did notice was a lot of waste, :o lots didn't pick there sweet corn let it dry  out, :( apples rotting were they fell,and quit a few things more if we have to much stuff we give it to family or the elderly nabours,or freeze it !are people just to lazy ?

There can be other reasons. My sweet corn is rubbish this year, and I won't bother picking the ones that haven't filled out. A lot of apples rot on my site because people are overwhelmed by the quantity, and try as I might, I always have some windfalls which are chewed by rats or half rotten by the time I get to them.

Robert your probably right,I don't have a apple tree so am likely a tad envious, ;DI love sweetcorn,think aim a bit precious about it .think I need a wee holiday ,forgot going away Tuesday 8)

I always leave a few apples- mainly windfalls - for the birds. It's amazing how fast they disappear. The blackbirds seem particularly fond of them.

I did put out the immature sweetcorn on the bird table,something like it, all that was left was the wee husks clean as a whistle ;D

My sweetcorn was rubbish, so I didn't pick it and I always leave the stalk out for the winter as ladybirds hibernate in there and they come out in the spring and munch all the blackfly; hence no blackfly on my broadies.

AJ,I must remember that,suppose it dose as a wind barrier?  :)

If you have any chicken keepers on your site or locally, they'll be more than happy to take poorly formed (but fresh) corn, apples, greens, anything off your hands for the chooks.  Ditto the leaves that you trim from root veg or caulis.

Quote from: claybasket on October 13, 2011, 22:04:33
AJ,I must remember that,suppose it dose as a wind barrier?  :)

A little, but it's more for the ladybirds in my garden.

Quote from: Melbourne12 on October 13, 2011, 22:28:46
If you have any chicken keepers on your site or locally, they'll be more than happy to take poorly formed (but fresh) corn, apples, greens, anything off your hands for the chooks.  Ditto the leaves that you trim from root veg or caulis.

And it's better than leaving it around to encourage r-a-t-eses that some sites frequently suffer from.  ;)

There is a neighbour on my allotment, they are really strange, either they come down and do an incredible amount of work over a weekend or we don't see them for months! Her plot yesterday was covered with weeds, had the courgettes all completely overblown and rotting on the ground, melons as well, cabbages that are now too big and exploding, leeks that you can't see for the weeds. and all the peppers have rotted on the plants  >:(

Last year they did this too, then came in winter, put weedkiller over everything, then dig it over in the spring and started again! It's not my way of doing things in any case and I find it silly to grow all those things then let them rot on the plot.

Ironically the committee has been obliged to put up a notice to remind people that taking things from other folks plots is stealing.... Obviously that's right, but I understand how tempting it is when you see things that are rotting away and you just have to walk by!!!
Some of my things might not grow very well but at least I eat it, no matter what it comes out as!

I've a lottie neighbour the same, Think they just enjoy being there but not bothered about harvesting that much. Each to their own, at least they keep it tidy.

I always feed more of my sweetcorn to the neighbour's hens than I take home myself - it was a rubbish season for corn this year.  I haven't taken down my bean frame yet either, nor cleared away half the squash, nor pulled down the sweetpeas.  It's just what it looks like this time of year.

Nothing goes to waste on my plot (that's the theory anyway  ;)). If it's not good enough to take away and eat or give away then it's "recycled"  ;D - straight into the compost heap.  ;)

If someone wants something from a neighbour's plot they ask. Thank heavens we can trust each other.  :)

Can't understand some folk that leave their veg in the ground their to go woody, the Red Cabbage  I tried to grow this year was not a success, but the people next to me have not bothered with most of their veg and grew some very nice Red Cabbage which is still sat there, :)

Quote from: Mr Smith on November 06, 2011, 21:59:02
Can't understand some folk that leave their veg in the ground their to go woody, the Red Cabbage  I tried to grow this year was not a success, but the people next to me have not bothered with most of their veg and grew some very nice Red Cabbage which is still sat there, :)

Grow some red cabbage says Mrs Roller. In went the plants - and boy they were so easy. Whoppers!!

I proudly cut and took one home.....then it sat there in the larder fridge... waiting.  ::)

Eventually I found a recipe on-line and used it - not bad IMHO.

I cut another........and still it's sitting there ........in the larder fridge.  :( The rest will go off to my son and and his partner who maybe will give us some tips on what to do with red cabbage (other than pickle it!). She's a pretty good cook and has the time to spend at it.  ;)

Red cabbage!! Yum!
Shred it and make salad out of it with chunks of apples, celery, blue cheese, walnuts.
Shred it and make red coleslaw!

Use it in stir fry, it might make the other veg a bit purple but who cares?
Make Flemish cabbage - in a heavy bottomed pan or preferably a pressure cooker, brown some onions. chop finely the cabbage (about 1/3 of a cabbage is enough, or a 1/4 if it is especially big) and some apple. Put the cabbage and apple in the pan then add: a pinch of cumin, cinnamon if you like it, salt, pepper, a heaped teaspoon of sugar, half a cup of water/stock/wine and 3 tabs of vinegar, wine or cider type. Stir and cook till relatively soft. Server with pork chops! heaven!

Thanks antipodes.

I'll print the ideas out and leave it around for Mrs Roller. We have loads of apples just across the road at the new bungalow so that'll give my daughter something to do as well.  :)

I guess the apples need to be sweet eaters not cookers?