Allotments 4 All

I wonder what the winter has in store for us all this year ?

Spring at the end of it 

Seed catalogues!

It obviously struck early as all my marrows and sweetcorn are now dead!!

Anybody seem a long range forecast for this winter?

Quote from: gavinjconway on September 27, 2012, 17:17:16
It obviously struck early as all my marrows and sweetcorn are now dead!!

Oh no! how sad for you! 

I have started to get prepared, Low tide early morning so been visiting for coal and slag to get stocked up as its no joke doing it when the winter months click in

Quote from: caroline7758 on September 27, 2012, 18:17:01

Quote from: gavinjconway on September 27, 2012, 17:17:16
It obviously struck early as all my marrows and sweetcorn are now dead!!

Oh no! how sad for you! 

I was so looking forward to the corn... all 100 plants dead!! They only needed another few weeks to be ready!!

You must have had them in late then Gavin. I understand how you feel, its a right downer, still always next year. I seem to say that about one crop every year wonder which one it will be.

Quote from: davyw1 on September 27, 2012, 22:11:23
You must have had them in late then Gavin. I understand how you feel, its a right downer, still always next year. I seem to say that about one crop every year wonder which one it will be.

I sowed the seed into pots and toilet rolls and then planted out on 1st June when frost was gone.. I think they were just slow due to the lack of summer!!

Davy1- do you dig the coal? is it wet and has  to dry out?
Gavin did the sweetcorn not set fruit? or have you had an early frost?

Quote from: pumpkinlover on September 27, 2012, 22:28:00

Gavin did the sweetcorn not set fruit? or have you had an early frost?

Hi PL... It has set cobs but they are not fully grown yet - pollination seems good but just not big enough yet to eat.. The freak  frost on Saturday  seems to have really hammered them.. 

That's a shame.

{Davy1- do you dig the coal? is it wet and has  to dry out?}

No not where the photo was taken, Just scrape it up into piles and shovel it, you could fill as many bags as you take away. Its moist but not wet but it goes on the fire damp so it cakes.
I could go to another part and pick up lumps of coal, but we need north easterlies to drive it onto the beech so there is not much about at the moment

Davy I was wondering how you could just get coal on the beach then I looked at your location!  Funny coincidence, my mum was from Easington Colliery and worked for a time in Peterlee. We were up there 2 years back, it's a lovely spot actually, in a bleak kind of way. My granddad had an allotment as did all the miners from the Colliery, maybe I got the bug from him? He worked "down t'pit" his whole life as did my 2 uncles.
I didn't realise that the coal washes up on the beach...