Allotments 4 All

A nice rain overnight, but it will only start the weed seeds that have been lurking in the dry top soil. I have been watering newly planted stuff a bit longer than usual, I'm one of those who just starts them off really, leaving the roots to go down and find their own.  The stuff looks good apart from the onions, but then their roots don't seem to go down very far and they were cheap sets. Back to seed again next year. Digging up a few spuds has shown there is still moisture  down below. Carrots did not seem to want to germinate this year so I put in a couple more rows, now after last weekends showers and a bit of heat every row has started showing.

I snook in some more carrots too... two pallet toppers full.. eight short rows. The recent rain has come just at the right time for the potatoes.. looks like a good crop.

Pallet toppers,(collars) the best thing since sliced bread. I got eight of them out of a skip. Started a double height one last week with celery in topping up as it grows.

Never knew what the correct name was for these.

I planted out some annuals I'd grown from seed after a downpour, top 1cm slightly moist, dust underneath....  my neighbours now think I'm nuts watering in the rain.....

Maybe it would have taken several hours after the downpour to see whether or not water was actually getting down into the soil to the roots.  On the other hand a short downpour may not have been enough in the first place.  So you are not crazy to settle your new plants in with watering if nature does not provide enough. 

It does not sound like you are too bothered what your neighbours think is right or wrong for you and that is as it should be.   

Some people have been asking about pallet toppers. Sometimes found near piles of pallets if you are lucky. Fold away when not in use but stackable to make a higher raise bed.

If you are lucky you can find some "plastic" ones... don't need painting and don't rot. I'm not a great plastics fan but they are great. Our local source is a very large aerospace engine company...