The Allotment Update Thread

Peak harvest at the moment

 

Have been away most of last week, so catching up again. I picked a load of beans ,French and Runner, but about 1/3 had to go straight to compost as they were too big and tough. Picked loads of tomatoes, greenhouse and outdoor ones, 6 cucumbers, and some monster courgettes. I did tell one of my Allotment pals to pick the courgettes as he was watering, but he didn't. So now there's no new flowers, but I'm hoping they will come soon. I'm glad I ignored traditional advice to stop the beans at the top of the canes,as there is some flower that hopefully will keep producing until the late sown dwarf ones come in. In this mad year weather wise, the Blackberries are nearly finished having started in July.
Dahlias are just getting going but Chrysanthemums haven't started yet. Hopefully some rain will soften the ground enough to allow us to harvest the late spuds.

 

The big cler up is underway. I took the last of the tomatoes out of the greenhouse last week. I gave in today and had a fire, I had some old half rotten scaffold boards that had been used on a raised bed. I also burned the tops of some tomatoes that had blight plus a lot of bindweed root that I have dug out. I know some say everything can be composted, but I find such things are not really worth the risk.

 

You did well cropping tomatoes till then @Allotment Boy !

 

I never compost bindweed or blight ridden tomatoes @Allotment Boy. You are lucky to be able to have bonfires. Bonfires are forbidden in France, which is where my vegetable garden is. There is no garden rubbish collection either, has to be taken to the tip or composted. Luckily I have room for compost heaps and a heap of non compost rubbish.